Lithuania, along with the European Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), ordered 88 Boxer multirole fighting vehicles for $441 million from Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), the companies said Monday.
The order, placed Monday in Vilnius, Lithuania via OCCAR, is planned to run from 2017 to 2021. The Boxers will be configured as infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) with a remote-controlled turret-mounted with a 30mm automatic cannon. The order is going through ARTEC GmbH, a joint venture between both companies: 53 vehicles will be manufactured by KMW and 35 by Rheinmetall.
This order will make Lithuania the third NATO country to field the Boxer after Germany (400 vehicles) and the Netherlands (200).
Rheinmetall and KMW said the Boxer is a highly protected 8×8 wheeled vehicle, offering protection from mines, IEDs, and indirect fire. It is powered by a 530 kW (720 HP) turbo-charged diesel engine and has a top speed of over 62 mph with a combat weight of 36.5 metric tons. The Boxer also has a modular concept separated between driver cab and mission modules.
The Lithuanian military plans to call the Boxer the Vilkas, meaning wolf, following successful field trials.