Ineos and Damler Truck enlist in auto defense push as Europe bolsters military spending

Ineos Grenadier SUV Courtesy Ineos Automotive Ineos Automotive on Tuesday announced a partnership to deliver vehicles for the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense, marking the latest in a series of recent collaboration agreements between Europe's auto and defense sectors. The British carmaker , a subsidiary of one of the world's largest chemical producers, Ineos Group, said in a release that it is partnering with armored vehicle producers SMT Defence and NMS UK for the "Team Grenadier" consortium. The group's flagship 4x4 Grenadier will be used as the platform for the MoD's Light Mobility Vehicle program. Ineos said the Grenadier's four-wheel drive, beam axles and high payload capacity provide a "robust baseline for military adaptation across multiple roles and operating environments." The partnership follows a spate of auto-defense collaborations announced in recent weeks. On Monday, Daimler Truck announced it is creating an offshoot brand called Daimler Truck Defence, backed by an investment of several hundred million euros, to "provide governments worldwide with an even broader range of military mobility and logistics solutions." Karin Rådström, CEO of Daimler Truck, said in a statement that defense is a "key pillar" of Daimler Truck's growth strategy. Also on Monday, Renault said it had agreed a partnership with French defense contractor Thales to produce a new armored vehicle. …