Babcock and Supacat complete 123 Jackal 3 tactical vehicle order for British Army.

Babcock and Supacat have completed the manufacturing of the British Army’s 123-vehicle contract for the Jackal 3 High Mobility Transporter (HMT) fleet, with the final vehicle rolling off the assembly line at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth on July 13, 2026. The completion of this production run, which ended with the assembly of a six-wheeled Jackal 3 Extenda variant, aims to restore and modernize the United Kingdom's tactical mobility and long-range reconnaissance capabilities. This manufacturing framework secures domestic defense engineering skills in Southwest England while establishing a common vehicle architecture prepared for future upgrades, additional British procurement options, and international export orders.

The completed procurement program delivered 123 high-mobility vehicles to the British Army, divided between 70 standard Jackal 3 platforms in a 4×4 configuration and 53 Jackal 3 Extenda platforms in a 6×6 configuration. Built within a dedicated assembly facility utilizing advanced production-tracking software, the fleet features an updated chassis design that supports payloads up to 4,000 kg and accommodates defensive systems, communications, and armament options.

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The UK Ministry of Defence awarded the first contract in February 2023 for 70 Jackal 3 vehicles, after transferring dozens of vehicles to Ukraine, and then ordered 53 additional Jackal 3 Extenda 6x6 for the entire second tranche. (Picture source: UK MoD)

On July 14, 2026, Babcock completed the production of the British Army’s contracted fleet of 123 Jackal 3 High Mobility Transporters (HMTs) at its Devonport facility in Plymouth, ending the first manufacturing cycle for the latest version of the Supacat HMT family. The final vehicle was a six-wheeled Jackal 3 Extenda, designated Jackal 3E, which will pass through acceptance testing before entering operational service. The completed programme comprised 70 standard Jackal 3 vehicles in the 4×4 configuration and 53 Jackal 3 Extenda vehicles in the 6×6 configuration, giving the British Army a mixed fleet based on a common chassis architecture. Supacat retained responsibility for the vehicle design and HMT engineering base, while Babcock provided large-scale assembly, systems integration and production management.

The Ministry of Defence contract still permits procurement of up to 240 vehicles, leaving an unexercised margin of 117 vehicles, but no additional British order had been announced when the production of the initial 123 vehicles ended. The programme developed through two procurement decisions rather than a single 123-vehicle order. The British Ministry of Defence awarded the first contract in February 2023 for 70 Jackal 3 vehicles, partly to restore its tactical mobility capacity after transferring dozens of British military vehicles to Ukraine. Babcock and Supacat formally started the serial production in February 2024 after establishing a dedicated assembly facility at Devonport, with the first tranche divided between 62 vehicles assigned to Babcock and eight to Supacat’s Dunkeswell facility.

The initial schedule aimed to manufacture vehicles over a six-month full-rate production phase, using 12 assembly cells and reaching a rate of one completed vehicle per working day. In September 2024, the Ministry of Defence ordered 53 additional vehicles, selecting the 6×6 Jackal 3 Extenda for the entire second tranche. Production of this batch began in 2025; the first Extenda vehicles left the line in December 2025, and the last vehicle was completed in July 2026, three years and five months after the first contract award. The industrial division of labour reflected the different production capacities of the two companies. Supacat remained the design authority for the HMT Mk3 architecture, responsible for vehicle engineering, configuration control, integration requirements and support for the modular 4×4 and 6×6 layouts.

Babcock operated the principal manufacturing line at Devonport, assembled most vehicles, installed subsystems and prepared them for testing and handover. The site’s Raglan Building was developed specifically for the programme and incorporated Babcock’s Pulse production software, which tracked component flow, assembly progress, quality checks and work across the 12 build cells. This arrangement revived a production relationship used during the Afghanistan period, when more than 600 Jackal 1, Jackal 2 and Coyote vehicles were assembled through Devonport within three years. By locating assembly, integration and acceptance activity at the same site, the programme reduced vehicle transfers between contractors and retained a functioning production line for future British or export orders.

The Jackal 3 is derived from the HMT 400 family which entered British service in 2008, but it incorporates changes intended to increase payload, improve suspension performance and provide more growth capacity for mission equipment. The standard 4×4 version has a gross vehicle weight of 7,600 kg, a kerb weight close to 5,500 kg and a payload of 2,100 kg. It is powered by a 6.7-litre Cummins six-cylinder diesel engine producing close to 180 hp and connected to an Allison automatic transmission, giving the vehicle a maximum road speed of 120 km/h. Its fuel capacity and low operating weight support a road range of up to 800 km, depending on load, terrain and mission configuration. The revised independent suspension uses long-travel wheel movement and adjustable ride height to improve traction, obstacle clearance and crew stability over broken ground.

Compared with the Jackal 2, the Mk3 design also has a higher allowable vehicle mass and additional capacity for protection, communications, ammunition and mission systems without exceeding its structural limits. The Extenda configuration adds a third axle to the same underlying architecture, converting the vehicle from 4×4 to 6×6 while preserving the front chassis, crew compartment, powertrain and a large share of the support system. This change increases the gross vehicle weight to as much as 12 tonnes and raises its payload capacity to roughly 4 tonnes, depending on armour, fuel and equipment fit. The additional capacity can be used for electronic warfare equipment, command and control systems, sensor masts, remote weapon stations, medical equipment, additional ammunition or supplies for extended patrols.

The vehicle can accept optional mine blast and ballistic protection kits, blast-attenuating seats, run-flat tyres, smoke grenade launchers, a self-recovery winch and mission-specific rear modules. Armament options include a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, with lighter secondary weapons fitted according to role. The 6×6 configuration therefore provides a larger mission-equipment margin than the standard Jackal 3 without introducing a separate engine, transmission or basic vehicle family. The British Army employs its Jackal vehicles for deep reconnaissance, long-range patrol, rapid assault, fire support, convoy protection, force protection and ISTAR missions.

The open crew layout provides wide fields of view and rapid access to weapons, sensors and communications equipment, but it offers less protection against fragments, small arms and overhead attack than an enclosed armoured vehicle. The Jackal survivability therefore relies on cross-country mobility, speed, dispersion, route selection, stand-off distance and optional armour rather than heavy passive protection. Reconnaissance crews can carry radios, surveillance equipment, target acquisition systems and weapons while operating ahead of heavier formations or across terrain where larger vehicles would be slower or unable to manoeuvre. The Extenda variant improves endurance by allowing more fuel, water, ammunition, batteries and specialist equipment to be carried on the same mission.

This is particularly relevant for dispersed operations in which patrols may remain beyond regular logistics nodes for several days and must relocate before enemy artillery, drones or reconnaissance systems can establish an accurate position. The 123-vehicle purchase contributes to British fleet recapitalisation but does not resolve the wider problem of vehicle age, fleet fragmentation or the loss of heavier protected mobility capacity. The United Kingdom transferred more than 200 armoured and protected vehicles to Ukraine during the early phase of the war, including Mastiff, Wolfhound, Husky, Spartan and Stormer vehicles, while Jackal vehicles were also included in later military assistance.

The Jackal 3 can restore reconnaissance and patrol numbers, but it cannot replace the troop capacity, blast protection or battlefield role of the Mastiff, Wolfhound or tracked armoured vehicles. The British Army continues to operate earlier Jackal versions alongside the larger Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle (TSV), which uses the HMT 600 6×6 chassis and can carry close to 3,900 kg of supplies or equipment. In June 2026, the British Army held 639 Jackal vehicles, while the Royal Marines operated another 61, indicating that the new production run represents fleet renewal and numerical reinforcement rather than wholesale replacement. The programme also sits within the broader Land Mobility Programme, under which the Ministry of Defence intends to reduce a fragmented inventory of multiple protected, reconnaissance and utility vehicle types into a smaller number of common families. 

The manufacturing effort also retained British capacity to produce a specialised high-mobility tactical vehicle and supported more than 100 skilled jobs across Babcock and Supacat. Nearly all of the supply chain was located in the United Kingdom, with 50% sourced from South West England, covering vehicle structures, mechanical components, armour, electronics, integration services and workforce support. The Devonport facility was designed to remain available for follow-on vehicle programmes, and the continuing contract option allows the Ministry of Defence to order 117 more vehicles without beginning a completely new procurement process.

The production framework has also acquired an export dimension, with the Czech Republic ordering 18 Jackal 3 Extenda vehicles for the 601st Special Forces Group, with delivery planned in 2027 to replace ageing Land Rovers and reinforce its mobile logistics capacity. Additional British orders would depend on force structure, readiness targets, equipment losses and the future role assigned to light reconnaissance units under Army modernisation plans. Completion of the 123 vehicles therefore closes the current production commitment while preserving the engineering base, assembly capacity and contractual mechanism required to restart output if needed.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.

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