Billion deal for Rheinmetall
Bundeswehr receives new airborne vehicle
07/10/2023 10:06 p.m
Germany’s airborne troops should have a new all-terrain vehicle available from 2025. The Bundeswehr has ordered hundreds of Caracal vehicles from Rheinmetall for this purpose. The Dutch armed forces are also involved.
The Bundeswehr will receive up to 2054 new vehicles for airborne missions in the coming years. As the armaments group Rheinmetall announced, a corresponding framework agreement was concluded together with the Dutch armed forces. It is therefore a total of 3058 Caracal vehicles for both nations with an order value of up to 1.9 billion euros. The Netherlands accept up to 1004 vehicles.
Airplanes and transport helicopters can transport the Caracal.
(Photo: Rheinmetall)
As reported by the Bundeswehr Procurement Office (BAAINBw), the all-terrain vehicles can be loaded onto aircraft and transport helicopters and transported to deployment sites. From the beginning of 2025, they are expected to replace the Wolf and Mungo models used to date in the respective airborne variants. The contract includes four different models for the transport of people, groups and materials as well as ambulances with the corresponding accessories.
According to Rheinmetall, the four-wheel drive vehicle, which can reach speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour, is based on a standard chassis from the new military G-model series 464 from Mercedes-Benz. The company announced that the delivery of the first test vehicles is planned for the first quarter of 2024. With the Caracal, Rheinmetall is also expanding its portfolio of tactical vehicle systems in the light segment below 10 tons and expects an additional growth area here.
Series delivery is scheduled to start in early 2025. The final assembly of all German and Dutch vehicles is to take place in the Netherlands. The purchase is financed on the German side by the special fund for the Bundeswehr.