Rheinmetall Mercedes-Benz and ACS Introduce Caracal Airborne Vehicle Family

The Eurosatory 2022 trade fair will see the premiere of the Caracal airborne vehicle family. In partnership with Mercedes-Benz and ACS Armoured Car Systems, Rheinmetall has tailored the new versatile and highly mobile 4×4 vehicle family to the requirements of platforms for airborne or special operations units. Now the new vehicle system, designed to the highest Original Equipment Manufacturer standards, will be presented for the first time to a wider circle of professionals. The new family of airborne Caracal vehicles is based on the latest G-class chassis for rescue and special operations. The Caracal will be ready for full-scale production starting in 2023. Rheinmetall offers full lifecycle support for a period exceeding twenty years.

The Caracal’s compact design makes it possible to airlift up to two vehicles in the cargo hold of a CH-53K King Stallion or CH-47F Chinook transport helicopter, which can also carry it as underslung cargo. The Caracal features maximum mobility, a lightweight design and optionally mountable protection elements for countering ballistic and landmine threats. Its 249 horsepower, six-cylinder Euro III diesel engine gives the 4,900 kg vehicle a top speed of 140 km/h. Thanks to its unique modular design and two available wheelbases, the Caracal can be employed in a variety of roles during airborne operations – as a basic troop carrier or medical support vehicle, for example, or as supply vehicle – all on one automotive platform.

Key characteristics
Exclusive cooperation between Rheinmetall, Mercedes-Benz and ACS
Latest generation military-of-the-shelf G-Class chassis by Mercedes-Benz
Lightweight and modular superstructure by ACS
Transport of up to two vehicles inside heavy transport helicopters CH-47F and CH-53K
Air transportability as underslung load
Integration of standard infantry weapons and ATGM weapons on ring mount
Large scale series production availability from 2023 onwards
Full life cycle support over 20 years by Rheinmetall

The vehicle is being manufactured by Armored Car Systems GmbH (ACS), based in Aichach, a wholly owned subsidiary of ‘Gruma Commercial Vehicles’ based in Derching. It is a significantly further developed LAPV Enok, based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The very modular body concept gives the armed forces never seen flexibility. The basis of the ENOK 4.8 AB is military chassis from Mercedes-Benz. This chassis stands for robustness, reliability as well as worldwide service and spare parts supply. ACS has defined and structured the manufacturing processes and procedures for these vehicles accordingly. The result is that the ENOK 4.8 AB offers not only high quality but also excellent price-performance on the European market.