SC Group

Last updated

SC Group logo. Sc-group-logo.png
SC Group logo.

SC Group is a British manufacturer of military vehicles and related equipment. It was known as Supacat Ltd until 2015. Supacat was established in 1981 and based at Dunkeswell Aerodrome in England. SC Group now comprises four companies: Supacat, SC Innovation, Proteum and Blackhill Engineering .

Contents

SC Group initially specialised in the design and development of military and civil high mobility vehicles. Throughout the last decade the company expanded its portfolio considerably to encompass developing equipment for operation in harsh environments in sectors including marine, renewables, mineral exploration, oil & gas and nuclear power. During 2014, the then Supacat made a series of acquisitions in the commercial marine sector leading to the creation of the now Proteum based in Hamble, UK. At the end of 2014 Exeter-based heavy fabrication specialist, Blackhill Engineering, was acquired. [1]

The current CEO is Nick Ames who joined the company in 2003. Nick Jones, original co-founder of Supacat, remains a Director of SC Group. [2]

Supacat

The Supacat brand is retained by SC Group for the group's core defence business. Supacat develops and supports high mobility military vehicles and provides specialist engineering services for defence customers. It is a member of Rheinmetall's Challenger 2 Life Extension Project (C2 LEP) team. [3]

All Terrain Mobility Platform

The All Terrain Mobility Platform (ATMP) is a 6x6 marginal terrain vehicle now in its fourth generation. Around 200 ATMPs have been supplied to mainly military users since 1982, including the armed forces of Canada, Malaysia, Mexico and the UK. [4]

High Mobility Transporter

The High Mobility Transporter (HMT) vehicle platform is produced in three variants the HMT 400 (4x4), the HMT 600 (6x6) and the HMT Extenda (configurable between 4x4 and 6x6). [5] A HMT 800 (8x8) variant is also available. The HMT was designed in mid-1999 by HMT Supacat Limited later renamed to HMT Vehicles Limited. In 2004, Lockheed Martin entered into a licence agreement with HMT Vehicles Ltd to manufacture and sell the HMT in North America. [6] In 2006, Lockheed Martin (UK) acquired HMT Vehicles Ltd who licensed the design back to Supacat. [7]

The HMT 400, the first of the platform to enter service, was developed for the United Kingdom Special Forces procured under Project Minacity to replace the Land Rover 110 Desert Patrol Vehicle. [8] [9] A contract was awarded in 2001 for 65 vehicles that entered service in 2003–2004 in Afghanistan following tenders in the late 1990s. [8] [9] [10] In 2004, the U.S. Army Delta Force purchased 47 similarly configured vehicles designated Marauders which were delivered in 2004–2005. [9] [11]

In 2006, Danish Army Hunter Corps ordered 15 HMT Extenda vehicles. [9] In 2007, the Australian Army Special Air Service Regiment ordered 31 HMT Extenda vehicles known as Nary designated as the Special Operations Vehicle-Special Reconnaissance (SOV-SR) which due to technical problems did not enter service until 2011. [9] [12]

In 2014, the Australian Army 2nd Commando Regiment ordered 89 HMT Extenda MK2 vehicles known as the Special Operations Vehicle-Commando (SOV-Cdo) that will be reconfigurable in four configurations. [13] In 2015, the Norwegian Army Forsvarets Spesialkommando ordered an undisclosed number of HMT Extenda vehicles to be delivered from 2017 to 2019. [14] In 2016, the New Zealand Special Air Service ordered an undisclosed number of HMT Extenda vehicles designated as the Special Operations Vehicles – Mobility Heavy (SOV-MH) to be delivered from late 2017. [15] [16]

The British Army is the biggest user of the HMT with purchases between June 2007 and late 2010 of the HMT 400 designated as the Jackal and HMT 600 designated as the Coyote totalling 575 vehicles. [11]

The British Army has also developed specialist variants of the HMT. Two projects, named Project Soothsayer and the Lightweight Mobile Artillery Weapon System Gun (LIMAWS(G)) were cancelled in 2007. [11] Supacat's HMT 600 is the chosen ground station platform for the UK MoD's Watchkeeper unmanned air vehicle (UAV) project.

HMT operators

Failed bids

Supacat Protected Vehicle 400

The Supacat Protected Vehicle 400 (SPV 400) is a protected light 4x4 vehicle featuring a V-shaped steel chassis hull onto which is fitted a Composite armour crew pod shown at Eurosatory 2012. [30] [31]

Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicle

The Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicle (LAMV) was developed with technical input from Supacat and was shown in February 2014 by the Indian company of Tata. [32]

Light Reconnaissance Vehicle 400

The Light Reconnaissance Vehicle 400 (LRV 400) MK2 is an open lightweight 4x4 vehicle based on the Land Rover Discovery platform which can be transported internally in a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter shown at DSEi 2015. [33] [34] [35] A 6x6 variant has also been designed similar to the HMT Extenda. [35] Supacat is offering the LRV 400 for the Dutch Army Defence-wide Wheeled Vehicle Replacement Programme (DVOW). [36]

Bombardier Lynx Snowmobile

The Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade's Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) Oversnow Reconnaissance Vehicle (ORV) is Bombardier Lynx snowmobile which has been modified for military use by Supacat.

Wolfram Armoured Vehicle

The Brimstone HMT Overwatch was created in 2022 to provide a launch system for the anti tank Brimstone (missile) system specifically for use by Ukraine. Using an extended 6x6 HMT 600 chassis, it was later given the code name Brimstone. [37] [38]

SC Innovation

SC Innovation provides engineering solutions to support all SC Group non-defence business. SC Innovation [39] incorporates specialist vehicle work with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the emergency services together with products and services for sectors such as oil & gas, marine, renewable energy and nuclear. Products include:

Proteum

Proteum is the marine brand within SC Group and was formed following the acquisition of MDS Marine and Bukh Diesel UK.

Proteum [44] represents and distributes a portfolio of marine products and services across the UK and Ireland, these including Bukh, Marine Diesel Sweden, OXE Diesel and Konrad propulsion systems. [45] [46] The company has two UK offices, these in Poole and Hamble.

At the DSEI 2015 defence and security exhibition held in London, 15–18 September, OXE Diesel launched what the company claims to be the first viable high power NATO single fuel policy compliant diesel outboard engine for military users. According to the company, the 200 hp outboard has the highest power density of any marine diesel and incorporates a self-contained belt propulsor unit (S-BPU) to eliminate bevel gears and transfer shafts. In addition, the unit uses a conventional automotive engine block adapted for marine use, and unlike most outboards is mounted horizontally to improve reliability and reduce maintenance. [46]

Blackhill Engineering Services

Blackhill Engineering product Blackhill.jpg
Blackhill Engineering product

Blackhill Engineering Services is a heavy fabrication and machining specialist. Supacat Limited acquired Blackhill in late 2014.

Blackhill Engineering Services Ltd. [47] has existed in various forms since the 1950s; originally its main role was to provide an engineering centre for English China Clays (Quarries Division), which looked after capital and revenue repairs, modifications, projects and servicing, for sites all over the United Kingdom and Channel Islands. Early in 1995 the company became privately owned.

Production of SC Group's SC Innovation's Lifeboat Launch and Recovery System (L&RS) is now undertaken by Blackhill Engineering. [48]

In October 2015 Blackhill Engineering issued a press release informing it had been contracted by Supacat, also part of SC Group, to manufacture replacement chassis frames for the Supacat Jackal vehicle. [47]

Television and film appearances

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mowag Piranha</span> Swiss armoured fighting vehicle

The Mowag Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss company Mowag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casspir</span> Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle

The Casspir is a Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle that has been in use in South Africa since the 1980s. It is a four-wheeled, four-wheel drive vehicle, used for transport of troops. It can hold a crew of two, plus 12 additional soldiers and associated equipment. The Casspir was unique in design when launched, providing for passive mine defence. The main armoured steel body of the vehicle is raised high above the ground, so when a mine is detonated, the explosion is less likely to damage the crew compartment and kill the occupants. The cross-section of the hull is V-shaped, directing the force of the explosion outwards, further protecting the occupants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rooikat</span> South African armoured fighting vehicle

The Rooikat is a South African armoured reconnaissance vehicle equipped with a stabilised 76 mm (3.0 in) high velocity gun for organic anti-tank and fire support purposes. The Rooikat's main armament was built with the Oto Melara 76 naval gun as its basis, to which it is nearly identical in terms of technical performance and statistics. The Rooikat can also fire the same ammunition as the naval gun, albeit modified with new percussion primers in the shells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Yeomanry</span> British Army reserve regiment

The Royal Yeomanry (RY) is the senior reserve cavalry regiment of the British Army. Equipped with Supacat Jackal variants, their role is to conduct mounted and dismounted formation reconnaissance. The Regimental Headquarters is located in Leicester, with squadrons in Fulham, Nottingham, Dudley, Croydon, Telford, and Leicester. The regiment is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is only reserve cavalry regiment to resubordinate into regular brigade as part of the Future Soldier Programme, which in turn arose from the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy published in March 2021.

Land Systems OMC is a South African company that produces a range of armoured vehicles which have been successfully exported and are in service with, amongst others, the U.S., Canadian and South African militaries. It is a division of Denel SOC LTD, located in Benoni, Gauteng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle</span> Australian-built armoured vehicle

The Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle or Infantry Mobility Vehicle is an Australian-built four-wheel drive armoured vehicle. The Bushmaster was primarily designed by the then government-owned Australian Defence Industries (ADI), and is currently produced by Thales Australia following their acquisition of ADI. The Bushmaster is currently in service with the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Army, British Army, Japan Ground Self Defense Force, Indonesian Army, Fiji Infantry Regiment, Jamaica Defence Force, New Zealand Army and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

<i>Forsvarets Spesialkommando</i> Military unit

Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK) is a special operations forces unit of the Norwegian Special Operation Forces. The unit was established in 1982 due to the increased risk of terrorist activity against Norwegian interests, including the oil platforms in the North Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Terrain Mobility Platform</span> Weapon

The UK All Terrain Mobile Platform is commonly known by the name of its manufacturer Supacat. It is a lightweight, 6-wheeled vehicle used by airborne and air-mobile forces of the British Army since 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackal (vehicle)</span> Armoured Wheeled Vehicle

The Jackal or MWMIK is a family of vehicles designed and developed by Supacat Ltd at their factory in Honiton, Devon, UK, for use by the British Army and Royal Air Force Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oshkosh M-ATV</span> Mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle (MRAP), light utility vehicle

The Oshkosh M-ATV is a mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle developed by the Oshkosh Corporation for the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program. Intended to replace M1114 HMMWVs (Humvee), it is designed to provide the same levels of protection as the larger and heavier previous MRAPs, but with improved mobility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VBTP-MR Guarani</span> Amphibious wheeled Armoured personnel carrier

The VBTP-MR Guarani is a 6×6 armoured personnel carrier developed by Iveco and the Brazilian Army as part of its "Urutu-III" modernization program aimed to replace all EE-11 Urutu by 2015. The 8×8 version of the VBTP-MR is the base of Iveco's Superav armoured personnel carrier. Other Brazilian companies also participated in the program, such as IMBEL (Communications), Elbit (Armaments), Usiminas and Villares.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocelot (vehicle)</span> British armoured vehicle

The Force Protection Ocelot is a British armoured vehicle that replaced the United Kingdom's Snatch Land Rover with British forces. It received the service name Foxhound, in line with the canine names given to other wheeled armored vehicles in current British use such as Mastiff, Wolfhound, and Ridgeback, which are all variants of the Cougar.

FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. is a Turkish defense manufacturer founded in 1988. It is owned 51% by Nurol Holding of Turkey and 49% by British–American firm BAE Systems Inc., and operates facilities located in Gölbaşı, Ankara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Range Patrol Vehicle</span> Special Operations Vehicle

The Long Range Patrol Vehicle (LRPV) is a 6x6 patrol vehicle that was used by the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Flyer Advanced Light Strike Vehicle platform has been developed by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), in partnership with Flyer Defense LLC, for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Ground Mobility Vehicle Program. The Flyer Advanced Light Strike Vehicle platform configurations are the Flyer 72 and the narrower Flyer 60.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPECTRE light vehicle</span> Light air-portable utility/special forces-type vehicle

The SPECTRE is a lightweight all-terrain vehicle originally intended to replace the AM General High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) in some roles. As development of the Joint All-Terrain Modular Mobility Asset (JAMMA) vehicle progressed, the type became more focused on long range patrol and special forces type roles. According to General Dynamics, the SPECTRE is no longer marketed, and none are known to have been sold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackhill Engineering</span> British engineering and metalwork fabrication company

Blackhill Engineering is a British engineering and metalwork fabrication company. The company is based in Devon and has been trading for over 60 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mildef International Technologies</span>

Mildef International Technologies or Mildef (former name: Kembara Suci Sdn. Bhd.) is a Malaysian private company established in 2005. Its main business is related to the defense sector especially in land vehicle. This involved the development, manufacture and distribution of military and law enforcement vehicles, as well as providing maintenance services.

References

  1. ↑ "Supacat acquires Blackhill Engineering". regensw. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "SC Group Meet The Team". SC Group. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Supacat develops new variants of HMT family to optimise Jackal and Coyote in Core and meet new requirements". Supacat (Press release). 31 August 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "ATMP". Supacat. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "High Mobility Transporter". Supacat. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Lockheed Martin Enters North American Military Truck Market". PR Newswire. New York. 16 September 2004.
  7. ↑ "Lockheed Martin UK Announces Completion of HMT Vehicles Limited Acquisition". PR Newswire. New York. 23 January 2006.
  8. 1 2 Neville, Leigh (2011). Special Operations Patrol Vehicles : Afghanistan and Iraq. New Vanguard. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN   9781849081870.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Briefing: Wheels of the elite". Jane's Defence Weekly (Volume 51 (20)). 9 April 2014.{{cite journal}}: |issue= has extra text (help)
  10. ↑ IHS Janes Flyer International Defence Review, November 2015, Vol 47, page 12
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Supacat HMT high mobility transporter and variants". IHS Jane's. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  12. ↑ Welch, Dylan (30 December 2010). "Army had concerns over Supacat buy". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. ISSN   0312-6307.
  13. ↑ "Supacat to deliver 89 Special Operations Vehicles – Commando under $105m contract for JP2097 Ph 1B (REDFIN) Program". Supacat (Press release). 19 August 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "Supacat signs £23m contract for Norwegian High Mobility Vehicles". Supacat (Press release). 6 May 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "Supacat to deliver Special Operations Vehicles – Mobility Heavy (SOV-MH) to New Zealand". Supacat (Press release). 5 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  16. ↑ Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee (6 September 2016). "New vehicles for NZ Special Forces". The official website of the New Zealand government (Press release). Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  17. ↑ Slocombe, Geoff (November 2014). "Project Redfin Phase 1B - Special Forces Operations Vehicles Ordered". Asia Pacific Defence Reporter. 40 (9): 14–15. ISSN   1446-6880.
  18. 1 2 Prime Minister of Australia; Minister for Defence; Minister for Foreign Affairs (26 June 2023). "Australia pledges further support to Ukraine". Prime Minister of Australia (Press release). Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  19. 1 2 "Ukraine Receives 14 HMT Extenda Mk 2 Special Forces Vehicles from Australia". Army Recognition. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  20. ↑ "Armáda vysvětluje rozdíl mezi vozidly pro výsadkáře a speciální síly. Otázek ale přibývá. Poslanci výboru pro obranu stále nic nevědí" [The army explains the difference between vehicles for paratroopers and special forces. But the questions are growing. Members of the Defence Committee still know nothing]. Security magazín (in Czech). 14 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  21. ↑ Official Twitter account of the Czech Armed Forces [@@ArmadaCR] (13 April 2023). "Light assault vehicles and SOV vehicles" (Tweet) – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: |author1= has generic name (help)
  22. 1 2 "UK loans Estonia four Jackal vehicles to support counter-terror mission in Mali". GOV.UK (Press release). Ministry of Defence. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  23. ↑ New Zealand Defence Force; New Zealand Ministry of Defence (August 2019). Major Projects Report 2018 : 1 July 2017 - 30 June 2018 (PDF). New Zealand Government. pp. 85–97. ISBN   9781988515090 . Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  24. ↑ Dalløkken, Erlien (25 June 2019). "Spesialstyrkenes nye stridskjøretøy er demonstrert offentlig for første gang" [The special forces' new combat vehicle has been demonstrated publicly for the first time]. Teknisk Ukeblad (in Norwegian). Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  25. ↑ "Supacat til spesialstyrkene" [Supacat to the Special Forces]. Norwegian Armed Forces (Press release) (in Norwegian). 8 August 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  26. ↑ "Supacat delivers the first production HMT Extenda Vehicle to Norway". Supacat (Press release). 7 June 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  27. ↑ Newdick, Thomas; Rogoway, Tyler (4 August 2023). "Air-To-Air Missiles From UK Now Being Used By Ukraine As SAMs". The Drive. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  28. ↑ "Special Operations Vehicles (Special Reconnaissance and Quick Reaction vehicles) - Notice of Proposed Procurement". Canadian American Strategic Review. August 2008. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016.
  29. ↑ Pugliese, David (26 November 2014). "Special Ops: Wishlist of new gear". Esprit de Corps. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016.
  30. ↑ "SPV 400". Supacat. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  31. ↑ "Production Standard Vehicle achieves 96% reliability". Supacat (Press release). 11 June 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  32. ↑ "Supacat develops new variants of HMT family to optimise Jackal and Coyote in Core and meet new requirements". Supacat (Press release). 10 February 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  33. ↑ "Supacat's LRV400 Mk 2 light reconnaissance vehicle makes Eurosatory debut". Supacat (Press release). 13 June 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  34. ↑ "Supacat unveils LRV 400 'Mk2' light reconnaissance vehicle at DSEi". Supacat (Press release). 11 September 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  35. 1 2 "LRV 400". Supacat. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  36. ↑ "Supacat teams with Rheinmetall to offer Dutch-built vehicles for Defence-wide Wheeled Vehicle Replacement Programme (DVOW) 12kN AASLT and 12kN". Supacat (Press release). 9 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  37. ↑ "Britain develops ground-based platforms to launch Brimstone missiles specially for Ukraine". 23 July 2023.
  38. ↑ "Is Ukraine's Brimstone use behind the UK's Project Wolfram?". 23 September 2022.
  39. ↑ "SC Innovation-Global". SC Innovation-Global. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  40. ↑ "Launch and Recovery System (L&RS)". SC Innovation. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  41. ↑ "SUV 600". SC Innovation. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  42. ↑ "PTV". SC Innovation. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  43. ↑ "SMV 24". SC Innovation. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  44. ↑ "SC Innovation-Global". SC Group Proteum. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  45. ↑ "Supacat Pounces on MDS Marine". World Maritime News. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  46. 1 2 "Proteum". SC Group. 9 September 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  47. 1 2 "Jackals at Blackhill Engineering". SC Group. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  48. ↑ "Big is beautiful for Blackhill Engineering". Francis Clark. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  49. ↑ "Brazil - Supacat ATMP". www.imcdb.org. 1985. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  50. ↑ "Jackal". www.imcdb.org. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  51. ↑ "Top Gear". www.imcdb.org. 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.