CREW: Three (driver, commander and gunner)
MAIN WEAPON: 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun
SECONDARY WEAPON: 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun or 40mm Grenade Machine Gun
TOP SPEED: 80mph
NIGHT CAPABILITY: Infra-red lights let the crew see without being seen
ARMOUR: Kevlar panels capable of stopping a bullet at 10 metres
Meet the big, new beast on the prowl in Afghanistan.
Speed, agility, firepower and protection. The Jackal, one of the Army’s newest breed of 4x4 patrol vehicle, has bucketloads of each. No wonder it’s been taking on the Taliban in the tough terrain of Afghanistan.
The Jackal is used for patrolling deserts and villages, mounting reconnaissance missions in the mountains, protecting friendly road convoys and assaulting enemy positions.
For firepower, each Jackal has two thunderous weapons, effective up to 2km. There’s a Heavy Machine Gun or a Grenade Machine Gun as well as a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).
It’s incredibly quick and manoeuvrable. The Jackal can hit off-road speeds of 50mph and has a top speed of 80mph. That’s blistering for a vehicle loaded to the brim with armour, weapons and ammunition.
And because it has air suspension that can move its body up and down, the Jackal is brilliant over rough ground. Max suspension height is used to clear obstacles and provide a raised view when it’s time to unleash its astonishing firepower.
