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Nick Ames, the company’s chief executive, said it was an example of the stop-start approach to British military procurement that often causes the revenues of small to medium-sized defence firms to fluctuate wildly each year.
The Ministry of Defence’s land industrial strategy in 2022 previously vowed to end this practice and create a “steady drumbeat of orders”.
But Mr Ames said: “The potential closure of the line threatens the jobs created by the production run and is counter to the land industrial strategy that seeks to move from feast and famine.”
Supacat’s Jackal contract is expected to end early next year, putting jobs at risk unless fresh orders are placed. Vulnerable roles include around 40 roles at Supacat itself and more than 100 at Babcock’s facility in HMNB Devonport, the Royal Navy base where the majority of Jackals are manufactured.
Supacat has also been told it will not be awarded a contract to maintain the vehicles throughout their service lives.
The situation underline the difficulties many small and medium-sized defence companies in Britain face despite the Government’s pledges to ramp up military spending and boost the domestic industry.
Members of the Nato alliance, including Britain, have agreed to increase spending to 5pc of GDP, including 3.5pc on “core” defence and 1.5pc on related areas such as cyber security and infrastructure needed to mobilise their armed forces.
Ministers also singled out defence as a key pillar of manufacturing in the national industrial strategy earlier this year, with a more detailed strategy focused on the sector expected in September.
Supacat, founded by engineer David Clayton and Nick Jones, is a British defence stalwart that made its name during* (sic: ED after) the Falklands War, (in the Jura Trials, after which), when it supplied the Army with highly-versatile ATMP 6×6 utility vehicles, for the airborne forces and now 24 Airmobile Brigade. The ATMP has also been used by Jeremy Clarkson on his Diddly Squat farm and featured in his television series Clarkson’s Farm.
In the 2000s, the company was called upon to provide an urgent replacement for Land Rovers being used in Iraq and Afghanistan, which soldiers had branded “mobile coffins” because of their light armour and vulnerability to roadside bombs. (See BATTLESPACE Comment)
The Jackal has since become a widely-used Army reconnaissance and patrol vehicle, capable of carrying around two tonnes of cargo and equipped with a machine gun or grenade launcher. It typically carries a crew of three, including one gunner.
More than 600 were ordered for use in Iraq and Afghanistan with Supacat and Babcock successfully rushing them into service in just three years.
Since then, another 123 have been purchased by the MoD. These include 70 of the 4×4 variant and 53 of the 3×3 “Extenda” variant.
On Friday, manufacturing lobby group Make UK called on the Government to provide “long-term certainty” to the defence industry.
Andrew Kinniburgh, of Make UK Defence, said: “We support the Government’s Defence strategy to support UK-based business, whose capabilities have helped our UK Armed Forces around the world, supported Ukraine, and generated high quality UK based jobs. To maximise the benefits of increased defence spending, industry needs long-term certainty from the Ministry of Defence to deliver private investments in infrastructure, skills, and British jobs.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the army was “committed” to the Jackal and said: “The upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will set out how we will further drive defence as an engine for economic growth, building a resilient, high-growth industry and ensuring the defence dividend reaches every part of the UK. All contracts for equipment or support packages go through an open and fair commercial process, which is open to industry to compete for. This includes the recent delivery of 70 Jackal 3 platforms from Supacat to the Army.” (Source: Daily Telegraph)
BATTLESPACE Comment: The Supacat was designed by Val De Bryan of HMT Vehicles Ltd, who developed the vehicle with an idea from the Duke Of Hamilton and Nick Ames’s uncle David Clayton who sadly died, using investments from Cambridge University and the Hamilton Estates for a high speed cross country military vehicle. Angus Hamilton held the world diesel speed record. HMT offered Supacat the build rights when the vehicle was put forward for the Special Forces Pink Panther replacement and the ACMAT vehicles under Project Minacity in 1982, not as a replacement for the Land Rover SNATCH as the Feature says. SNATCH was replaced by the Foxhound now built by GD in Wales. I worked for SMC Engineering who built the Land Rover 6×6. We no bid the RFI given the high spec. The Chief Engineer at SMC said, “The only think this vehicle can’t do is fly!” Supacat ticked all the boxes and they had to be bailed out by Babcock who took over the build and Lockheed Martin who bought the suspension rights, which Supacat later bought back. The demise of Supacat is the end of a long line of small niche MoD vehicle suppliers such as Penman, Jankel, Dosco, Stonefield, Hotspur and AutomotiveTeknik who all struggled wit the MoD’s stop start in buying small amounts of vehicles over many years.
28 Aug 25. FFG Debuts Multi-Role Support Tank. Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) is once again looking ahead to the future of armoured combat vehicle battlefield needs, this time with a multi-role support tank. Its Condor development aims to offer both short-range counter-air/drone and ground close fire support. It uses the Leopard 1 tank chassis with the unmanned Turra 30 – SA turret from the Slovakian firm EVPU. The turret is armed with a 30 mm dial-feed automatic cannon capable of firing various ammunition types, including programmable airburst, high-explosive, and armoured-piercing discarding sabot, which can effectively target a range of ground and air threats. It also features a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun and a launcher for Spike and Konkurs anti-tank missiles. The system further incorporates a multi-mission radar, acoustic gunfire detection sensors, and electro-optical target acquisition and fire control systems. Condor is capable of supporting manoeuvre forces and providing covering fires against light armoured vehicles, suppressing ground threats, including in urban combat, and detecting, engaging, and destroying drones and aircraft. The vehicle itself has been modernised with additional modular armour, a fully digitalised architecture, and a new powertrain. The latter is the Rolls-Royce Power Systems 8V199TE23 diesel engine, producing up to 1,080 hp, combined with a modified ZF 4 HP 250 automatic transmission and a new FFG-developed two-cycle cooling system.
FFG Managing Director Jörg Kamper stated, “Our goal was to create a readily available system for the necessary rapid expansion of air defence capabilities. The EVPU turret system also allows the Condor to provide fire support to infantry troops.”
The introduction of the FFG Condor appears to draw several lessons from the experiences in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict:
- First, tanks and armoured combat vehicles cannot expect to operate alone without supporting units, which provide cover against drones and entrenched anti-tank teams.
- Second, a shift is underway that requires greater focus on engaging and neutralising both ground and air targets over main battle tanks, which had previously been the primary focus.
Systems like Condor, capable of engaging multiple targets, play an increasingly important role on the battlefield. FFG will showcase Condor at the upcoming DSEI. (Source: Armada)
15 Aug 25. In North Macedonia 29 new Oshkosh JLTV armoured vehicles were presented on 15 August at ‘Jane Sandanski’ Barracks in Shtip. Today, the new 29 JLTV armoured vehicles were presented at the ‘Jane Sandanski’ barracks in Shtip, in the presence of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Minister of Defence Vlado Misajlovski, Chief of the General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, and US Ambassador Angela Aggeler, bringing the number of this type of vehicle owned by the Army to 67.
“As Prime Minister, one of my top priorities has always been the security of the country, as well as preserving peace and stability in the country, since these are the basic preconditions for us to be able to develop a society that will progress and a society that will offer a future for all citizens. An unbreakable link, of course, to these ambitions is the Macedonian Army”, said Prime Minister Mickoski.
Today, he added, we are attending this event which is a continuation, I would say, of the event that took place a year ago, which the esteemed US ambassador spoke about, and I am truly proud that we are slowly, but surely, rounding up the equipping process, thus enhancing and strengthening the Macedonian Army. We will not stop here, we will continue further, said the Prime Minister.
Minister Misajlovski emphasised that the defence capacities and capabilities of the Army continue to increase and strengthen, and that in cooperation with the United States and the programs through which procurement for the modernisation of the Macedonian Army is carried out, the number of light armoured vehicles has almost doubled.
“29 new armoured vehicles that were purchased through the Government-to-Government contract are already part of the Army. With this new delivery, we are approaching the required number of vehicles, and additionally, we are expecting some of the STRYKER armoured vehicles, also an American production, to arrive soon”, underlined Misajlovski, adding that the vehicles are intended for the Light Infantry Battalion Group, our declared unit that will be ready for deployment and missions when needed.
The Minister informed that seven new contracts have also been signed with the United States, projects that are in the process of implementation, and relate to the procurement of Special Forces equipment, the procurement of UAV systems, cyber protection equipment, light infantry weapons, personal protection equipment and Joint Fire Control Kit. Ambassador Aggeler emphasised that these light armoured vehicles represent the embodiment of the United States’ continued support for North Macedonia and its defence capabilities, and are a “strong and powerful symbol of your progress toward a modernised military, equipped and ready to meet the demands of today’s complex security environment”. (Source: joint-forces.com)
26 Aug 25. The DAGOR vehicle, an off-road and air transportable tactical mobility platform from Polaris Government and Defense, is redefining expeditionary firefighting. With a request from the U.S. Air Force (USAF), ADS partnered with Ward Apparatus to create the Ward Mobile Airfield Rescue Kit (Ward MARK-1), using the Polaris DAGOR, to deliver a first-of-its-kind off-road firefighting vehicle. These trusted names in innovative emergency response vehicle manufacturing have pioneered a compact, rugged and versatile military-grade firetruck that is C-130 internally transportable and sling loadable for rapid deployment anywhere in the world. The USAF needed a rugged, off-road fire truck that could function in extreme temperatures, navigate through rough terrain, carry all necessary firefighting equipment – and be easily loaded and transported via a C-130 or sling loaded beneath a helicopter. The Polaris family of light tactical vehicles, including DAGOR, already support operations across the U.S. and our allies, meeting off-road mobility, durability and air transportability requirements. Working directly with USAF, Ward Apparatus and ADS transformed the Polaris DAGOR vehicle into a firefighting apparatus for the most demanding environments.
“This has been an incredible process working with our team at Ward, the U.S. Air Force, Polaris, ADS and all the individual suppliers to develop this very unique custom solution. It is an honor to be recognized as an innovative leader within the fire industry and to be involved in helping keep our U.S. Air Force safe and providing them with this equipment,” said Scott Beecher, owner and CEO of Ward Apparatus.
Designed for pilot rescue and contingency location team support, the Ward MARK-1 boasts capabilities specific for Air Force fire and rescue missions. This includes all essential pilot egress tools, a water capacity of 150 gallons, providing ample suppression capability for vast fire scenarios, a 95-gallons per minute pump to support efficient water supply and is equipped with a high and low-flow bumper turret for added versatility. The vehicle includes hoses and a sump pump for drafting from water sources, plus a large diameter hose for refilling or connecting to hydrants. Designed to carry up to three operators, the vehicle also includes a litter basket for secure and efficient patient transport – all while retaining the rugged durability and capabilities DAGOR is known for. In just 24 months, the Ward MARK-1 went from concept to completion. Production continues and fielding has begun, with the U.S. Air Force positioning them at remote airfields around the world in support of off-road fire and rescue missions. Polaris designs and manufactures the most capable light tactical and all-terrain military vehicles available. The company’s expertise in light off-road mobility has produced the MV850, MRZR D, MRZR Alpha and DAGOR. Polaris vehicles support more than 60 military forces worldwide, which is a testament to the capability gap these vehicles fulfill. These platforms provide unmatched off-road capability, intuitive operation, streamlined maintenance, air transportability and are supported globally by the worldwide presence of Polaris dealers and distributors.
22 Aug 25. Sweden to host NATO logistics hub in Enköping. Sweden has extended an invitation to the NATO to establish a logistics headquarters within its borders. The Swedish government has tasked the nation’s Armed Forces with the responsibility of setting up this facility in Enköping. The establishment of the Joint Logistics Support Group Headquarters (JLSG HQ) is planned to be operational by the end of 2027. This hub will play a crucial role in coordinating the maintenance and transport of military units across NATO’s Northwest Area of Operations, which include Sweden and other Nordic countries. During peacetime, the Enköping headquarters is expected to staff approximately 70 personnel. However, this number could increase to 160 in times of heightened alert or war. According to a report of Xinhua, the facility will manage troop movements that could involve up to 20,000 soldiers and handle logistics such as fuel, ammunition, and spare parts distribution across Sweden. The hub will integrate into the NATO command framework, with personnel assignments managed centrally by NATO. Member countries will have the option to delegate staff officers to serve at this location, according to a statement from Sweden’s Ministry of Defence. Sweden Defence Minister Pål Jonson said: “NATO presence in Sweden strengthens our security and deterrence. The logistics centre assists the defence of NATO’s northern flank.” The Swedish Armed Forces will keep the Ministry of Defence regularly informed on the progress of establishing this new NATO Headquarters. In June 2025, the Swedish government directed its armed forces to allocate Skr550 ($57m) towards NATO’s assistance initiatives for Ukraine. (Source: army-technology.com)
22 Aug 25. Airbus and Shield AI Accomplish First Autonomous Aerial Logistics Connector Helicopter Flight. Airbus U.S. Space & Defense recently completed its first autonomous helicopter test flight utilizing Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy package. The test flight, which took place in Grand Prairie, Texas, marks a significant step in the development of the MQ-72C Lakota Connector, in support of the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) program. The H145 helicopter was utilized as the test vehicle for the flight to help perfect the mission technology, drive schedule timelines, and reduce cost and technical risk. Integration of Hivemind into the aircraft was completed in under two months, demonstrating the benefits of its modular and platform-agnostic architecture. During the test, the H145 flew under the direct control of Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software, in collaboration with Airbus’ Helionix. The integrated software served as the mission system control of the aircraft, performing an auto takeoff, landing, and other test points to illustrate the software’s ability to direct the aircraft without pilot input. The tested software will be incorporated into the future MQ-72C helicopter design to meet the USMC requirements for the ALC program.
“This flight test is a testament to the strength of our ALC team and opens the aperture on new mission possibilities to support the Marine Corps,” said Rob Geckle, Chairman and CEO of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense. “We are bringing together the best across industry to deliver an aircraft that changes how unmanned operations can support missions across a wide range of logistics.”
The MQ-72C Logistics Connector is currently being developed as an unmanned variant of the UH-72 Lakota, a proven multi-mission platform trusted to perform across a range of missions. The incorporation of Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software expands the platform’s mission capabilities through autonomy-enabled operations across a wide range of logistics and operational scenarios.
“This flight marks an important validation of our approach to mission autonomy,” said Gary Steele, CEO of Shield AI. “Hivemind was built to enable adaptable, intelligent flight across a wide range of aircraft, and this milestone shows how quickly capable teams can leverage that foundation. The collaboration with Airbus is focused, professional, and effective—an excellent example of what can be achieved when both teams are aligned on mission and execution. We’re excited to build on this momentum in the flights to come.”
The MQ-72C’s level of autonomy will be scaled during more test activities and demonstrations to come, ultimately leading to unmanned operations in contested logistics environments. Airbus U.S.’ goal is that mission autonomy software can ultimately be leveraged to add autonomous capabilities to other helicopter variations, in addition to the MQ-72C. Airbus U.S. is entering the second year of the Aerial Logistics Connector Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping Program, which aims to provide the service with aircraft prototypes to demonstrate capabilities to the warfighter through a series of operational demonstrations and experiments. In May 2024, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded Airbus U.S. Space & Defense a Phase I Other Transaction Authority (OTA) through the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium, based on its unmanned UH-72 Logistics Connector concept, a variant of the proven UH-72 Lakota platform. The Aerial Logistics Connector effort is one of several initiatives across the Department of Defense aimed at delivering logistical support in distributed environments during peer or near- peer conflicts. (Source: UAS VISION)
22 Aug 25. Britain to turn Warrior armoured vehicles into drones. The Ministry of Defence has set out plans to repurpose surplus Warrior infantry fighting vehicles into remotely or autonomously operated minefield-breaching platforms, under Project ATILLA. According to a Prior Information Notice published on 21 August, “under Project ATTILA, the Authority are seeking to de-risk and accelerate future procurement of an attritable, modular, autonomous, heavy payload UG by exploiting current in-service vehicles within a time and cost bound contract. This contract seeks to procure and spirally develop an optionally crewed minefield breaching system based on WARRIOR, capable of being used in the UK and overseas by Royal Engineers.” The Ministry stated that “the Authority requires an optionally crewed attritable minefield breaching capability that can be spirally developed to de-risk and accelerate future procurement of a modular, autonomous, heavy payload Uncrewed Ground Vehicle.”
The project is structured into two concurrent phases under a single contract.
- “Phase 1. Procurement of a Minimum Deployable (MDY) of up to six optionally crewed systems based on an in-service donor vehicle (WARRIOR) with Front End Equipment (FEE) for use as a Battlegroup (BG) minefield breaching capability.”
- “Phase 2. Development and iteration of MDC to move from remote to autonomous operation and refine requirements for future UGV procurement.”
Suppliers will face a strict entry test. The notice makes clear that “suppliers will be asked to confirm as part of their PSQ response that they are able to provide six optionally crewed minefield breaching systems able to generate a safe lane comparable to current in-service platforms (details to be provided as part of the PSQ). This section will be PASS/FAIL – suppliers who are unable to provide this capability in the timelines requested will be discounted from the competition.” The contract is valued at £12 m and is set to run from January 2026 to March 2028, with an optional one-year extension at the MoD’s discretion.
Why Warrior?
The analysis behind Project ATILLA is straightforward. Warrior, once the backbone of the Army’s armoured infantry, is being retired from frontline service. That leaves the MoD with a stock of heavy tracked hulls that still have considerable mobility, armour, and payload capacity. Instead of scrapping them, the plan is to convert Warriors into optionally crewed uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs). The concept is to fit Warriors with front-end breaching equipment such as ploughs, rollers, or line charges. These would allow them to carve lanes through minefields, pushing through obstacles while either being operated conventionally with a crew or remotely controlled. Over time, as autonomy matures, the systems would move closer to fully uncrewed operation.
This approach provides several advantages:
- It avoids the long delays and high costs of designing a bespoke UGV from scratch.
- Warrior’s weight and protection make it survivable against mine detonations.
- The tracked chassis provides the necessary mobility to breach obstacles and rough terrain.
- By keeping the option for a crew, the vehicles can be fielded and tested before autonomous systems are fully mature.
Spiral development
Project ATILLA is designed as a “spiral development” programme: take an existing platform, adapt it to current needs, deploy a minimum capability, and then iterate. The six vehicles planned for Phase 1 would form a Minimum Deployable Capability, giving the Royal Engineers a heavy, attritable tool for minefield breaching. At the same time, they would act as testbeds for doctrine, technology, and operations, helping to refine requirements for a future purpose-built UGV fleet. By Phase 2, the focus would be on “development and iteration of MDC to move from remote to autonomous operation and refine requirements for future UGV procurement.” Lessons learned from the converted Warriors could then shape a new generation of modular, heavy UGVs designed from the ground up.
The broader context
The MoD’s wording is clear that this project addresses a pressing operational gap: the need for an “attritable” minefield breaching vehicle. Attritability implies that the vehicles are expected to operate in highly dangerous conditions where losses are likely. Making them optionally crewed means they can take risks without necessarily putting soldiers inside. The approach reflects a broader shift in Western militaries toward uncrewed ground systems capable of tackling some of the most hazardous battlefield roles. In this case, Warriors converted under ATILLA would act as a bridge between traditional armoured engineering vehicles and the fully autonomous heavy UGVs the Army may seek in the 2030s. In blunt terms, looking back at my headline, I truly believe “Warrior drones” is not inaccurate. Six retired infantry fighting vehicles could soon be fitted with ploughs and rollers, stripped of their turrets, and sent into minefields under remote or autonomous control. What begins as a stopgap could mark the start of a longer-term transformation in how the Army approaches combat engineering and high-risk battlefield tasks. We also now know why they are not going to Ukraine. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/UKDJ)
22 Aug 25. Israel ramps up tank, APC production. Israel’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has approved a USD1.5bn five-year plan to significantly accelerate and expand the production of its front-line armoured vehicles, the MoD announced on 20 August.
“Under the acceleration programme, the ministry will increase the armoured vehicle inventory while boosting production rates of the Merkava Mk 4 Barak tanks, Namer APCs [armoured personnel carriers], and Eitan wheeled APCs, including those equipped with a turreted 30 mm cannon,” the MoD said.
The statement provided no production numbers, saying only that “dozens” of additional vehicles will be produced under the Armored Vehicle Acceleration Project, which is led by the Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate (MANTAK). The plan will also expand the domestic industrial infrastructure required to build armoured vehicles, strengthening Israel’s self-reliance for its core land platforms, according to the MoD statement.
“The decision to acquire additional Israeli-developed tanks and APCs stems directly from the advanced armoured vehicles’ combat success and supports a comprehensive initiative to enhance the IDF’s manoeuvring capabilities,” it added.
The head of MANTAK, Brigadier General Oren Giber, told Janes the acceleration project is a direct result of the lessons learned during recent operations. (Source: Janes)
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