Germany reveals new Boxer Brimstone missile variant with 360-degree anti-tank capability.

At Enforce Tac 2026, MBDA Deutschland presented an updated Boxer armored vehicle configuration integrating surface-launched Brimstone missiles in a centrally mounted roof system, possibly introducing a 360° coverage.

At Enforce Tac 2026, MBDA Deutschland hinted at an updated Boxer missile launcher vehicle, previously known as Boxer Overwatch, now integrating surface-launched Brimstone SL missiles in a centrally mounted roof system. The redesigned Boxer Brimstone SL shifts from an earlier side-mounted 16-missile launcher to a more compact turret-like nine-round system combined with a remote weapon station. The configuration likely supports 360-degree anti-tank engagement while improving weight distribution and preserving the Boxer's core architecture.
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The redesigned Boxer Brimstone SL shifts from a 16-missile external launcher to an estimated nine-round centrally aligned system, improving weight distribution and possibly introducing a full 360° coverage. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The new layout replaces earlier large external launcher boxes with a compact, centrally mounted, turret-like system installed on the Boxer roof. The missile launcher assembly appears integrated alongside a remote weapon station (RWS), indicating a combined anti-armour and direct fire role rather than a dedicated missile carrier. The visible proportions of the launcher suggest a reduced missile load compared to earlier concepts, likely nine rounds, and the central roof placement implies 360° engagement capability. This configuration shifts the missile mass from offset or rear positions to the vehicle centerline, improving weight distribution and reducing lateral protrusion beyond the hull profile.

However, the visual revealed at Enforce Tac 2026 seems to maintain the Boxer Overwatch role of providing close anti-armour support within heavy combat formations while refining packaging and integration. The first Boxer-Brimstone SL concept emerged in 2021 within the framework of the British Army’s Battle Group Organic Anti-Armour (BGOAA) programme, which aimed to replace legacy anti-tank systems, including Swingfire, Javelin, NLAW, and ASM, with a new system expected to enter service during the 2030s. In that initial configuration, the Brimstone launcher consisted of a large rectangular pack mounted externally on the left-rear side of the Boxer hull. The launcher contained 16 missiles arranged in a 2x8 grid within a single box enclosure and sat relatively low, protruding laterally beyond the side profile of the vehicle.

No visible elevation or traverse mechanism was integrated into the mount on this first variant, indicating a fixed or minimally adjustable firing arrangement, according to the render released at that time. The exposed offset installation altered the silhouette and side protection characteristics of the vehicle while maximizing missile capacity. The broader BGOAA structure included sub-programmes such as CISD, CCAAW-DM, CCAAW-M, and Mounted Close Combat Overwatch, with MCCO pursued first due to emerging operational requirements and increasing prevalence of active protection systems and multispectral sensors on armoured vehicles. A second configuration, known as the Boxer Overwatch, was unveiled at the DVD 2022 exhibition by MBDA and Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land, showing a reconfigured launcher integrated into a dedicated rear mission module on the Boxer roof.

In this version, the missile pack was relocated from the side to an elevated rear roof position, housed within a single armored enclosure angled upward to support improved firing arcs. The visible cell arrangement indicated eight missiles in two rows of four, enabling salvo firing capability. The repositioning reduced lateral protrusion and improved engagement geometry while maintaining the concentration of missiles within a single launcher assembly. Interestingly, the DVD 2022 exhibition also demonstrated the integration of Brimstone missiles on other carriers, including the Malloy T650 unmanned aerial vehicle with a 300 kg maximum payload, 140 km/h maximum speed, and 30 km maximum range, and the Supacat HMT Overwatch vehicle designed for modular equipment integration.

The Boxer Overwatch vehicle was configured to support manoeuvre forces, advance with them, and disrupt opposing armoured formations through coordinated salvo engagements using fire-and-forget guidance in all weather conditions. Mounting Brimstone on Boxer enables long-range precision anti-armour effects without modification to the Boxer drive module, preserving baseline mobility and protection characteristics. The dedicated mission module installation allows rapid transition into and out of action, while broadside firing maximizes missile range compared to vertical launch systems. Engagement options include line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight targeting, supported by high off-boresight agility and integration with third-party targeting sources across the battlespace.

The salvo launch mode allows coordinated engagement of multiple targets during a single mission, reinforcing the mounted close combat overwatch function for heavy brigade combat teams. The missile efflux is managed through controlled venting to minimize launch signature relative to vertical systems. The vehicle retains the ability to self-reload in action without dedicated logistic equipment and maintains communications connectivity with other friendly assets. The Brimstone itself is a 50 kg missile measuring 1.8 m in length with a 180 mm diameter and fitted with a tandem-shaped charge warhead with adaptive fusing. Guidance combines a 94 GHz millimetric wave radar seeker and semi-active laser guidance, enabling SAL-only, mmW-only, or combined dual-mode operation with handover from laser to radar in the terminal phase.

The missile incorporates inertial mid-course navigation, a next-generation IMU and autopilot, and high-bandwidth guidance control to engage fast manoeuvring targets. Propulsion is provided by a cast double-base propellant rocket motor with a strip steel laminate motor case. In surface-launch configuration, the engagement range extends up to 20 km. The missile supports rapid salvo firing in mmW mode for area, column, and point engagements and provides all-weather fire-and-forget capability. Operational performance data cite a success rate exceeding 98% against static, moving, and manoeuvring targets, including main battle tanks and other armoured vehicles. The missile is intended to defeat conventional and reactive armour and counter defensive aid suites and active protection systems.

It supports low collateral damage engagement in restrictive environments and provides organic battlegroup-level anti-armour capability. Brimstone has been integrated on multiple carriers, including Ajax in an Overwatch configuration using its electronic architecture, Supacat HMT600 for light forces, TRX tracked uncrewed ground vehicle with remote, teleoperation, and semi or full autonomy control modes, and Milrem Robotics THeMIS uncrewed ground vehicle for remotely delivered precision effects. The missile has also been launched from ground launchers integrated onto light trucks in Ukraine. Therefore, the Brimstone's design philosophy centers on a single common missile adaptable to land, air, naval, and uncrewed assets.

For its part, the Boxer is an eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicle developed by ARTEC, produced by Rheinmetall and KNDS Deutschland, and in service since 2011. Its defining feature is its great modularity through a separation between a drive module and more than 20 interchangeable mission modules attached via standardized connection points, enabling role changes within about one hour under field conditions. Current drive module standards include A2 and A3, with tactical combat weight up to 38.5 tonnes and technical growth demonstrated to 41 tonnes; the future B0 drive module offers 40 tonnes gross vehicle mass and six connection points.

The drive module houses the driver front right and the powerpack to the left, with field replacement possible in 30 minutes, and uses MTU 8V199 series diesel engines delivering up to 600 kW coupled to an Allison transmission. Dimensions include 7.93 m hull length, 2.38 m hull height, and 2.99 m width, with a maximum road speed of 103 km/h and a maximum range of 1,050 km. Protection incorporates rolled all-welded steel armour with add-on AMAP packages, baseline all-round resistance aligned with STANAG 4569 Level 4 against 14.5 mm threats, higher levels depending on module configuration, triple-layered mine-resistant floor construction, and additional belly protection against IED threats.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.