German company Rheinmetall plans to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine with Caracal airborne tactical vehicles.
The company announced this on its website.
Five vehicles will reportedly be delivered to Ukraine in late 2023 or early 2024.
In Ukraine, they will most likely be used by the Special Operation Forces or special purpose units of the Main Intelligence Directorate.
It is worth noting that Ukraine will be the first country to use such vehicles.
Caracal is a tactical airborne vehicle based on the civilian Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. The vehicle's design allows it to be transported both in the internal cargo compartments and on the external suspensions of CH-47F Chinook and CH-53K King Stallion helicopters.
Caracal can also be equipped with a variety of weapons, ranging from machine guns to anti-tank missile systems.
Main characteristics of Caracal:
The vehicles were first presented at the DSEI arms exhibition in 2023 in London. It was developed by Rheinmetall, Mercedes-Benz and Armed Car Systems.
In June, it was reported that Germany and the Netherlands were jointly purchasing Caracal SUVs from the German concern Rheinmetall.
The contract is worth 302.5 million euros, and deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2025. Production will last for 5 years – 100 vehicles will be produced annually.