In this short entry in the series, we cover one of the latest special operations vehicle families, the Wolf Light Infantry Vehicles. Based on the DaimlerChrysler/Mercedes Benz G-Klasse Wolf 270 CDI, these vehicles are the latest tools for special ops, adopted by Germany’s KSK and under review by both the USMC and the US Army and in production only since 2002.

The family consists of three variants, originating with the Wolf SSA, an armored military police patrol vehicle. From this starting point came the Wolf LIV(PC), or Light Infantry Vehicle for Personnel Carrier, a fast, bulletproof, all-terrain, no-nonsense light military vehicle designed to haul a crew of two plus six passengers. A step beyond that is the LIV(SO), or Light Infantry Vehicle for Special Operations. Built similarly to the LIV(PC), this vehicle is crewed by four men and heavily armed with a 12.7mm heavy machinegun or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher, plus a pair of secondary 7.62mm machine guns and plenty of ammunition to go around.

These vehicles are not just for show, they’ve seen duty with the German Army in places like Kosovo and Afghanistan.