Jackal (vehicle)
| MWMIK (Jackal) | |
|---|---|
A Jackal armoured vehicle at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan | |
| Type | Armoured Wheeled Vehicle |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Supacat |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6,650 kg (14,660 lb) |
| Length | 5.39 m (17 ft 8 in) |
| Width | 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Height | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) (not including weapon system) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armour | Additional composite armour kit |
Main armament | 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, or Heckler & Koch GMG |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun |
| Engine | 5.9 litre Cummins ISBe Euro3 six-cylinder diesel 185 bhp (138 kW) |
| Suspension | Independent double wishbone, air operated springs and external bypass shock absorbers (2 per wheel station) with variable ride height |
| Maximum speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) |
The Jackal or MWMIK (from "Mobility Weapon-Mounted Installation Kit") is a family of vehicles designed and developed by Supacat Ltd at their factory in Honiton, Devon, UK, for use by the British Army and Royal Air Force Regiment.
The primary role of the vehicle in the British Army is deep battlespace reconnaissance, rapid assault and fire support - roles where mobility, endurance and maneuverability are important - and it has also been used for convoy protection.
Small production runs are manufactured at the Honiton factory but larger batches are manufactured by DML (part of Babcock Marine Services, owned by Babcock International Group) in Plymouth. The initial order was for up to 100 and it was announced on 27 June 2008 that the MOD would be ordering a further 72. On 23 Jun 2010 it was announced by the Ministry of Defence that 140 additional Jackal 2 vehicles were being ordered, and this would bring the number of Jackals in service up to 500.
The MWMIK can carry increased payload and fuel compared to its predecessor, allowing it to carry greater amounts of additional equipment and protection over longer distances, and it is able to support itself and its crew for distances of over 500 mi (800 km).