MoD signs for 53 Jackal 3 Extendas
Above: (left to right) Nick Ames, CEO, Supacat and Tom Newman, CEO, Land and UK Aviation, Babcock International Group.
Courtesy Babcock
The contract was revealed at DVD2024 and as with last year’s order for 70 Jackal 3 variant (the Extenda variant) has an increase in payload, is capable of speeds of 120 kph and will be manufactured at Babcock’s Devonport facility in the Freeport zone and Supacat’s facility in Dunkeswell, Devon.
This subsequent order is testament to the close working relationship between the British Army, the Ministry of Defence - Defence Equipment & Support, Babcock and Supacat. Production will commence on this order in early 2025 at Babcock’s Devonport manufacturing facility with delivery of the vehicles expected in early 2026, securing 100 Babcock jobs in the South West. This successful programme is directly helping to fulfil the economic potential of the region with nearly all of the programme’s supply chain sourced in the UK and 50% specifically from the South West.
This second batch of vehicles is an amendment to the original contract signed in February 2023, which provides additional vehicles up to 240 of the light armoured vehicles should operational requirements demand. Earlier this year, Babcock and Supacat started production on 70 Jackal 3s under one of the first contracts to deliver on the UK’s Land Industrial Strategy.
The HMT extenda Mk3 (Jackal 3) is the latest development of the operationally proven, highly capable HMT platform. Delivering superior payload capacity with exceptional off-road performance and operational transportability, the extenda Mk3 is in a class of its own. Supacat’s modular design philosophy provides a range of configuration options at production and the flexibility to re-role the base platform throughout the lifetime of the vehicle with a variety of mission modules and protection levels available to meet changing demands. In service with Special Forces across the world, this next iteration, HMT extenda Mk3 offers an entirely unique capability that allows the user the choice of either a 4×4 or 6×6 wheel drive vehicle delivered by one platform in left or right hand drive. This highly versatile design enables the configuration of the system to meet specific mission-based demands.
Named ‘Jackal’ by the British Army, the HMT series of mobile platforms is a supremely versatile system with unparalleled cross-country performance. Originally, developed in the 1990s, the Jackal builds on the success of Supacat’s original All Terrain Mobility Platform (ATMP). With its convertible ‘Extenda’ configurations and common base platform, Supacat’s HMT range has a worldwide reputation as formidable off-road vehicles. This latest batch will be named Jackal 3(E) to signify that it is the Extenda variant.
The vehicle was brought into 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 variants of Land Rover which previously fulfilled the role. Since then, the British Army’s fleet has fully utilised the HMT platform in both 4×4 and 6×6 configurations, becoming integral to its land tactics and operations. Supplied with an optional mine blast and ballistic protection kit, the HMT platform can also be fitted with a variety of mission specific load beds, weapons, communications, ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance) and force protection equipment to suit a wide range of operational roles.
This contract consolidates Supacat’s well established relationship with Babcock, initially developed to meet the UOR demand for Afghanistan when over 600 vehicles were assembled within a three-year period.
Phil Applegarth, Director, Head of Supacat, said: ” Firstly, we are enormously proud that Supacat’s Jackal 3 ‘extenda’ is now adding to the Army’s Land Fleet which will help support CGSs 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’, exemplifying The British Army’s Land Industrial strategy and the huge benefits to both the UK and local economies through social value.”
Babcock’s Land Sector Chief Executive, Tom Newman said: ““This contract cements the success of the Jackal programme and delivers a critical boost to the British Army’s fleet with a vehicle that is the most capable and versatile in its class.
“Babcock teams play a broad and critical role supporting capabilities across the UK’s armed forces; the production of 53 new Jackal 3 Extendas is an excellent example of this and at the same time securing 100 jobs in the South West region.”
