UK defence firm Supacat has won a £45 million contract from the Ministry of Defence to supply more than 140 Jackal military vehicles to troops in Afghanistan.
Supacat's Jackal 2a vehicle is built at the Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, Devon, in partnership with London-based Babcock International.
The contract will bring the total number of Jackal vehicles in service with the UKÔÇÖs armed forces to more than 400.
The Jackal was first deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and is designed to travel at speed across rough terrain and deflect mine blasts away from occupants. According to Supacat, the Jackal combines speed and manoeuvrability with unparalleled cross-country performance over harsh terrain. The improved 2a model has a new cab design with integrated mine blast protection.
Production of the Jackal 2a vehicle commenced in February 2010.
Supacat and Babcock have formed an industry alliance, with Supacat as prime contractor and the authority responsible for design, development, prototyping, integration and overall programme management. Babcock is responsible for detailed production planning, purchasing and manufacture at the Devonport facility.
Commenting on the award of the contract, managing director of Supcat Nick Ames said: ÔÇ£This order is a further endorsement of the performance of Jackal on operations in Afghanistan and of the agility of the SupacatÔÇôBabcock alliance to deliver against demanding timescales.ÔÇØ
Roger Gillespie, equipment solutions managing director at Babcock, said: ÔÇ£The Jackal vehicle has been a resounding success and these additional Jackal 2as will further enhance the operational capabilities of our troops in theatre. The ability of the Supacat-Babcock Alliance to consistently deliver these vehicles also provides military planners with assurance of our continued support.ÔÇØ┬á
Founded in 1981, Supacat specialises in the design and development of high mobility vehicles and other specialist transport systems for military and civil customers. From its facility at Dunkeswell, Devon, UK, it employs 105 people across a range of engineering disciplines, including design, testing and prototype manufacture through to maintenance, repair and overhaul and low rate production. Babcock is a FTSE 250 company and the UKÔÇÖs leading support services organisation, with recorded revenue of ┬ú1.9 billion in 2010. Through its Marine Division, it is the UKÔÇÖs leading naval support business and is the largest support provider to the Royal Navy.
