RBSL completes testing and assembly of British Boxer MIV prototypes in Germany.

On January 10, 2024, Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) provided an update on its Integration & Test team's activities. The team spent two months in Kassel, Germany, collaborating with Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (RLS). Their focus was on the assembly of the Boxer vehicle to understand its build process and contribute to the completion and testing of two Boxer MIV prototypes for the British Army.
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The Boxer is notable for its modular design, featuring a uniform drive module that can be adapted with different mission modules for diverse battlefield roles. (Picture source: RBSL)

After a break during the Christmas period, the team is now preparing for further training, which includes hosting German colleagues in Telford. This initiative is a part of ongoing efforts to develop skills and maintain the working relationship between the UK and German teams. It aligns with the goals of the British Army's Mechanized Infantry Vehicle (MIV) program, which initially began production in Germany and is planning to shift to the UK.

Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land, a joint venture established in July 2019 between BAE Systems of the UK and Rheinmetall of Germany, is involved in the British Army’s MIV program and the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project, now known as Challenger 3. RBSL has also been awarded a £16 million contract for the upgrade and maintenance of the British Army’s TPz Fuchs armored reconnaissance vehicles, with the work being carried out at its Telford facility. Additionally, the venture seeks to participate in global military vehicle contracts through Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Division.

Under a contract with the ARTEC consortium, operated by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegman (KMW), RBSL is tasked with producing and assembling over 500 Boxer armored vehicles for the UK, a contract valued at approximately £860 million. The UK Ministry of Defense has ordered 523 Boxer vehicles through the Organization for Cooperation in Armaments (OCCAR), with an additional 100 vehicles ordered in April 2022.

The British Army is preparing to integrate four variants of the Boxer, each designed for specific functions: Infantry Carrier, Specialist Carrier, Command Post Carrier, and Ambulance. The Specialist Carrier variant is designed to be compatible with existing weapon systems such as heavy machine guns, general-purpose machine guns (GPMG), grenade machine guns (GMG), and the Javelin anti-tank guided weapon station.

These Boxer vehicles are expected to be integrated into battalions within the Army's Armored Brigade Combat Teams, which are designed for rapid deployment and operation in various terrains.

The Boxer is notable for its modular design, featuring a uniform drive module that can be adapted with different mission modules for diverse battlefield roles. The current development focuses on variants for troop transportation, field ambulances, combat engineering, command operations, logistics, and battlefield maintenance.

The Boxer's 8x8 armored platform is designed to provide protection against mines, IEDs, and ballistic threats, facilitating the safe transportation of soldiers in challenging environments. Weighing approximately 38.5 tonnes, the Boxer is capable of supporting various military missions.

Technologically, the Boxer includes a digitized armored structure, an NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protection system for threat detection and countermeasures, and a 360-degree Situational Awareness System. It is designed to be compatible with digital communication networks, currently supporting the Bowman system and adaptable to future networks for secure communication within Brigade Combat Teams. The Boxer is used by several NATO countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, the UK, and Australia, a close NATO partner.

The British Army is preparing to integrate four variants of the Boxer, each designed for specific functions: Infantry Carrier, Specialist Carrier, Command Post Carrier, and Ambulance. (Picture source: UK MoD)