Rheinmetall strikes the arc on Australian Army Boxer CRV Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on March 20 visited Rheinmetall as the company striked the arc on the first weld of materials for the first Australian-made Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle entering production at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Ipswich, Queensland. This vehicle will be the first to enter the production line together with initial vehicles from Germany currently being assembled at the site.
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Members of 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) have conducted a turret conversion course on the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle at Wide Bay Training Area (Picture source: Australian army)

Joined by Deputy Premier Dr Steven Miles, Australian Industry Partners including Bisalloy, Marand, Intellidesign and Rheinmetall’s 600-strong Queensland workforce, the start of production realises Rheinmetall’s goal to support Australia’s Defence Force and its allies with an industrial base in the region. “This is a very proud day for Queensland’s defence manufacturing capabilities, as our association with Rheinmetall on the $5.2 billion LAND 400 Phase 2 project delivers locally built Boxer CRVs. Through the delivery of LAND 400 Phase 2 and its other projects, our partnership has already created 600 jobs at the Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence, which will be contributing more than $1 billion to Queensland’s economy in its first 10 years of operation. The facility is now the most advanced military vehicle manufacturing facility in Australia. Our partnership’s continuing success provides long-term certainty to the current workforce, and greater opportunities through the entire supply chain which impacts many SMEs right across Queensland”, said Premier Palaszczuk

Rheinmetall has commenced production of the second batch of Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles for the Australian Defence Force.

In recognising the milestone, Nathan Poyner, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia commented “Rheinmetall has delivered a first batch of 25 Boxer CRVs to Australia. These initial Boxers were built in Germany, and finalised at MILVEHCOE, joining the more than 2900 HX Trucks that were finalised and are today sustained from the facility. “This striking of the arc event represents the first of 186 Boxer CRVs that will be built at MILVEHCOE, providing jobs, training and new opportunities for Australians working at Rheinmetall and in the more than 200 Australian Industry Partners across the nation.

“Rheinmetall has taken a long-term partnership approach to work in Australia, and we’re proud to be the largest provider of Military vehicles to the Australian Defence Force. We have an operational facility, the staff in place, our partnerships in place and as part of the capability to build a complete modern armoured vehicle, we have established real sovereign capabilities including armour production and electronics manufacturing for the Australian Defence Force; all of which happens right here in Queensland” said Mr Poyner.

The Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle is an 8x8 armoured vehicle in service with nations including Australia, the United Kingdom and Germany. The Boxer offers enhanced safety, security and protection of Australian troops with high levels of protection, firepower and mobility for sustained operations across peacekeeping and close combat activities.

Defense News March 2023