Germany’s armed forces (Bundeswehr) contracted Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) to supply 131 additional Boxer armored fighting vehicles for about $520 million, Rheinmetall said Monday
OCCAR, an international European procurement agency, placed the order with Artec GmbH, a joint venture of Rheinmetall and KMW, on behalf of Germany’s Federal Agency of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-service Support. The order calls for 131 Boxers to be procured to serve as armored personnel carriers.
The vehicles are set to be delivered from 2017 to 2020.
Rheinmetall highlighted that the armor of the wheeled Boxer protects it from landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other ballistic threats. The vehicle has a 530 kW (720 horsepower) MTU turbo diesel engine, weighs up to 36.5 tons with a full combat load and can reach a top speed of 103 km/h.
The Boxer has separate drive and mission modules. In the section/squad armored personnel carrier (APC) configuration, the vehicle serves as the ‘mother ship’ for ten troops and is equipped with a remotely operated FLW 200 light weapon station. The station has either a 40mm automatic grenade launcher or 12.7mm heavy machine gun, Rheinmetall said.
Artec booked an initial order for 272 Boxer vehicles for Germany in 2006. The final unit of that order is set to be transferred to the German military in March. The contract included command and control, medevac, and driver training vehicles in addition to the Boxer vehicles capable of transporting a full infantry section or squad, Rheinmetall said.