Supacat Ltd, the designer of the widely acclaimed ‘Jackal’ weapons-mounted 4×4 patrol vehicle and Babcock the leading engineering support specialists have formed an industry alliance to deliver around 110 Jackal 2 (the enhanced, latest iteration of the original Jackal design), and more than 70 of the new 6×6 ‘Coyote’ Tactical Support Vehicle (Light) (TSV(L)). Supacat as the vehicle designer has been awarded the prime contract supported by Babcock as the vehicle manufacturer for whom the contract is worth around £55 million.
This contract is in response to the MoD’s latest Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) and is a part of the £700 million Protected Mobility Package announced by the MoD late last year. The vast majority of both vehicle types are scheduled for delivery in 2009 to support operations in Afghanistan.
Within the alliance, Supacat, as the design authority will be responsible for design, development, prototyping, integration and overall programme management. Babcock will take responsibility for detailed production planning, purchasing and manufacture at their Devonport dockyard facility. A single project office, located at Dunkeswell in Devon, will provide overall control.
The alliance draws on the key strengths, resources and expertise of each party and combines the best of both. It is underpinned by a commercial construct that sees all costs and risks shared, fees divided equitably for optimised risk and reward management and alignment of both parties to common project objectives. It embodies the true meaning of an alliance as a co-operative relationship between key contractors on a project working together to deliver significant performance improvements and enhanced business results.
The combined team of the MoD and contractors have very recently been honoured with two acquisition awards from the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, for the successful delivery of the Jackal 1 UOR programme. The formation of the alliance provides an opportunity to build on that success and work closely with the MoD’s Protected Mobility Team, continuing the already established close and open partnering relationship, with the Supacat-Babcock Alliance taking on the role of ‘provider’ and the MoD as ‘decider’.
Nick Ames, Managing Director, Supacat is delighted, “This alliance will help to ensure that our Armed Forces receive the best possible equipment within the shortest possible timescale. More importantly, it will both enhance their operational effectiveness and their protection. Also, the incorporation of the design authority, Supacat, within the alliance will ensure that in future the product will be continually improved and updated. This means that our Armed Forces will always have access to the latest equipment upgrades for their vehicles without avoidable time delays. We are extremely pleased that we can help in this way.”
Roger Gillespie, Babcock’s Equipment Solutions Managing Director, echoes this view and stated, “We each bring key strengths to the table; this alliance combines these to create a strong partnership with the capability to deliver maximum productivity and optimum quality, performance and cost-effectiveness to the MoD. We have previously worked closely with Supacat in delivering over 200 Jackals to the MoD, and this contract will further demonstrate that this method of design, production and delivery is the best for the MoD’s needs.”
BBC News have published an article about the new deal.
For further information or an interview with Nick Ames or Roger Gillespie;
Please contact:
Ed Lloyd Owen on 020 7993 3833 or email [email protected] (Supacat) OR
Sarah Manwaring-White on 01451 844 488 or email [email protected] (Babcock)
About the Supacat/Babcock Alliance
The alliance reflects the growing move towards industrial partnerships and collaboration in the defence sector, and also builds on the close MoD/industry partnering that has been behind the success of the first Jackal vehicles, built and delivered to demanding time schedules during 2008. As such it echoes the ‘central partnering/creation of alliances’ theme of the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS).
About Supacat Ltd
Supacat specialises in the design and development of high mobility vehicles and other specialist transport systems for military and civil customers. The company was founded in 1981 to develop the Supacat 6×6 high mobility vehicle and is a UK centre of excellence in all terrain transport technology. Designed by Supacat, the HMT vehicle is manufactured under licence from Lockheed Martin. 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. It provides a complete support management service for its own as well as other manufacturers’ vehicles.
Supacat has a strong, proven background in military vehicle design, including the potent Jackal, a 4×4 mobile, weapons-mounted, long-range patrol vehicle, with its high level of mobility and protection, and 6×6 Military Enhancement Programme (MEP) version – both of which are variants of Supacat’s original High Mobility Transporter (HMT) concept.
About Babcock International Group PLC
1. Babcock is an engineering support services company with a market capitalisation of around £1billion
2. In the financial year ended 31 March 2008 Babcock reported revenues of £1.56 billion and underlying profit before tax of £95.5 million
3. Babcock’s key strengths are
a. a highly technical engineering skill base
b. a complex project management capability
c. an ability to work in partnership with its customers to deliver the highest standards of customer satisfaction
d. a thorough understanding of and ability to manage customers’ operationally critical assets
4. Babcock operates through six divisions based extensively in the UK with operations in southern Africa and North America.
5. Through its Marine division Babcock is the UK’s leading naval support business and is the largest support provider to the Royal Navy. Babcock is the sole provider of through-life support to the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet and owns the only facilities in the UK where nuclear submarines can undergo refuelling and deep refit work. Babcock also manages, on behalf of the Royal Navy, the Clyde naval base at which the majority of submarines are based and where in-service maintenance is carried out.
6. Within Babcock’s Marine division, its Land Systems business is geared to building and supporting military vehicles. OEM independent and working closely with a number of vehicle designers and prime contractors, with a proven track record in military vehicle production, Babcock is recognised for delivering high quality within tight lead times. Its skilled and experienced workforce at all levels, combined with the understanding and ability to apply techniques such as lean manufacturing processes, and effective supply chain management, ensures successful projects.