The Jackal or MWMIK (from "Mobility Weapon-Mounted Installation Kit") is a family of vehicles designed and developed by Supacat Ltd at their factory in

Honiton Honiton () is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, Devon, River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 12,154 (based on 2021 census). History The ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, UK, for use by the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

and

Royal Air Force Regiment The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by Royal Warrant in 1942, the Corps carries-out security tasks relating to the protection of assets and personnel dedicated ...

. The primary role of the vehicle in the British Army is deep battlespace reconnaissance, rapid assault and fire support - roles where mobility, endurance and maneuverability are important - and it has also been used for convoy protection. Small production runs are manufactured at the Honiton factory but larger batches are manufactured by DML (part of

Babcock Marine Babcock International Group plc is a British aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering services company based in London, England. It specialises in managing complex assets and infrastructure. Although the company has civil contracts, its main b ...

Services, owned by

Babcock International Group Babcock International Group plc is a British aerospace, defence and nuclear engineering services company based in London, England. It specialises in managing complex assets and infrastructure. Although the company has civil contracts, its main b ...

) in

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

. The initial order was for up to 100 and it was announced on 27 June 2008 that the

MOD Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US * ...

would be ordering a further 72. On 23 Jun 2010 it was announced by the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

that 140 additional Jackal 2 vehicles were being ordered, and this would bring the number of Jackals in service up to 500. The MWMIK can carry increased payload and fuel compared to its predecessor, allowing it to carry greater amounts of additional equipment and protection over longer distances, and it is able to support itself and its crew for distances of over .

Design and development

The vehicle was procured to provide British forces in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

with an off-road patrol and fire-support vehicle with increased performance, supplementing the

Land Rover Land Rover is a brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR builds Land Rovers in Brazil ...

Wolf WMIK and the

Snatch Land Rover The Snatch Land Rover is a protected patrol vehicle based on the Land Rover Defender 110 chassis. Intended for general patrolling in low-threat areas, the vehicle was developed in 1992 for use in Northern Ireland. It provides a limited degree o ...

which previously fulfilled the role. In particular the Snatch Land Rover, although able to withstand small arms fire, is vulnerable to

improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...

s and was labelled by some a "mobile coffin".Snatch Land Rovers: the 'mobile coffins' of the British army

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, 1 November 2008 According to the Ministry of Defence, the Jackal "was built to meet the British Army's specific requirements for an agile, well-armed, light patrol vehicle."Q&A: Jackal armoured vehicles

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

, 13 December 2008 The vehicle's height-adjustable air suspension system can be lowered onto the bump-stops to provide a stable firing platform when stationary or raised to a maximum ground clearance allowing it to clear large obstacles. The high levels of off-road mobility enable troops to avoid more conventional routes which may be subject to ambush or enemy reconnaissance. The vehicle is based on the HMT (High Mobility Transporter) 400 high-mobility

4×4 A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pro ...

design developed by a former subsidiary of Supacat, now built under licence from

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...

. The chassis is built by

Universal Engineering Ltd Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

, the engine by

Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, electric vehicle components, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipmen ...

, the transmission by

Allison Allison may refer to: People * Allison (given name) * Allison (surname) (includes a list of people with this name) * Eugene Allison Smith (1922-1980), American politician and farmer * Allison family, a family of RMS Titanic passengers Compan ...

, the suspension shock absorbers by Fox Racing Shox and the electronics package by Fujitsu and Smartgauge Electronics. The blast and ballistic armour packages, and the blast mitigating seating were designed and built by

Jankel The Jankel group of companies were founded by founder Robert Jankel starting in 1955. In its early years, Jankel provided specialist design and manufacturing services to improve the performance of rally and racing cars. By 1970 Jankel had est ...

Armouring Ltd. The vehicles can be fitted with a range of weapons, such as a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun (GPMG) and 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. The Jackal is capable of maintaining off-road speeds of up to and can reach a top speed of . The Ministry of Defence has stated that the design of the vehicle hull incorporates the latest armour protection and that it is considered to be among the best in the world. The HMT 400 mine blast and ballistic protection system was developed for Supacat by Jankel Armouring Ltd. It features armour plating beneath the crew compartment and on the vehicle sides, as well as attenuating seats that absorb shock from any mine blast. The top of the cabin is left open for visibility, which affords the vehicle protection through its manoeuvrability and main armament stand-off distance. These enable it to avoid exposure to riskier IED prone routes. Despite this Jackal crews have suffered a number of IED attacks, some fatal.

Operational history

United Kingdom

War in Afghanistan

Jackal made its operational debut in

Operation Herrick Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assi ...

, part of the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...

, on 8 April 2008 when it was deployed by the British Army's

16 Air Assault Brigade 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, known simply as 16 Air Assault Brigade from 1999–2021, is a formation of the British Army predominantly based in Colchester, Essex. It makes up the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readines ...

and the

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

3 Commando Brigade United Kingdom Commando Force (UKCF), previously called 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), is the UK's special operations-capable commando formation of the Royal Marines. It is composed of Royal Marine Commandos and commando qualified personnel f ...

. The vehicle was praised for its off-road performance, with some users likening it to a "

dune buggy A dune buggy — also known as a beach buggy — is a recreational off-road vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes, beaches, off-road or desert recreation. The design is usually a topless vehicle with a rear ...

". The vehicle was also initially praised for its protection; in September 2009, a Royal Marine survived a direct mine explosion whilst in one of the vehicles. By August 2009, however, a total of 13 British soldiers had been killed whilst in the vehicle. This resulted in widespread criticism, with some media outlets calling the vehicle a "deathtrap". Despite not being impervious to IEDs, Jackal remained one of the most favoured patrol vehicles for British troops, according to Defence Minister

Quentin Davies John Quentin Davies, Baron Davies of Stamford (29 May 1944 – 13 January 2025) was a British Labour politician and life peer who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Grantham and Stamford from 1987 to 2010. He served as a junior defe ...

. The MOD ordered 110 upgraded models, named the Jackal 2, along with 70 Coyotes, in April 2009 and they were in service from July 2009. The vehicles were also used by the

RAF Regiment The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by Royal Warrant in 1942, the Corps carries-out security tasks relating to the protection of assets and personnel dedicated ...

; during the

September 2012 raid on Camp Bastion The September 2012 raid on Camp Bastion was a Taliban raid on Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand province on the night of 14 September 2012. The base hosted British, American, Danish and Tongan military personnel at the time of the attack ...

, a Taliban RPG struck a Jackal, which wounded its crew. One crew member, Sergeant Geddes, continued to rally his team to defend their position, an action for which he later received the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

Post-War in Afghanistan

Despite being procured for the War in Afghanistan, the vehicle has remained in service with the British Army. Following the

Army 2020 Army 2020 is the restructuring of the British Army in the early and mid-2010s, in light of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. The plan, as its name suggested, was intended to be completed by 2020, though most of its reorganisations ...

restructuring, the vehicle now equips three light cavalry regiments and is used primarily for light reconnaissance. It has been deployed in this role with the

Light Dragoons The Light Dragoons (LD) is a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northern England, from County Durham, Northu ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

since 2016, in support of NATO's

Enhanced Forward Presence Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) is a NATO-allied forward-deployed defense and deterrence military force in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. This posture in Northern Europe through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and in Central Europe through ...

. In 2021, the Light Dragoons and

1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG) is a regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales and the bordering English counties of Cheshire, Herefordshire, and Shropshir ...

deployed with the vehicle to

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

as part of the Long Range Reconnaissance Group in support of

Operation Newcombe Operation Newcombe was the code name for two separate and concurrent British non-combat military operations in Mali. One operation involved logistical and airlift support for the French-led Operation Barkhane (previously Operation Serval), whil ...

. In 2020, the Ministry of Defence loaned four Jackal 2 vehicles to the

Estonian Defence Forces The Estonian Defence Forces () is the unified military force of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian Defence Forces consists of the Estonian Land Forces, the Estonian Navy, the Estonian Air Force, and the paramilitary Estonian Defence Leagu ...

for their

special forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

to use in

until March 2021 or until they receive their order of Coyote vehicles.

Variants

Jackal 2

An updated version of the Jackal has been ordered as Jackal 2. The crew has been increased to four and the main armament gun ring moved forward to give it an all round

arc of fire The field of fire or zone of fire (ZF) of a weapon, or group of weapons, is the area around it that can easily and effectively be reached by projectiles from a given position. Field of fire The term originally came from the ''field of fire'' in f ...

. The chassis has been upgraded, allowing the vehicle to carry a greater payload and armour, and providing more strength for protection against roadside bombs. It also has a larger 6.7 L engine, although this does not increase the speed of the vehicle. An initial order for "around 110" vehicles was made in 2009, with final deliveries in February 2010. A further order for 140 of the Jackal 2A was announced on 23 June 2010, which is based on the Jackal 2 platform with a blast protection upgrade.

Jackal 3

The latest iteration of the Jackal platform is the Jackal 3, introduced in the summer of 2024. In September 2024, the British Army placed an order for a further 53 Jackal 3s following an earlier order of 70 Jackal 3s placed in 2024.

Coyote

Coyote Tactical Support Vehicles are a larger 6×6 design with more than 70 ordered as medium load carriers,

artillery tractor An artillery tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, is a specialized heavy-duty form of tractor unit used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights and calibres. It may be wheeled, tracked, or half-tracked. Traction There are two m ...

s and a range of other platform variants. The Coyote tactical support vehicle (TSV light) is based on the HMT 600 6×6 chassis from Supacat and is a larger derivative of the Jackal 2, the two vehicles are designed to be complementary. The extra two wheels give a heavier vehicle approaching which will act in support of the Jackal 2 and allow transport of supplies and equipment over similar terrain he payload for supplies and equipment will be The Coyote has been designed to fulfil the role of a light tactical service vehicle.

Operators

Current operators

; The United Kingdom ordered 100 vehicles initially, followed by a further 72 in 2008 and 140 in 2010. In February 2023, the UK placed an order with Supacat for 70 Extenda Mk2 vehicles to be known as the Jackal 3 and has the option of acquiring a total of 240 of the vehicles. *

- 431 Jackals and 72 Coyotes in service. *

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

- unknown quantity used by the

. *

- unknown quantity used by the Royal Marines.

Former operators

; *

Estonian Special Operations Force The Estonian Special Operations Force (; ESTSOF) is the command charged with overseeing the special operations units of the Estonian Defence Forces. Its primary objective is the development of capabilities for unconventional warfare. It is task ...

- four vehicles loaned from the United Kingdom for use in

Notes

References

External links

*
Manufacturer's website

*

Jackal 1 & 2 on Armoured Vehicle website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackal (Vehicle) Off-road vehicles Road vehicles manufactured in the United Kingdom British Army equipment Reconnaissance vehicles of the United Kingdom Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s