UK defence engineering group Supacat has received its first export order from the Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 18 High Mobility Transporters (HMTs) similar to the UKs Jackal 3 Extenda, the company announced on 4 September 2025.
The vehicles are being procured for use by the Army of the Czech Republic’s (ACR’s) 601st Special Forces Group, the country’s premier special operations unit, where they will replace ageing Land Rover Defender 110 vehicles.
“This export contract follows on the heels of major UK orders over the past two years, proving that investment from the UK MoD greatly helps with export opportunities,” Supacat stated in a press release.
The HMT Mk3 Extenda (Jackal 3E) is the latest version of the HMT platform. Capable of speeds up to 120 km/h, the vehicle offers “superior payload capacity with exceptional off-road performance and operational transportability”, according to Supacat.
The HMT Mk3 Extenda can be provided as a 4×4 or 6×6 vehicle with either left- or right-hand drive, while Supacat’s modular design philosophy provides a range of configuration options at production and the flexibility to re-role the base platform throughout its lifetime with a variety of mission modules and protection levels according to changing demands.
Named ‘Jackal’ by the British Army, the HMT series was brought into UK service under urgent operational requirements (UOR) to provide British forces in Afghanistan with an off-road patrol and fire-support vehicle with increased performance, replacing Land Rover variants that previously fulfilled the role. Since then, the British Army has fully utilised the HMT platform in both 4×4 and 6×6 configurations. Supplied with mine blast and ballistic protection kits, the HMT platform can also be fitted with a variety of mission-specific loadouts with regard to weapons, communication systems, surveillance systems and force protection equipment to suit a wide range of operational roles.
Miroslav Zizka, managing director of LPP (Supacat’s Czech partner), described the order as a win for both the Czech armed forces and Czech industry. “The 601st will get the best ruggedised vehicle on the market while the Czech economy will benefit from the substantial share of industrial participation which Supacat has entrusted to us,” he was quoted as stating in a Supacat press release.
Phil Applegarth, head of Supacat, added, “This announcement vindicates our unwavering conviction that the Supacat Extenda provides the Czech armed forces with not only the best combat performance but also substantial industrial partnerships. Supacat has battle-proven capability, is 100% trusted by British and other special forces across the globe in its various iterations since the early 2000s and continues to operate and develop the platforms for the modern battlefield, including lessons from Ukraine and other territories.”
Zizka additionally asserted that the Czech government is getting good value for money, stating, “The price for the vehicle platform is no more than that was paid by the British Army, Supacat’s largest customer, and benefits from a mature supply chain and economies of scale from their current production line.”
According to a CZ Defence interview with Colonel Vlastimil Štěbra, head of the construction and medium-term planning department of the ACR’s Special Forces Directorate, the Czech MoD has allocated CZK 1.9 billion (EUR 78 million) for the purchase of 24 Supacat HMT Extenda 6×6 vehicles, with the price including additional equipment, spare parts, crew training and life cycle support.
