The armies of Germany and the Netherlands have ordered several thousand airborne vehicles from Rheinmetall. The order has a total volume of 1.9 billion euros, the group announced.
The armaments group Rheinmetall has received an order worth billions from the Bundeswehr and the Dutch armed forces for the delivery of thousands of vehicles for the airborne troops of the two countries.
The framework agreement for 3,059 Caracal vehicles has an order value of up to 1.9 billion euros, Rheinmetall reported. In a first step, 1508 vehicles worth around 870 million euros have been firmly ordered by the two countries.
Used in various airborne operations
The all-wheel-drive vehicles of the “Caracal” type are based on a commercial chassis from the military “G-model series 464” from Mercedes and can be brought to the scene of action by plane or helicopter.
Thanks to its modular design, the “Caracal” can be used in various functions in airborne operations, from simple troop transport and medical operations to combat engineer groups and various logistical applications, emphasized Rheinmetall.
Delivery scheduled for early 2025
The “Caracal” was created as a joint product from Rheinmetall’s partnership with Mercedes-Benz AG and Armored Car Systems GmbH. Series delivery is scheduled to start in early 2025.
On the German side, the procurement was carried out using funds from the special fund for the Bundeswehr, Rheinmetall reported. With the “Caracal”, Rheinmetall is also expanding its portfolio of tactical vehicle systems in the light segment below ten tons and expects an additional growth area here, it said.