Ukrainian Rangers receive German Caracals

The soldiers from the 6th Separate Special Purpose Regiment “Ranger” have received German Caracal tactical airborne vehicles.

A photo of the vehicle posted by the Ranger Regiment caught the attention of the Telegram channel First Division.

Caracal is a tactical airborne vehicle based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class 464 civilian off-road vehicle.

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

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

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

Ukraine became the first operator of the Caracal tactical vehicles, receiving the first five vehicles in early 2024 as part of military aid from Germany.

At the end of February 2024, it was reported that Ukraine had ordered an additional batch of 20 Caracals, the delivery of which was financed by the Federal Government of Germany as part of military aid to Ukraine.

Based on the Mercedes-Benz G-series 46, Diehl Defence also developed the Kinetic Defense Vehicle anti-drone air defense system, which is also being transferred to Ukraine as military aid from Germany.

The transfer of the first two systems was announced in December 2024. This was the first public mention of this air defense system, and Ukraine became its first operator.

The system uses radar from the American manufacturer Echodyne and an optical-electronic station from Diehl Defence to detect targets. The optical system consists of several cameras which, depending on the configuration, allow passive detection of drones in a sector from 120 to 360 degrees.

Once detected, the radar is used to determine the drone’s flight speed and calculate the lead for the weapon. The system is reported to be capable of shooting down microdrones at a distance of up to 1,000 meters.

In February 2025, a new version of the Kinetic Defense Vehicle was unveiled with a modified sensor layout and a more powerful combat module.