Jackal Winter / Water

History

The winterised/waterproofed Jackal: a Marines-oriented development of the TUM HS able to wade 1.5 m of salt or fresh water and operate at -46 °C, with raised air intake, sealed switchgear, rear-mounted heaters and fittings that let the vehicle flood for traction during amphibious landings.

Among the many configurations of the Jackal programme, the 'Winter/Water' project answered the Marines' need for vehicles that could come ashore from landing craft and then fight through a Norwegian winter. The aim was a fleet of 686 vehicles capable of wading to 1.5 metres in salt and fresh water and of operating in temperatures down to minus 46 degrees Celsius. The modifications work with, rather than against, the water: the vehicle is designed to flood as it wades so that it keeps traction. A raised air intake feeds the 300 Tdi engine, transmission breathers are extended, switchgear sits in sealed compartments behind transparent covers, and a roof escape hatch is provided. Winterisation adds a fuel heater and rear-mounted radiators (heaters), while full preparation for submersion — greasing and graphite lubricant across the running gear on the deepest-wading Marines vehicles — takes about an hour; so prepared, a vehicle can run briefly with virtually the entire machine submerged, snorkelling through a 'periscope' intake.