First round of series production begins for British Army Boxers
The Boxer armoured transport vehicle is being produced under a bi-national programme. (Photo: Rheinmetall)
Series production of Boxer vehicles for the British Army is underway according to schedule, German manufacturer Rheinmetall has announced.
Welding work began on 7 June for the fabrication of prototypes and series production of the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle.
Development of the four British Army configurations of the 8x8 armoured fighting vehicle began at the end of 2019, and the first milestones were already achieved in Q4 2020.
The modular design of the Boxer vehicle already made use of qualified solutions and designs wherever possible. As a result, production of the first parts can already start.
Rheinmetall will develop and fabricate the first prototypes at its plant in Germany using content produced in the UK.
The bulk of manufacturing activity will move to the UK in 2023, principally at facilities run Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land and WFEL.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the Boxer is an 8x8 vehicle consisting of a common chassis capable of mounting various mission modules.
Numerous variants of the Boxer have been built and proposed. These include: command variants; ambulance variants; an armoured engineer vehicle; a cargo carrier; a battle damage repair vehicle; a driver training vehicle; two IFVs and more.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
Uncrewed ground vehicles put to the test as NATO eyes autonomous shift
The European Land Robot Trials are influenced by NATO researchers seeking to create uncrewed ground vehicle standards for allied Western forces working in multinational task forces.
-
Russia tries to keep BMP-3 relevant with new weapon options
New iterations of a 57mm gun system highlight a push towards multi-role turrets capable of countering armour, drones and aerial targets.
-
More details revealed on Kosovo’s Humvee Hawkeye 105mm order
The agreement points to growing international interest in mobile and survivable artillery systems, with further orders and export opportunities already emerging.
-
UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for the British Army?
The UK’s Defence Investment Plan splurges big for future air and naval programmes, including new hybrid ships, but there are fewer big-ticket items for British Army vehicles. Shephard’s Damian Kemp looks at the much delayed plan.
-
DroneShield signs agreements and US contract in the face of surging demand
DroneShield has been at the forefront of CUAS capability despite being founded only 12 years ago. The company’s early move into the counter-drone arena has put it on the crest of the rapidly expanding technology field.