In early April, Britain delivered a Mastiff mine-resistant ambush-protected and infantry mobility vehicle (MRAP) as well as a Mobility Weapon-Mounted Installation Kit (MWMIK), also known as Jackal, to Ukraine.
This information was published in the Army Reconnaissance as well as in the Belgian online edition.
These deliveries were part of British military equipment package sent by London to Kiev. Apart from this, the UK also delivered 4,000 NLAW man-portable anti-tank guided missile weapons as well as Javelin anti-tank missile systems in March.
The UK has also provided Ukraine the StarStreak MANPADS man-portable air defense missile systems.
Towards the beginning of April, London had approved a new military aid package worth €120 million which includes loitering ammunition, 800 NLAWs, Javelin anti-tank guided missiles, night vision equipment, helmets, body armor, FV104 Samaritan ambulance, CVRT tracked reconnaissance armored vehicles, FV106 Samson armored recovery vehicle, FV107 Scimitar with 30mm cannon, FV103 Spartan APC, as well as Stormer StarStreak mobile air defense tracked armored vehicles.
About the Mastiff MRAP
The Mastiff MRAP has been part of the British Army since a while now. According to sources familiar with the matter at hand, for the last 15 years, the Mastiff MRAP has participated in dozens of military operations around the world, wherever the British army was present. According to an estimate, around 700 units of Mastiff MRAP were produced.
The Mastiff MRAP 6×6 is fully equipped vehicle, suitable for patrol activities as well as for providing a convoy.
In addition to the commander and driver of the vehicle, it can carry up to eight soldiers. Currently the third version of the Mastiff MRAP is being developed.
The Mastiff MRAP is armed with two machine guns – a 7.62mm general-purpose machine gun, and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun; it is also equipped with a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. Equipped with Bowman radios, the Mastiff MRAP has built in electronic countermeasures.
About Jackal SP
The Jackal SP is also known as the Mobility Weapon-Mounted Installation Kit (MWMIK). It was purchased years ago by the British Ministry of Defense to meet the specific needs of the British military and special forces for conditions in Afghanistan.
A highly mobile and well-armed combat vehicle, the Jackal is often used to patrol or secure a convoy.
Mounted on an Universal Engineering chassis, the Jackal uses a Cummins engine, Allison transmission, and suspension shock absorbers from Fox Racing Shox. Its design is based on a highly mobile 4×4 design. The electronics in the vehicle are from Fujitsu and Smartgauge Electronics. When off-road, it can reach a top speed of 79 km per hour while on the tarmac it can touch a top speed of 130 kmph.
It can be equipped with a set of weapons, such as a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun (GPMG), as well as a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.
