Munich, Germany: The Artec company has signed a contract with OCCAR, the European cooperative defence equipment organization, for the production of a second batch of 131 Boxer armored personnel carriers for the German Army. The total order is worth EUR 476 million.
All 131 vehicles will be in a new configuration of the Boxer. According to OCCAR, the new vehicles and related logistic will be delivered to the German Army beginning in 2017 through 2021. This second batch increases the number of Boxers ordered to 256. Germany plans to buy a total of 403 BOXERs, with the Netherlands acquiring 200.
All vehicles are based on the identical Boxer Drive Module. The Bundeswehr has already contracted for 272 Boxer vehicles in four models. While the Netherlands opted for five configurations. Production of the new batch will be carried out by Artec’s two parent companies: 95 vehicles will be manufactured by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and 36 by Rheinmetall.
Last week (December 11) the Boxer vehicle has been declared preferred bidder by the Lithuanian State Defence Council for the Lithuanian Infantry Fighting Vehicle Programme. Lithuania plans to acquire 88 vehicles. The majority of these vehicles (84) will be equipped with Elbit Systems’Â UT-30 MK2 remotely operated turrets mounting a 30mm cannon and Spike LR anti-tank missiles. The vehicles will be delivered from 2017 to 2020. The contract will be negotiated between Lithuanian government and OCCAR.
Practical experience in Afghanistan has shown that the Boxer makes a significant contribution to the endurance and mobility of infantry troops, and positive experience with the GTK Boxer was one of the decisive factors for awarding the present projects.
