The UK Ministry of Defence has announced it will be purchasing 86 new Viking and Jackal protected vehicles.14 Vikings have been ordered from BAE for £14M. The 72 Jackals will come from Babcock Marine.
The MoD also "unveiled" two new vehicle types, the Ridgback and Panther. The Ridgback is described as the "little brother to the hugely popular Mastiff". The MoD will receive 150 of the vehicles. Pather will be the new command and liaison vehicle.
This week the Jackal was introduced in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. Among the features of this new platform is an airbag suspension system which allows for a relatively smooth ride over rough terrain and a more stable firing platform. The system can also raise the vehicle by more than a metre for obstacle clearance or to gain a better view of the field. Jackal facts 
The British Army has wanted to replace its' under-armoured and relatively slow, Land Rover-based, Weapons Mounted Installation Kit (WMIK).
