Babcock International, in partnership with Supacat, has been awarded a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to build an additional 53 High Mobility Transporter (HMT) Jackal 3s for the British Army, the company announced on 19 September 2024, on the second day of the Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD2024) show, held at UTAC Millbrook in Bedfordshire.
The Jackal 3 is the latest development of the operationally proven HMT platform.
This second batch of vehicles is an amendment to an original contract signed in February 2023, which saw Supacat receive a GBP 90 million (EUR 107 million) contract from the UK MoD to deliver 70 Jackal 3s. Babcock was awarded a single-source subcontract by Supacat, the prime contractor, to manufacture 62 vehicles by April 2024 at its facility located in Devonport, Plymouth, with Supacat manufacturing the remaining eight vehicles during the same timeframe at its facilities in Dunkeswell, Devon.
As many as 240 of the vehicles could ultimately be produced under the contract should operational requirements demand.
While the Jackal design allows the choice of either a 4×4 or 6×6 vehicle, the latest contract is for a six-wheeled Extenda variant known as the Jackal 3(E). The additional axle enables greater load carrying while still maintaining a high degree of off-road performance and road speeds of up to 120 km/h.
According to Babcock, production of the latest-ordered vehicles will begin in early 2025 at its Devonport facility, with delivery of the vehicles expected in early 2026.
Initially developed to meet an urgent operational requirement for Afghanistan, the Jackal has become integral to the British Army’s land tactics and operations, with Jackal variants used for deep battlespace reconnaissance, rapid assault, fire support and convoy protection.
“This contract delivers a critical boost to the British Army with a vehicle that is the most capable and versatile in its class,” Tom Newman, chief executive of Babcock’s land sector, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Babcock is here to ensure that the British Army is ready to fight and win wars on land and, while doing so, I am very proud that we are also securing jobs in the South West and delivering on the Land Industrial Strategy.”
Phil Applegarth, Supacat’s managing director, stated, “Firstly, we are enormously proud that Supacat’s Jackal 3 Extenda is now adding to the army’s land fleet, which will help support [the British Army’s Chief of the General Staff’s] intent of increasing lethality with a modular high-mobility platform. We have demonstrated the modularity and the ease of integrating specific mission-winning systems and we look forward with continuing our collaboration with the UK MoD and our industry partners in the near future.
“Secondly, we are enormously pleased that our partnership with Babcock and Devonport continues to produce Jackal 3 and now the Jackal 3 ‘Extenda’ following the British Army’s Land Industrial Strategy and the huge benefits to both the UK and local economies through social value,” Applegarth added.
