Jackal 3 Extenda fitted with drone vending machine for launch at touch of a button

A Jackal 3 Extenda has been turned into a mobile drone launcher capable of carrying up to 18 UAVs ready for use.

British vehicle manufacturer Supacat has developed a modular "drone coop" which fits onto the back of its six-wheeled HMT series 6x6 platform and allows different drones to be stored, charged and launched from the vehicle.

The concept was displayed at the British Army DVD 2026 event at Millbrook proving ground.

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Kev Carpenter, Supacat's head of business development, told BFBS Forces News the idea was to give troops access to different types of drones depending on what they needed to do.

The system has been developed as a series of cabinets, with the drones kept inside and trickle-charged while they are being carried.

An operator inside the vehicle can then select the required drone and release it remotely, with it ready to fly immediately.

"Depending on which effect you want, whether it's to surveil or to strike, then you would press a specific button from the cab, this specific drone would come out and it's ready to fly off straight away," Mr Carpenter said. 

The protective coops are designed to shield the drones from dust and bad weather while keeping their batteries charged.

The system is modular, meaning the drone cabinets can be added, removed or adapted depending on the number and type of drones required.

Mr Carpenter said as many as six of the modules could be carried together, providing space for up to 18 drones – a setup he compared to a "vending machine".