Babcock International Group has completed production of its Jackal 3 vehicle programme for the British Army, with the final vehicle rolling off the production line at its Devonport facility in Plymouth.
The defence company has built and delivered a total of 123 Jackal 3 and Jackal 3 Extenda high-mobility vehicles in partnership with defence engineering specialist Supacat. The last vehicle to leave the production line was the six-wheeled Jackal 3 Extenda variant, which will now undergo testing before entering operational service with the British Army.
The completion of the programme marks a significant milestone for Babcock and Supacat, concluding the delivery of a fleet designed to support reconnaissance, patrol and logistics missions across a range of operational environments.
Louise Atkinson, Chief Executive of Land and Mission Systems at Babcock, said: “The British Army needs a highly practical weapons platform with exemplary off-road performance, and with Supacat’s Jackal 3, we’ve delivered a fleet of vehicles that meets this requirement.
“To have reached this milestone demonstrates Babcock’s commitment and expertise in delivering high-quality military vehicles to the armed forces. This critical programme required a large amount of collaboration, and I’d like to thank everyone for their tireless work in making it a success.”
The programme builds on a long-standing collaboration between Babcock and Supacat, combining vehicle design, manufacturing and defence engineering expertise to produce the latest generation of the Jackal platform.
Phil Applegarth, Director and Head of Supacat, said the project demonstrated the value of collaboration across the UK defence supply chain.
“By combining Babcock’s extensive expertise in defence support and production with our own innovative design capabilities and agile approach, we have delivered together the latest Jackal variants to the British Army,” he said.
“This programme is a great example of what can be achieved through strong collaboration, and we are incredibly proud to have played a role in enhancing the Army’s fleet with these highly capable vehicles and supporting UK defence.”
The Ministry of Defence also welcomed the completion of the programme, highlighting the enhanced operational capability the vehicles will provide.
Major General Lizzie Faithfull-Davies, Director Land Environment, National Armaments – Material, said the completion of the Jackal 3 Extenda build programme built on the earlier delivery of 70 Jackal 3 vehicles and reflected an ongoing commitment to providing the Army with adaptable, high-mobility capability.
She added that the achievement demonstrated the strength of the partnership between the Army, Babcock and Supacat, citing the companies’ engineering expertise and collaborative approach in delivering the programme.
Defence Minister Lord Coaker said the vehicles, manufactured in Devonport, would provide the Army with “one of the most capable high-mobility platforms available”.
He added that the government’s Defence Investment Plan reaffirmed the importance of land vehicles to the UK’s military capability and said the programme demonstrated how collaboration between British industry and the armed forces supports skilled jobs while contributing to economic growth.
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