The well-known global automaker Volkswagen unexpectedly presented two defense-related developments at the Enforce Tac exhibition held in Nuremberg at the end of February this year. The company showcased prototypes of military vehicles designated MV-1 and MV-2 (Military Vehicle), intended to gauge potential market prospects and interest from possible customers.
Notably, the vehicles were displayed at the exhibition without Volkswagen branding. Instead, they carried the logo of the defense company Diederich Engineering Systems Defense (DESD), which manufactures various types of vehicles. According to the outlet NDR, DESD confirmed that Volkswagen was in fact the developer of the two prototypes.
Read more: Volkswagen Wants to Produce Weapons, and It's Actually Halfway There
The military vehicle prototypes were developed relatively quickly, in just four months, and the entire project was carried out in complete secrecy. The goal of the initiative is largely pragmatic. Defense projects could help keep the company’s plant in Osnabrück busy. Production of Porsche vehicles at the facility will end this year, and production of the T-Roc Cabriolet is scheduled to conclude in mid-2027. No additional orders have been announced for the plant, which currently employs about 2,300 specialists.
At the same time, there is no guarantee that Volkswagen's venture into military vehicles will lead to further development. The company appears to be approaching the defense sector cautiously, emphasizing that it may be willing to manufacture military vehicles, but not weapons themselves.
A similar situation occurred with the French automaker Renault, which faced opposition from some employees who objected to the company producing drones for Ukraine. russian influence reportedly played a role in the controversy. Ultimately, however, it was decided that Renault would produce a French analog of the Shahed-type UAV together with the developers of the Aarok drone.
Volkswagen appears to be taking a similarly careful approach to entering the defense sector, effectively drawing a distinction between "military equipment" and "weapons" and trying to avoid potential negative reactions.
As for the prototypes themselves, the first is the MV-1, built on the Amarok pickup platform and positioned as a vehicle for transporting smaller vehicles such as ATVs.
The second is the MV-2, based on the Crafter van. It is intended to serve as a full-featured operational workspace suitable for command tasks as well as medical and logistics missions.
Previously, Defense Express also reported on what kinds of weapons Volkswagen could theoretically produce if the company decides to use its spare manufacturing capacity for defense projects.
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