Military fans should be familiar with the armored vehicle in front of them. The Supacat HMT400 called “Jackal” – 7.6 tons of dead weight, machine gun mount, hydraulic suspension, optional four-wheel drive, and a top speed of 130km/h. But when you really stand in front of this super cat, you can really feel its deterrent power. This super cat is one of the masterpieces of the Supacat company. The main reason why it is so famous is that this car has replaced the Land Rover Defender as the favorite of the commandos; another reason is that this car uses a “convertible” Type design, which is quite different from traditional closed armored vehicles. According to the British, this kind of “convertible vehicle” can reflect their heroic and fearless spirit.
Without further ado, the Jackal can accommodate five people, although usually only three are on board: the commander, the driver and the shooter. The personnel on the vehicle can have a very good field of vision. Of course, this vehicle can also be closed to improve the protection level, but generally this is not done. For an assault vehicle, better vision and more flexible performance are the most important . Jackal can carry up to 2.1 tons of cargo when carrying equipment. Even so, 200 liters of diesel fuel can provide a range of 800 kilometers, which is indeed an advantage for an assault vehicle.
In terms of power, Jackal uses a 6.7-liter Cummins inline six-cylinder diesel engine with a mid-engine layout, which also increases the handling flexibility of the vehicle. The maximum power of this diesel engine is 178 horsepower, but the peak torque reaches 700N m, and the top speed can reach 130km/h.
The biggest advantage of the Jackal model lies in the chassis and suspension. The hydraulic suspension can maintain a minimum ground clearance of 180mm on paved roads, and the vehicle height does not exceed 1.9 meters, which reduces resistance for high-speed cruising. When working in the field, the suspension can increase the ground clearance by another 300mm for better passability. The four-wheel drive system is of course indispensable for military vehicles. In addition to the high-speed and low-speed two-speed settings, Jackal’s four-wheel drive system can also use the rear wheel drive alone.
“Climbing” into this car, you can clearly feel that the driver’s seat has an extraordinary height, and the field of view is obviously not comparable to that of ordinary family cars. Although the design of the seat will also consider the comfort, but more is to consider the protection of the occupants. There is no need to consider gear shifting when driving this car. The five-speed automatic transmission can automatically select the appropriate gear. At the same time, the steering system also uses hydraulic power assist, which reduces the burden on the driver. After all, this guy is quite heavy.
Because the cab is located in front of the front axle, it really takes a while to get used to driving this car. Although the steering is not too heavy, it feels completely different from a family car. The effect of the braking system is excellent, of course the role of the ABS system is not small. The driving experience of this Super Cat is quite similar to that of a Land Rover Defender. You must know that the Defender has also served in the army for many years, and the Super Cat is the successor of the Defender. As an assault armored vehicle, the Super Cat performs better.
Of course, this military vehicle is a “heavy weapon” that is rarely seen on weekdays. The cost of 500,000 pounds is not comparable to ordinary luxury cars, and the vehicle-mounted machine gun is not an ordinary “toy”. It was not all smooth sailing for the Super Cat. The HMT400 model was not recognized by the military in the early days. It was not until the Land Rover series models began to retire that the Super Cat had the opportunity to stand on the world stage, and became very popular with the military due to its excellent mobility. model, and is preparing to retire more Defenders.
