IAV 2026: Rheinmetall produces four versions of Caracal airborne vehicle for 28 roles for Germany and Netherlands

The Caracal airborne vehicle was presented at Eurosatory 2022. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)

Rheinmetall is producing four versions of the Caracal 4×4 airborne vehicle for 28 roles for Germany and the Netherlands, Janes learnt at Defence iQʼs International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2026 conference held in Farnborough from 20 to 22 January under the Chatham House rule.

The Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), Germany's Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, signed a framework contract with Rheinmetall Landsysteme on 10 July 2023 for up to 3,058 Caracal vehicles for Germany and the Netherlands. The multi-year framework agreement for up to 2,054 German and 1,004 Dutch vehicles is valued at up to EUR1.9 billion (USD2.25 billion).

As a first step, Germany and the Netherlands are producing 1,505 single baseline platform vehicles worth EUR870 million, with the German share of this amount totalling 1,001 and the Netherlands' 504.

Series production began on schedule in 2025 at an annual rate of 100 Dutch and 200 German vehicles.

The vehicles will replace airborne versions of the Wolf and Mungo vehicles mainly in the Bundeswehr's Division Schnelle Kräfte rapid reaction division and the Royal Netherlands Army's 11 Airmobile Brigade that is subordinated to it.

Germany is procuring 11 variants: personnel transport, command support, command post, combat service support, reconnaissance, long-range reconnaissance, combat control, joint fires support, joint fires co-ordination, and casualty evacuation, as well as 6×6 group transport and materiel transport versions.