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UK's Babcock Launches Production of Jackal 3 Extenda All-Terrain Vehicles for the British Army.
The first Jackal 3 Extenda vehicles have rolled off Babcock’s Devonport line, launching deliveries under the British Army’s second Jackal 3 tranche. The milestone advances high-mobility fleet renewal and reinforces the Babcock Supacat partnership.
On 17 December 2025, Babcock International confirmed that the first Jackal 3 Extenda all-terrain vehicles had rolled off its Devonport production line, formally launching deliveries under the second tranche of the British Army’s Jackal 3 program. The milestone marks tangible progress in the renewal of the Army’s high-mobility wheeled fleet and underscores the enduring industrial partnership between Babcock and Supacat, whose HMT platform continues to form the backbone of the Jackal vehicle family.
The first Jackal 3 Extenda vehicles have rolled off Babcock’s Devonport production line, marking the start of deliveries for the UK Army’s next phase of high-mobility fleet renewal (Picture Source: Army Recognition Group / Babcock International)
According to Babcock, this latest production batch concerns the six-wheeled Extenda variant of the Jackal 3, designated Jackal 3 (E). Based on Supacat’s HMT Extenda modular architecture, the vehicle represents an evolution of the four-wheel-drive Jackal 3 configuration, with the additional axle increasing internal volume and payload capacity while retaining the off-road performance characteristics associated with the Jackal lineage. In its 6x6 configuration, the HMT Extenda platform offers a gross vehicle weight of up to 12 tonnes and a payload of approximately 4.2 tonnes, compared with around 2.4 tonnes in the 4x4 version, allowing the integration of heavier mission equipment or additional stores.
Babcock states that the Jackal 3 Extenda is intended to support a wide range of operational roles, including reconnaissance, patrol and support missions, particularly where extended range, endurance and flexibility are required. The vehicle is designed to operate across demanding terrain, combining high mobility with adjustable ride height through an independent air suspension system. This configuration allows the vehicle to adapt to varying terrain and payloads while reducing physical strain on the crew and carried equipment, a characteristic that has been a defining feature of the HMT platform throughout its service life.
Production is taking place at Babcock’s Devonport facility in the South West of England, underlining the programme’s contribution to sustaining skilled defence-industrial employment and domestic supply chains. Under the collaborative arrangement, Supacat provides the vehicle design and core architecture, while Babcock is responsible for assembly, systems integration and delivery. In its statement, Babcock presents the programme as an example of UK-based industrial capabilities being mobilised to meet evolving British Army requirements, particularly in the field of specialist land mobility.
Beyond the manufacturing milestone, the Jackal 3 Extenda fits into a broader shift within UK land forces towards highly mobile, rapidly deployable platforms capable of operating at extended range. Wheeled systems such as Jackal offer a different balance of mobility, endurance and protection compared with heavier tracked platforms, particularly for light cavalry and reconnaissance units. The HMT Extenda design supports this approach through features such as long road range, high cross-country mobility, and compatibility with air transport assets including C-130, A400M and C-17 aircraft, as well as helicopter underslung transport in certain configurations.
The Jackal family itself has a long service history with British forces, having entered operational use more than a decade ago and having been deployed extensively on overseas operations. Earlier variants were originally procured to meet urgent operational needs and subsequently evolved through multiple upgrades. The current Jackal 3 generation represents the latest stage in that evolution, incorporating improvements in payload, modularity and growth potential. The Extenda configuration, enabled by the platform’s modular architecture, allows the vehicle to accommodate a broader range of mission systems, including weapon mounts, communications equipment and protection packages, while maintaining a high degree of situational awareness for the crew.
From an industrial perspective, the Jackal 3 Extenda programme illustrates the continuation of a long-standing relationship between the Ministry of Defence and UK-based land-systems suppliers. While the Babcock announcement does not disclose contract values or total quantities beyond the vehicles now entering production, it confirms that the Extenda variant forms part of an ongoing production effort rather than a limited batch. The rollout at Devonport therefore signals a transition from earlier Jackal 3 deliveries to a new phase of fleet expansion centred on the six-wheel configuration.
The first Jackal 3 Extenda vehicles leaving the production line represent a concrete step in the British Army’s high-mobility modernisation effort. The announcement confirms that the programme has moved beyond contractual and design phases into sustained industrial output, while reinforcing the role of UK industry in delivering and supporting specialist land-mobility capabilities. As further vehicles enter service, the Jackal 3 Extenda is expected to become an increasingly prominent element of the Army’s light and medium forces, combining a mature operational concept with updated vehicle architecture and domestic industrial support.