LAPV Enok

 Another batch of 84 improved Enoks with increased armor and weight were ordered in January 2015. 49 of them are determined for the Kommando Spezialkräfte.

The LAPV Enok (LAPV is a Light Armoured Patrol Vehicle) is an armoured military vehicle of the Bundeswehr, mostly in use with the German Army. It is a significantly further developed Wolf SSA, based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

It features protection according to NATO STANAG 4569 Level 2 against rifle fire, land mines and improvised explosive devices. The Enok was especially designed to be deployed in harsh terrains and bad weather situations.

Soldiers love abbreviations, and therefore the "G" actually had to be in the very good graces of the men in uniform. However, soldiers also long flowery nicknames for their vehicles, which is why the Mercedes G is referred to as the "Wolf" within the German Army. And its armoured equivalent as "Enok". The Federal Government has now decided to acquire 84 additional Enoks for its soldiers, in the upgraded Version 6.1.

Enok – named after the raccoon dog
The Enok bears the name of the raccoon dog, which originates from Siberia. In abbreviation-loving military jargon the Enok is an "LAPV", a "Light Armoured Patrol Vehicle". While the Enok does share its appearance and many components with the Mercedes G/Wolf, particularly within the drive chain, the design differs significantly from the non-armoured model.

A total weight of 5.4 tonnes with a load capacity of on tonne – thus placing the Enok 5.4 in another league to the standard Wolf. As a result of the modifications, the Mercedes LAPV Enok 5.4 is considerably wider and at the same time lower than the Mercedes G. Exactly as tall as it is wide, at 1,900 millimetres, it looks more stoutly from the front. The vehicle length is 4.82 metres – with out the external spare wheel found as standard in the civilian version. The Mercedes Enok is fitted with the current three-litre diesel from the Wolf, with the six-cylinder engine producing 181 HP and 400 Newton metres of torque. The armouring of the Mercedes Enok is said to resist fire with hardcore and armour-piercing ammunition. The range of the Mercedes Enok is stated as 700 kilometres.

New Enok for the KSK
Also involved in the development of the follow-up model, the Enok 6.1 (total weight of 6.1 tonnes, 1.3-tonne load capacity, portal axles, improved armouring) are Southern German companies ACS and LeTech. While ACS is only known of in expert circles for the construction of special protection vehicles and the Enok 5.4, LeTech's "normal" off-roaders are already more well-known: the company converts Mercedes G-models and supplies portal axles for the Enok 6.1, which can also be installed in the civilian G-models.

The Mercedes Enok is used by the German Federal Army in four versions: as a pick-up, an enclosed transporter, as a MedEvac vehicle for use by paramedics and as a transporter with an unprotected, redesigned loading surface.


A first batch of 247 vehicles has been ordered by the Bundeswehr, with deliveries scheduled between 2008 and 2013.

In addition to the Enok 5.4 already in use (137 vehichles) the order has now been placed for a further 84 Enok 6.1s, which are to be delivered by 2017. According to reports, the Federal Army order amounts to around 56.3 million Euros – which would correspond to a unit price of around 670,000 Euros per Enok. It is thought that the new Enok 6.1 will be used primarily within the Commando Special Forces (Kommando Spezialkräfte, KSK), while others will be used for patrol services.