Germany and the Netherlands are buying up to 3,058 Rheinmetall Caracal combat SUVs based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class at a cost of up to €1.9bn

The armed forces of Germany and the Netherlands have awarded a contract to Rheinmetall for the delivery of more than 3,000 Caracal SUVs. The defence group has already been awarded a multi-million dollar firm contract.

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The new agreement involves the production and delivery of up to 3,058 Caracal combat SUVs. Germany will receive up to 2,054 vehicles, while the Netherlands will receive up to 1,004 units. The deal will be worth up to €1.9bn. Deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2024, with serial production to start in 2025.

The German group has already been awarded a firm contract worth approximately €870m including value-added tax. It involves the delivery of 1,508 vehicles. To finance the deal, Germany is using a special €100bn fund, which was set up last year to modernise the country's armed forces amid Russia's attack on Ukraine.

The Caracal is a military version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV, which Armored Car Systems GmbH is also involved in building. The 4x4 all-wheel drive vehicle is used to transport airborne troops and special forces.

The vehicle is equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine with an output of 249 horsepower. The all-wheel drive SUV weighs almost 5 tonnes and can travel on any local terrain. The Caracal has a top speed of 140 kilometres per hour.

Source: Rheinmetall