- Austria and Italy order INEOS Grenadier; Austria opts for the protected version
- Deliveries start in 2026 (Austria) and 2027 (Italy); Austrian trials begin end-2026
- INEOS is in talks with other European/Nato forces, including the UK LMV programme
The Italian Army and the Austrian Government have each awarded contracts for the supply of INEOS Grenadier, with the latter opting for the enhanced protection variant, in a milestone for the emergent 4×4 offering.
According to a 5 October release from INEOS Automotive, the awards represent the first orders from sovereign defence forces, with previous contracts for the supply of Grenadier 4x4s centred on parapublic, counter-terror, and border security forces.
For the Italian Army deal, ATflow, INEOS Automotive’s regional distributor, will commence deliveries from early 2027.
Separately, an Austrian tender was won by Valentin Tusch GmbH, a vehicle armouring and conversion specialist, to supply the country’s defence and Interior security forces with Grenadiers adapted for enhanced protection.
The first Austrian deliveries and trials will begin by the end of this year.
INEOS Automotive said that it was also in “advanced procurement discussions” with other European and Nato armed forces, including the Team Grenadier consortium, which has been selected to move forward to the trials stage of the UK’s Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) programme.
Notably, an enhanced protection variant was recently showcased for the UK programme.
“In a world where geopolitical tensions are rising, military forces are bolstering their capabilities and resilience, they need the best, modern equipment available. As a robust and highly capable vehicle, this is what the Grenadier was built for,” said Mike Whittington, chief commercial officer at INEOS Automotive.
INEOS Automotive claims that “nearly every country on the eastern border of Europe” has chosen the Grenadier for their security and border forces, including Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia, and Slovakia.
