MTL Advanced steels itself for UK Boxer contract

MTL Advanced has been chosen to supply armoured steel for the production of the UK MoD’s Boxer Armoured Vehicle Programme, specifically, the steel will be used in the Boxer hull assembly.

The contract was jointly awarded by WFEL and parent company KMW. The value and timeframe of the contract have not been disclosed – other than it being a multi-million pound and multi-year contract.

MTL Advanced has invested in excess of £2 million in new capital equipment to help support this project and meet increased demand.

This is the latest sub-contract to be awarded by WFEL under the $2.3 billion contract signed in November 2019 between Artec and the UK MoD.

Artec is the joint venture between KMW and Rheinmetall which was contracted to deliver over 500 Boxer vehicles to the British Army.

According to Shephard Defence Insight, the Boxer was originally developed during the 1990s; however, the UK left the programme in 2003.

The nation later announced in 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 vehicle.

The arrival of the Boxer would be a welcome addition to the British Army, as it has seen recent setbacks with other armoured vehicle programmes such as the Ajax.