PARIS — Renault Group and Belgian defense contractor John Cockerill have unveiled Forefront, a remote-controlled vehicle concept for military and civilian missions.

The concept features four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, and its electric motor and range-extending gasoline engine provide a 400-km (250 miles) range.

It has a payload of one ton and is designed for a variety of military uses, including logistics; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; anti-drone operations, firing support and evacuations, Renault said Nov. 3 in a release.

Renault and other automakers and suppliers are turning to defense projects as Europe ramps up spending amid Russia’s war on Ukraine. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as well as concerns about U.S. support for NATO, has triggered an €800 billion ($930 billion) European defense buildup, creating opportunities for automakers to supplement traditional vehicle production with military contracts.

The projects are also seen as a way to absorb excess industrial capacity in the face of increasing competition from Chinese car companies. Automakers and suppliers say they are a natural evolution of their focus on technologies such as software and AI, and they say they are well positioned to produce high-tech projects at scale.

“From large-scale production lines and highly skilled engineers to software-defined vehicles, battery technologies and connected systems, many of these capabilities are directly relevant to Europe’s evolving defense needs,” industry group ACEA said in July.

Renault designed the Forefront platform, which uses proven automotive components, although Renault did not offer specific examples.

“Combined with design-to-cost and design-to-manufacturing principles, this approach optimizes development costs and lead times,” Renault said in the release.

John Cockerill, a Belgian military contractor with production sites in 29 countries, designed Forefront’s remote-operation and autonomy features. The French armed forces also contributed to the design, Renault said.

The release did not say if the concept would be put into production, but it will be used in military exercises and trials in the coming weeks, Renault said. No other specifications were revealed.

The Forefront concept “demonstrates the contribution that Renault Group’s industrial and technological expertise can make to a strategic sector such as unmanned ground vehicles with multiple applications expected across both civilian and military sectors in the years to come,” Renault Group CEO Francois Provost said in the release.

Provost has described military contracts as complementary to Renault’s mission; the group has also responded to requests from the French government, which holds a 15 percent stake in the company, to contribute to defense. In June, Renault announced it was cooperating with aerospace company Thales to develop a military vehicle based on the Rafale midsize SUV that will act as a mobile command center for unmanned aerial and ground operations.

Renault announced this year it was working with Turgis Gaillard, a local aeronautics and defense contractor, to manufacture multipurpose aerial drones at a plant in Le Mans. It is also partnering to industrialize production of the Toutatis one-way attack drone, targeting up to 1,000 units a month from 2027.

Other European automakers and suppliers are moving into military contracting. Among them:

  • Valeo is building electric drone motors in France with defense technology firm Harmattan AI.
  • Forvia in July unveiled a partnership with an unnamed European defense company specializing in artificial intelligence-powered counter-drone systems. It is weighing plans to build capacity in France to manufacture 1,000 interceptor drones a month.
  • Volkswagen Group reached a preliminary agreement with Israel’s Aurelius Capita that would repurpose the automaker’s Osnabrück factory for the manufacture of military equipment with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
  • Ford confirmed in September that it will seek to win a U.K. military contract, in partnership with General Dynamics and Ricardo, for Ranger pickups to replace the British Army’s Land Rovers and Pinzgauers.
  • Schaeffler has signed a contract with drone company Helsing.
  • Finland’s Valmet will begin production of armored vehicles at a plant in Uusikaupunki that previously assembled models for Saab, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.
  • Daimler Trucks, which is now independent of Mercedes-Benz Group, said in June that it was giving its defense activities new prominence. It is launching a new brand, Daimler Truck Defense, and will invest hundreds of millions of euros for development, sales and service.