Babcock has unveiled the first vehicles from the second production tranche of Jackal 3 Extenda (E) High Mobility Transporters currently being manufactured for the British Army in Plymouth, United Kingdom.
The rollout represents an important milestone in the UK’s ongoing effort to rebuild its tactical vehicle inventory after a portion of the fleet was transferred to Ukraine as military assistance following Russia’s invasion.
The contract for the second production increment was signed in 2024 and includes the manufacture of up to 53 vehicles. This follows an earlier agreement signed in 2023 covering the production of 70 Jackal vehicles, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
Throughout the program, Babcock is working closely with Supacat, the original designer of the Jackal, at its facilities in Devon to deliver the vehicles to the British Army.
Beyond the first two production batches, the Army retains options to procure up to 240 additional Jackal 3 platforms based on future operational requirements.
Originally introduced in the 2000s, the Jackal was designed to provide a highly mobile, lightly armored platform capable of rapid assault operations, enhanced reconnaissance, and convoy protection.
The vehicle measures approximately 5 meters (16 feet) in length, operates with a three-person crew, and is typically armed with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun or an automatic grenade launcher, complemented by a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun.
Powered by a 185-horsepower diesel engine, the Jackal can reach speeds of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) and has a range of around 800 km (497 miles).
The latest Jackal 3 Extenda variant offers increased payload capacity and a modular configuration that allows operators to switch between 4×4 and 6×6 drive configurations.
