British Army Jackals Tackle UAE Desert And Mountains

The Scots Dragoon Guards have had the Jackal, or MWMIK, for three-and-a-half years, and now they have had a chance to try it out in some specialised terrain.

Working with UAE forces as part of Exercise Desert Falcon, the Scots DG have been able to practice driving in the desert mountains.

But the Dragoon Guards had to get to grips with some different challenges than they are used to.

Lieutenant Benedict Dent-Pooley described the issues:

"It's not just one kind of sand. The white-coloured sand is softer and harder to drive on, and more red-coloured gritty sand is a lot easier to manoeuvre across.

"The dunes out here - the wind predominantly comes from the north. That makes the north side of the dunes hard, which makes them easier to drive on. Conversely the south side... (are softer and more difficult)."

Fortunately, getting the vehicles ready for the terrain turned out to be quite straightforward, according to Major Alex Marjoribanks:

"We were expecting (the vehicles) to find the sand a little bit difficult, to be honest. Having spoken to Supacat, the company that makes them, we thought we might struggle because we can't let the tyre pressures down. We did anyway, dropped it to 20 PSI, and they were absolutely outstanding."   

The Jackal's design has proved to be a great help too.

With its engine situated right in the middle of the vehicle, weight distribution is well-balanced, something that helps with traction. 

The Dragoon Guards certainly preferred their Jackals to the Emirati forces' humvees. 

In the end, though, Trooper Jack Metcalf said that a smooth ride comes down to more than just the vehicle.

"It's not down really to the vehicle, it's down to the driver. The best asset to that vehicle is the driver."

But Trooper Metcalf did concede that the capabilities of a vehicle such as the Jackal do become more important in mountain than in desert terrain.

And the unit's work has been well worth it, making them confident that they are now ready to deploy anywhere in the world within 12 hours, plus the flight time.