Rheinmetall has received a new order for 69 Schakal vehicles for Germany and the Netherlands. With the exercise of options, the total number of vehicles in the programme has risen to 291.
The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) has commissioned Artec GmbH to deliver additional Schakal wheeled infantry fighting vehicles to the German and Dutch armed forces. Under the order, 35 vehicles will be delivered to the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) and 34 to the Royal Netherlands Army. Artec GmbH, a joint venture between Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland, is the prime contractor for the Boxer programme, while Rheinmetall serves as a key industrial partner in its implementation.
Schakal Orders Reach 291 Vehicles
Rheinmetall announced that the combined value of the two options making up the Schakal order is in the mid-hundreds of millions of euros for the company. Deliveries are scheduled between May 2032 and November 2033. On 24 June 2026, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved the first exercise of the options included in the Schakal programme contract. The original contract, covering a total of 222 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles, was signed in October 2025. It also included options for the procurement of up to 200 additional vehicles. Following this first exercise of the options, the total number of Schakal vehicles to be delivered will rise to 291.
Dr Björn Bernhard, Head of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Division, stated that the exercise of additional options under the Schakal order confirmed customers’ confidence in the system. He noted that the orders provided greater predictability in production planning for the company and its suppliers. Bernhard added that Rheinmetall, together with its partners, was making a significant contribution to the modernisation of European land forces and strengthening industrial capacity in Europe.
Schakal Offers Mobility and Firepower
The Schakal wheeled infantry fighting vehicle combines the chassis of the Boxer wheeled armoured vehicle with the turret of the tracked Puma infantry fighting vehicle. This configuration is designed to provide modularity, mobility, protection and firepower. The Schakal enables medium forces to cover long distances rapidly and independently. Equipped with advanced fire control technology, digital networking and a high level of protection, the vehicle can transport a fully equipped infantry squad. The Schakal’s main armament is Rheinmetall’s MK 30-2/ABM 30 mm automatic cannon, complemented by the MELLS anti-tank guided missile system. These weapons are intended to provide sufficient firepower against different types of targets under varying combat conditions. As part of the Boxer vehicle family, the Schakal also contributes to reducing costs associated with training, logistics and its overall service life.
The Schakal order, placed under the joint OCCAR programme between Germany and the Netherlands, demonstrates the effectiveness of European defence cooperation while strengthening the European defence industry’s competitiveness against foreign manufacturers in the 8×8 armoured vehicle sector. The programme is also expected to benefit Germany’s land systems industry. Key subsystems and components are manufactured in Germany at facilities operated by Rheinmetall, KNDS Deutschland, MTU and Hensoldt, as well as numerous small and medium-sized enterprises in the defence sector. The programme is expected to strengthen the industrial base and help preserve highly skilled jobs over the long term. If the large-scale Arminius Boxer programme results in an order, German industry has committed to significantly accelerating deliveries of the vehicles ordered under the options.
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Source: C4Defence– Rheinmetall
