Pearson Engineering has signed an agreement with the ARTEC consortium to manufacture the Boxer armoured vehicle in the UK alongside BAE Systems and Thales UK. Should the vehicle be chosen for the British Army’s MIV (Mechanised Infantry Vehicle) requirement, the British ARTEC partners will secure up to 1,000 British jobs.

Boxer 8x8 MIV on Rheinmetall booth at DSEI 2017 defence exhibition in London (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Pearson Engineering, part of the Reece Group, supported by its sister company Responsive Engineering, will be responsible for a significant portion of the UK procurement and assembly of the Boxer vehicle, in co-operation with ARTEC and its partners.

Pearson Engineering was chosen by ARTEC following a competitive bidding process for the UK based production of Boxer. Pearson Engineering, a successful SME which has delivered major defence projects as a Prime contractor in its own right, would act as a Tier 1 partner for Boxer. With customers in approximately 35 countries worldwide, Pearson Engineering is a multi-award-winning exporter of Combat Engineering and Counter-Mine products that retains all of the agility of an SME.

The company not only brings with it proven ability, but it also provides its service from Armstrong Works. The facility, known locally as ‘The Tank Factory’ is the only purpose built armoured vehicle manufacturing site in the UK. Having already successfully delivered manufacturing services to the UK MoD and British Army during a recent Challenger 2 programme, Pearson continues to provide this capability to a range of other defence customers in collaboration with Responsive Engineering. Pearson Engineering has access to a robust, local supply chain of SMEs with a track record of supply to armoured vehicle programmes since the original manufacture of Challenger 2.

Craig Priday, MD of Pearson said “We are delighted to be selected as a key member of the UK team for Boxer. We stand ready to support this important British Army programme and would relish the opportunity to bring armoured vehicle manufacturing back to our world-class facility in Newcastle.”

The MIV requirement is currently in its assessment phase by the UK MoD, who will then decide the most appropriate acquisition strategy to deliver MIV in time to meet the 2025 in service date for the British Army’s new Strike Brigade.