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
Weight	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	4+1.
Armour	Additional composite armour kit
Main armament	12.7mm heavy machine gun,or Heckler & Koch GMG
Secondary armament	7.62 mm general purpose machine gun
Engine	5.9 litre Cummins ISBe Euro3 185 bhp (134 kW)
Suspension	Independent double wishbone, air operated springs and external bypass shock absorbers (2 per wheel station) with variable ride height
Speed	130 km/h (81 mph)

The Jackal or MWMIK (pronounced EmWimmick) or 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. Supacat re-branded to SC Group in September 2015, the Supacat brand retained for the group's core defence business.

The primary role of the vehicle in the British Army is deep battlespace reconnaissance, rapid assault and fire support - roles where mobility, endurance and manoeuvrability 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 Plymouth based company DML (part of Babcock Marine Services, owned by Babcock International Group). The initial order was for up to 100 and it was announced on June 27, 2008 that the MOD would be ordering a further 72. On Jun 23, 2010 it was announced by the Ministry of Defence that 140 additional Jackal 2 vehicles were being ordered, and according to the same source 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 497 mi (800 km).

According to the Ministry of Defence, the Jackal "was built to meet the British Army's specific requirements for an agile, well-armed, light patrol vehicle." The vehicle's height-adjustable air suspension system can be lowered onto the bump-stops to provide a stable firing platform when stationary or raised to a maximum 380mm ground clearance allowing it to clear large obstacles. The high levels of off-road mobility enable troops to avoid more conventional routes which may be subject to ambush or enemy reconnaissance.