Rheinmetall delivers first Caracal series-production vehicles to the German and Dutch armed forces

Rheinmetall has delivered the first Caracal series-production vehicles to the German and Dutch armed forces. During a formal ceremony on 29th October 2026 at the Dutch production site in Ede, Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. handed over the first production vehicles to the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) and to the Dutch Ministry of Defence. The latter had already received the first vehicle for the drivers’ training on 29 September 2026.

The delivery of the first series-production vehicles of the Caracal – the military designation being “Einsatzsystem Luftlandeplattform” (Deployment System Airmobile Platform) – marks an important milestone in the project’s progress. This is the foundation for the delivery of further vehicles, which offer an impressive variety of roles, with a current total of 28 different equipment kits.

The contract not only covers the delivery of the vehicles but also full life-cycle support over 20 years, thus providing a long, sustainable service life. A total of more than 1,500 vehicles will be delivered by 2030 to the German Bundeswehr and the Dutch Armed Forces.

The Caracal is a modular, multipurpose, highly mobile vehicle. It is built on the latest-generation Mercedes-Benz G-Class (464 model series) military production chassis, which is also used for the Wolf 2. Its lightweight, modular superstructure is manufactured to suit its specific role. Final assembly of the vehicle will take place at Rheinmetall Defence Nederland’s production site in Ede, the Netherlands.

The Caracal provides the Bundeswehr and the Dutch armed forces with a tactical vehicle that significantly improves the mobility of airborne forces. In its basic configuration, the Caracal can accommodate four soldiers, alongside their personal and mission-specific equipment.

Thanks to its compact design, it can be transported in different variants with mission-specific configurations, either within a cargo hold area or as an underslung load carried by a heavy-lift transport helicopter.

With its versatility, it covers a wide range of operational scenarios for light and specialised units, whilst offering modular, scalable protection against mines and ballistic threats. The armament mounted on the vehicle’s ring mount ranging from MG5 machine guns and heavy machine guns (HMGs) to automatic grenade launchers and anti-tank weapons. In addition, the vehicles are equipped with secondary armament consisting of a machine gun mounted on a co-driver’s weapon mount.

“The highly mobile and modular Caracal is one of the most versatile vehicles in our portfolio,” said Björn Bernhard, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Landsysteme. “Rheinmetall colleagues from Germany and the Netherlands are working closely with other industry partners to make this project a reality. We are delighted to be able to mark this milestone in the delivery process together with our German and Dutch customers, and look forward to a long and trusting partnership.”

photo courtesy Rheinmetall