This Land Rover Defender 130 is ready for relief missions

Defender 130 gets role as emergency response vehicle

The Land Rover Defender cemented its status as a 4x4 vehicle that’s capable of going to the most difficult roads and on the most remote places on Earth. That has been the case ever since the first Series Land Rover tackled humanitarian missions for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in 1954.

This year marks the 70 years of Land Rover’s association with the world’s largest humanitarian organization. And to celebrate the milestone, Jaguar Land Rover has made a specially equipped Defender 130 emergency response vehicle that will be used by the Italian Red Cross.

Starting life as a Defender 130 Outbound model, JLR has fitted the SUV with advanced satellite communications hardware – evidenced by the large dish mounted on the Defender’s roof. While the Italian Red Cross already uses static satellite dishes in their emergency units, it’s the first time the technology will be fitted to a mobile unit.

This was done to ensure that mobilization of relief efforts is never compromised in the case of cellular network outages, which is a common issue especially during environmental disasters such as typhoons, floods, and landslides.

Along with the communication equipment, the Defender 130 Outbound has also been fitted with a winch and tow hook for recovery and towing purposes.

“So far, our partnership with the British Red Cross and IFRC has positively impacted more than two million lives around the world. What started in the deserts of Dubai and forest villages of Kenya in 1954 has become part of our DNA. Together, we provide vital assistance for humanity, often when the tarmac runs out and in the harshest of conditions. I hope we will still be helping those most in need for another seven decades,” said Mark Cameron, Managing Director of Defender.