Rheinmetall has handed over the first series-production Caracal vehicles to the German and Dutch armed forces, marking the launch of deliveries under a multinational tactical mobility programme.
The initial vehicles were formally presented to representatives of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) and the Dutch Ministry of Defence at a ceremony in Ede, the Netherlands, on 29 October 2026.
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According to Rheinmetall, this milestone follows an earlier delivery of a Caracal vehicle to the Dutch military for driver training in late September.
The joint procurement scheme will see more than 1,500 Caracal vehicles delivered to the German Bundeswehr and Dutch armed forces by 2030, alongside 20 years of lifecycle support.
The Caracal, officially designated by Germany as the “Einsatzsystem Luftlandeplattform,” is a modular, multipurpose airmobile platform designed for rapid deployment.
Rheinmetall states that the vehicle’s design uses the Mercedes-Benz G-Class (464 model series) military chassis, outfitted with a lightweight and modular superstructure that can be configured for 28 different operational roles.
Manufacturing of the final vehicles is centred at Rheinmetall Defence Nederland’s facility in Ede. The Caracal can transport four soldiers with their equipment and can be carried either internally or as underslung loads by heavy-lift helicopters in various mission-configurable variants.
Required to deliver flexibility and operational reach to airmobile and light forces, the Caracal comes with options for scalable protection against mines and ballistic threats. Its main weapon station supports a range of armaments, including MG5 machine guns, heavy machine guns, automatic grenade launchers, and anti-tank systems, with an additional machine gun available for the co-driver.
Rheinmetall Landsysteme managing director Björn Bernhard said: “The highly mobile and modular Caracal is one of the most versatile vehicles in our portfolio.
“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.”
