Boxer 8x8 armored can be configured as 155mm howitzer or 120mm mortar carrier

According to pictures released by Nicholas Drummond Twitter account, as a modular platform, the Boxer 8x8 armored vehicle can be easily configured as a 155mm self-propelled howitzer or 120 mm mortar carrier.
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Boxer RCH 155 self-propelled howitzer. (Picture source Twitter account Nicholas Drummond)

The Boxer was developed with a unique design that includes two main parts consisting of the drive module and the combat mission module which can be configured according to mission requirements or to change the role of the vehicle. Thanks to this feature, the Boxer can be used as APC (Armored Personnel Carrier), IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle), command post, ambulance, reconnaissance vehicle, repair and recovery, self-propelled howitzer, mortar carrier, and more.

The drive module consists of the driver position which is located at the front right of the hull with the powerpack on its left and the 8x8 suspension and driveline. The combat mission module can be fitted with a wide range of weapon stations or other combat equipment according to the needs of the customers. The mission module is attached to the drive module thanks to four M32 bolts, with the associated hoses and electrical connections. This enables the module to be swapped out in battlefield conditions within 30 minutes.

The German company KMW (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann) has developed the Boxer RCH 155, a mobile self-propelled howitzer fitted with an unmanned artillery turret armed with one 155/L52 caliber cannon which is also used on the tracked self-propelled howitzer PzH 2000 which is in service with Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, and Qatar.

The Boxer RCH 155 can be operated by a crew of two thanks to its full loading system which can load loads both projectiles and charges. It also has a fully automatic electrical gun laying system and fire control computer with integrated ballistics calculation and radio data transmission connection to an artillery control system. The vehicle is also equipped with a high-precision navigation system, with or without GPS support.

The 155/L52 caliber cannon of the Boxer RCH 155 has a maximum rate of fire of 9 rounds per minute. It is also capable of multiple-round simultaneous-impact firing. It can fire all NATO standard 155mm ammunition including rocket-assisted projectile. A total of 30 rounds of ammunition and are carried in the automatic loading system. A lifting system is installed at the front of the turret allowing the crew to reload the magazine from outside of the vehicle. The turret has can move on 360° with elevation from -2.5 ° to + 65°.

In addition to high flexibility and top mobility, the BOXER drive module of the RCH 155 provides its crew with exceptional survivability and superior protection from mines, IEDs, and ballistic threats.

Boxer mortar carrier fitted with 120mm unmanned turret. (Picture source Twitter account Nicholas Drummond)

The second artillery solution for the Boxer consists of a NEMO, a single-barreled 120 mm remote-controlled mortar turret currently being developed by Patria Land Oy in Finland. Turreted, remote-controlled 120 mm mortar system consists of weapon, loading device, turret, fire control system and ammunition storage, and is fully operational with a platform and ammunition.

In addition to wheeled vehicles and tracked armored chassis, the NEMO turret can be integrated on lighter platforms such as 6x6-armored wheeled vehicles. On naval applications, the ideal platforms are fast-moving patrol and coastal vessels.

The NEMO turret is fitted with a forward observer system, used to identify the target and to acquire a full view of the situation on the battlefield. The fire control system provides fire support plans and fire missions, which are transmitted via a tactical data network to the command and control systems. Fire support decisions are made at the fire direction center, and the NEMO units execute the fire missions – right on target.

The turret of the NEMO has a traverse of 360° with an elevation range from -3° to +85°. The vehicle has a crew of three which are located in the hull thanks to the unmanned turret. The vehicle can carry from 50 to 60 rounds. The 120mm mortar has a maximum rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute with a maximum firing range of 10 km.