The Blue Oval has announced a new initiative that could finally bring its radical, military-ready six-wheeler to life.While Ford's Ranger doesn't benefit from the Super Duty treatment in the United States, the rugged midsize truck takes shape (and tempts) in a variety of different ways elsewhere in the world.For instance, between refined XLT uplifts and backcountry-ready fire rigs, the Australian market has proven on more than one occasion that the pickup doesn't get enough love here in North America. Stock or modified, they make a compelling case for the Blue Oval to bring it stateside.The Blue Oval has announced that it will be making a bid for the LMV program as a replacement for the outgoing Defender-based Land Rover Wolf. - Credit: FordStill, it may be our neighbors across the pond who are destined to get the coolest Ranger of them all. That's because Ford has officially confirmed it will be competing for the UK's Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) program.Ford confirms its LMV ambitionsIn doing so, the Blue Oval is working with General Dynamics Land Systems and Ricardo to develop a commercial derivative vehicle based on the Ranger and Ranger Super Duty. The Ranger lends itself to a variety of different applications. - Credit: FordIf selected by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), it would provide a replacement fleet for the outgoing LMV, the Land Rover Wolf. Ford isn't alone in wanting the position; other outfits like Ineos are also vying for it.AdvertisementAdvertisementAccordingly, Ford has previewed a variety of configurations made possible by the platforms. In addition to an impressive, well, range, the truck shows some serious promise with its specializations. From the "Light Tactical Vehicle" to the "Enhanced Protection Vehicle," they all look awesome.The additional wheels add significant power thanks to the extra drive unit. - Credit: RicardoHowever, it's the "Troop Carrying Vehicle" and the "Battlefield Ambulance" that deserve extra-special attention. Beyond both being six-wheelers, they revive the badass Ranger Hex concept from a few years ago.That rig was also a 6×6 developed in conjunction with Ricardo, and it brought a few unique qualities along with its third axle. For instance, the conversion itself was actually a bolt-on system that avoided any alteration to the base Ranger chassis. It claimed to be removable and installable on different vehicles.Payload capabilities supposedly came to a mammoth 8,377 pounds. - Credit: FordMoreover, the design incorporated an electric rear-drive system capable of adding up to a further 281 horsepower to the 3.0-liter V6 diesel's 249 horsepower. AdvertisementAdvertisementEven more impressive than the extra output, though, was the hauling promise. When Ricardo debuted the Hex 6×6 in 2023, it touted a max payload of some 3,800 kilograms (8,377 pounds). For perspective, that even put it well above much larger Fords like the F-350.Ford's Ranger 6×6 is yet another tempting vision of the truck's Super Duty potential. - Credit: FordAvailability and pricingEven assuming that the Ford consortium gets the green light from the UK's MoD, I wouldn't expect to land a Ranger 6×6 in your driveway anytime soon.After all, it's a military procurement bid, not a product launch. While there might be a chance to land a decommissioned unit down the road, you'll have to take matters into your own hands in the meantime, as have outfits like Grind Hard Plumbing Co.About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he's not chasing the latest industry news, he's probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.AdvertisementAdvertisementWant to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.