Jackal 3: Fire support and recce vehicle gets host of upgrades in latest iteration

By this summer the first batch of 70 new High Mobility Transporter (HMT) Jackal 3 vehicles will be produced for the British Army by Babcock International Group and Supacat.

Jackal 3 is the latest iteration of the HMT product line, incorporating modernised capabilities such as a new suspension for improved off-road performance.

Forces News has taken a look at what we can expect from this much-anticipated new variant, with a total of 240 vehicles expected to eventually be built for the Armed Forces.

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Supacat CEO Nick Ames explained: "There's an improved payload, there's improved environmental protection for the for the soldiers, there's improved electromagnetic compatibility.

"It's less detectable. And there are also improvements in the rollover protection for the soldiers as well."

The Jackal 3's new suspension system can be reconfigured from 4x4 to 6x6 configuration for increased loads.

It will also operate better in the heat thanks to a reversed cooling system as instead of using outside air to cool the engine, hot air around it is blown out.

According to Mr Ames, one of the key enhancements is to provide a windscreen on the Jackal 3.

He said: "It sounds like a small thing, but actually if you're in a particularly cold environment or if you're doing long road transfers, the ability just to have a windscreen to keep the heat within the cab can make an enormous amount of difference."