Breaking news
Lithuania would proceed with negotiations to purchase 88 Boxer 8x8 armoured fighting vehicles 11112154.
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Defence & Security News - Lithuania
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| Lithuania would proceed with negotiations to purchase 88 Boxer 8x8 armoured fighting vehicles. | |||
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The Lithuanian government said on Friday, 11 December 2015, it would proceed with negotiations to purchase 88 Boxer 8x8 armoured fighting vehicles in a deal worth up to 400 million euros (289.82 million pound). The decision, where the Boxer was selected from a list of 12 suppliers that also included Swiss Piranha, American Stryker vehicles and other European Companies.
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 Boxer 8x8 armoured vehicle at IDEX defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. |
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Senior government sources told Reuters the value of the deal was expected to be no higher than 400 million euros. That would still represent is a big undertaking for Lithuania, whose total defence budget stands at 425 million euros this year.
The Boxer for the Lithuanian army will be armed with 30mm MkII guns and anti-tank system Spike-Lr, both manufactured by Israeli companies, the sources said.. The Boxer is produced by the ARTEC GmbH (ARmoured vehicle TEChnology) industrial group, and the programme is being managed by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation). This is the first foreign sale for the vehicle. The Boxer saw its origins in a late 1990s military requirement concerning the armies of the United Kingdom, France and Germany. However, France left in 1999 to develop an indigenous APC design that went on to become the 8-wheeled VBCI ("Vehicule Blinde de Combat d'Infanterie") Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). In June 2006, the Dutch Parliament approved procurement of 200 Boxer vehicles (58 ambulance, 55 command post, 41 engineer, 27 cargo and 19 cargo / command versions). In December 2006, Germany approved the procurement of 272 vehicles (135 armoured personnel carrier, 65 command post and 72 ambulance variants). A production contract was signed with ARTEC on 19 December 2006. The design of the Boxer is based on a modular structure selected to give the maximum flexibility for multipurpose operations. The vehicle incorporates a high level of standardisation and uses commercially proven automotive components. The 8x8 vehicle provides a load capacity of up to 8t and has an internal capacity of more than 14m³. The modular design allows future generations of armour technologies to be fitted in place of current designs by simple slab replacement. The hull is designed to beat blast mine attacks by shaping the blast away. Additionally a double-lined hull soaks up critical blast deformation. |
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