The Ford Ranger is back, and fans of this small but fierce pickup are thrilled. This truck is a welcomed reboot here in the U.S. It’s been a best-selling truck in Europe, and we finally have a chance to sit behind the wheel. What you may not know is that the newest Ranger, in partnership with Polaris, has also received a military upgrade. One media source announced that the Ford Ranger is ready to enlist. We had to dive in and take a closer look at what the military Ranger is planning to do for our armed forces.

Polaris and Ford team up to design the ultimate military-style Ranger

The Ford Ranger has only recently resurfaced here in the states. But, it’s been a best-selling truck in Europe for a while. The UK-based Automotive engineering firm Ricardo has teamed up with Polaris to give this truck a military upgrade. Looking to create an all-terrain capable vehicle, they’ve set out to design a defense, rescue, and security beast.

Partnering with Polaris was a smart move

You may immediately correlate the Polaris brand with ATVs and recreational vehicles. Polaris also builds several off-road military rides as well. In fact, Polaris is a trusted government contracting partner and routinely produces tactical vehicles for a host of municipality-based divisions. Many fire and rescue teams, law enforcement, and parks and recreation agencies all have Polaris vehicles in their lineups.

If you need an authoritative contribution from designers who have mastered how to harness power, integration, and tech, Polaris is a huge win. This company may just be able to bring a little ‘fun’ to this collaboration as well.

This Ranger is loaded with front line must-haves

What would you suggest to add to the Ranger in order to transform it into a military Ranger? For starters, you’d probably load it down with combat-ready protection like ballistic glass, heavily armored floor protection, and integrated weapons. You would want it to be light and maneuverable, yet sturdy and aggressive. You would probably add a heavy-duty set of bumpers, skid plates, and a full roll cage.

Designers have added all these must-haves and more. They’ve improved the pickup’s ability to forge through water and updated the suspension. They even installed a complete electrical system platform, designed to guard against electromagnetic attacks.

The pickups come equipped with gas and water cans for long drives through barren environments. Some say it’s ready for more than just combat. It’s ready for a full-blown, zombie apocalypse.

We’re not sure yet what to expect under the hood, and Ricardo hasn’t speculated. The standard European setup for the Ranger includes a 210-hp, 2.0L turbodiesel with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Some sources suggest the military Ranger may be similar in final specs.

When is this Ranger hitting the field?

There aren’t immediate announcements indicating when we can expect to see this military-grade monster among the ranks. The company’s special vehicles director has pointed out they’re ready and able to produce this cost-effective line of pickups.

So, for now, this Ranger is a prototype. Given the company’s past military vehicle production success, including the current fleet of attack Land Rovers, we’re anticipating a green light sooner than later.

When you take an automaker like Ford, who has a reputation of building best-selling trucks, and an off-road vehicle design authority like Polaris, you’ll expect to create a monster.

The military Ranger may be the beast-mode vehicle the troops have always had on their wish lists. It’s a prototype now that may be destined from front line combat in the near future. And, we’re all kind of excited to see it come to life.