Hartpunkt: German Special Operations Forces to be Equipped With ZD Tactical Vehicles

The German Special Operations Forces will receive new highly mobile ZD tactical vehicles manufactured by IAI.

According to information from the German publication Hartpunkt, the ZD model won a three-way competition, ahead of two other transport platforms.

“The official order is expected after the approval of the corresponding proposal worth €25 million this fall,” the publication reported.

The tender for the future vehicles for special forces set very high requirements.

In particular, all vehicle options must have a unified operating concept and comply with German traffic regulations.

The unladen weight, including the driver, must be less than 1.7 tons.

At the same time, the payload must be at least 1.5 tons, including the crew, equipment, weapons, and ammunition.

Additional equipment includes:

• built-in auxiliary mounts on the passenger seat for MG3/MG5 machine guns;
• smoke screen system;
• a navigation device;
• an on-board internal communication system;
• holders and devices for securing equipment and ammunition.

The vehicles must have a range of at least 300 km on a single tank of fuel with maximum payload.

They must also reach a maximum speed of at least 130 km/h.

Further requirements relate to ease of transport, in particular by CH-53 and CH-47 helicopters.

According to well-informed sources, due to the combination of high technical requirements for the vehicles themselves and the requirements for tenderers (economic, financial, technical, and professional capabilities), only three manufacturers were able to submit bids.

These suppliers are:

• Armoured Car Systems GmbH (ACS);
• Defenture BV, a Dutch manufacturer of specialised vehicles;
• Flensburg Technology Systems GmbH (FTS), a joint venture between FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft GmbH and IAI Israel Aerospace Industries / ELTA Systems.

According to the publication’s insiders, FTS won with a vehicle based on the Z family (Zibar, ZMAG, and ZD).

The basic platform of the Z family was originally developed by Zibar of Israel, but was later acquired by IAI, which, according to the manufacturer, specially adapted it to the needs of special forces.

This family combines a lightweight but robust chassis with a powerful transmission and specially tuned suspension components. This ensures high load capacity and excellent off-road capability.

The ZD variant best meets the requirements of the German Special Operations Forces. IAI positions the ZD as an ultra-light command vehicle that has reportedly proven itself in military operations.

The vehicle is equipped with a removable winch with mounting points at the front, rear, and center of the body, a retractable safety bar, and a simple maintenance and repair concept based on widely available COTS (Commercial off-the-shelf) spare parts.

The permissible gross weight of the ZD, equipped with a 2.4-liter GM Ecotec engine or a 2.8-liter diesel engine, is 3.1 tons. The unladen weight is 1.6 tons.

Rheinmetall manufactures tactical vehicles in Germany. In 2023, Ukraine ordered an additional batch of Caracal light tactical armored vehicles from Rheinmetall.