German defense company Rheinmetall has delivered five more Caracal all-terrain vehicles to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

The German Aid to Ukraine project drew attention to the update of the company’s supply list.

The new batch of all-terrain vehicles brings the total fleet of this type of vehicle to twenty units.

It is reported that another batch of five Caracal vehicles is to be delivered in the near future.

Caracal

Caracal is an all-terrain vehicle based on the civilian Mercedes-Benz G-Class 464 SUV.

The vehicle can be transported both in the cargo compartments and on the external suspensions of CH-47F Chinook and CH-53K King Stallion helicopters.

Due to the modular design of Caracal tactical vehicles, they can be equipped with various types of weapons, from machine guns to anti-tank missile systems. There is also an option to integrate additional ballistic protection.

The vehicle is equipped with a 183 kW six-cylinder diesel engine that provides a top speed of up to 140 km/h. Thanks to 4×4 all-wheel drive, the Caracal has high off-road capability.

The chassis is manufactured by Mercedes-Benz, and the final assembly and retrofitting is carried out at Rheinmetall’s facilities.

The manufacturer also offers the possibility of customizing the design and equipment to meet customer requirements.

Additional order for Caracal

At the end of February 2024, it was reported that Ukraine had ordered an additional batch of 20 Caracals. The contract is funded by the German Federal Government as part of military assistance to Ukraine.

The first batch of 5 vehicles was delivered as part of the “winter” military aid package announced in October 2023.

Ukraine became the first user of this tactical vehicle. The Netherlands has ordered the Caracal, as well as Germany, which will receive the first samples only in 2025.