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2019-12-05

UK Places its Trust in Boxer Vehicles

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) recently signed a contract with the Artec consortium, led by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), to produce more than 500 Boxer 8x8-wheeled armoured vehicles for the British Army. The total current value of the order is approximately €2.6 billion (£2.3 billion). The contract was awarded to Artec via the European procurement agency Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR).

The contract awarded to Artec falls under the UK’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) procurement programme and includes more than 500 vehicles. Artec will each sub-contract 50 per cent of the order volume to Rheinmetall and KMW. The total number of Boxer vehicles already delivered by Artec or currently on order now exceeds 1,400 vehicles.

The Boxer vehicles ordered by the British Army will be supplied in several different configurations, including an armoured personnel carrier, command vehicle, specialist carrier and field ambulance. Delivery of the vehicles is expected to start from 2023.

Most of the production will take place in the UK, thereby creating a substantial number of British jobs. Full-scale production will begin in Germany, but 90 per cent of the Boxer vehicles destined for the British Army will be produced in the UK, principally at plants operated by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) and KMW’s subsidiary WFEL.

This order marks the return of the UK to a European defence programme having taken part in the Boxer project when it was still in its infancy. Boxer is now on its way to becoming one of NATO’s standard vehicles.

Tried and Tested

The Boxer is a highly protective 8x8-wheeled armoured vehicle. Its modular architecture enables more operational configurations than any other vehicle system. At present, some 700 vehicles in 12 different versions are on order from three different NATO nations: Germany, the Netherlands and Lithuania. Australia has also ordered 211 Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRV) in seven variants, the first of which was recently delivered. The Boxer vehicles will reportedly enable the Australian Army to locate, monitor and engage with enemy forces and ensure Australian soldiers are protected in combat.

The vehicles will fill seven different roles on the battlefield: reconnaissance, command and control, joint fires, surveillance, multi-purpose, battlefield repair and recovery. The reconnaissance variant – accounting for 133 of the 211 vehicles – is equipped with Rheinmetall’s cutting-edge Lance turret system and armed with a 30mm automatic cannon.

Once in Australia, these first Boxer vehicles received a number of Australia specific modifications prior to their final delivery to the Army. Modifications include installation of Australian Army specific communications and computing equipment, a remote weapon station, and Australian Army paint.

Highly mobile, Boxer is a state-of-the-art wheeled vehicle whose modular design permits a wide variety of mission-specific configurations. Consisting of a uniform drive module, the Boxer vehicle family's user-specific mission modules can be quickly exchanged. A number of mission variants are currently under development, including a troop carrier for transporting an infantry section, a field ambulance, a combat engineering section vehicle, C4I and C2 command vehicles, a logistics vehicle and a battlefield maintenance vehicle.

Unique Mobility

For the first time at Eurosatory 2014, Rheinmetall presented the Boxer IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) variant equipped with the Rheinmetall LANCE 30mm two-man turret. Combining the Boxer’s inherent high level of protection and the unique mobility with the latest turret technology, the IFV variant presents state-of-the-art capabilities to face current requirements.

The Boxer IFV variant, equipped with the LANCE turret system is completely in line with the modular Boxer philosophy as the LANCE turret itself features a new modular design.

Thereby ensuring maximum flexibility and an optimised capability for further upgrades for changing requirements. The protection of the turret is adaptable for a wide range of missions and to face different threats.

The turret and its weapon can be integrated in almost any armoured wheeled or tracked vehicle and is thus highly mobile. This means that not only soldiers deployed in their armoured vehicles are protected against ballistic threats, mines and explosive traps, but they can also engage the enemy with precise firepower at the same time. The main weapon is the MK30-2 / ABM automatic cannon, developed and built by Rheinmetall.

The use of this cannon brings a host of advantages for the vehicle crew. The turret has a reserve of 200 rounds of two different ammunition types for the main weapon. This means that the weapon can be resupplied with ammunition without the soldiers having to leave the protected vehicle interior. The turret also enables moving targets to be engaged accurately and effectively even when the vehicle itself is moving.

The LANCE is equipped with a modern, fully digital fire control system. Two electro-optical sights – each equipped with a high-resolution camera, a thermal imaging camera and a laser rangefinder – are also provided. One of the sights enables 360-degree visibility, irrespective of the movement of the turret. Of particular benefit is the fact that each system can be operated both by the commanding officer and by the gunner. With LANCE RC, the modular design also allows the turret system to be remotely controlled.

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