Boxer (armoured fighting vehicle)

With exceptions for style and ease of reading, the following development and production history is presented in as near-chronological order as possible. The Boxer started in 1993 as a joint venture design project between Germany and France, with the UK joining the project in 1996. In November 1999, a £70 million contract for eight prototype vehicles (four each, Germany and the UK) was awarded. France left the programme in 1999 to pursue its own design, the Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (VBCI). In February 2001, the Netherlands joined the programme and an additional four prototypes were built for the Netherlands. Boxer, then known as GTK/MRAV/PWV, was unveiled on 12 December 2002. The name Boxer was announced when the second prototype appeared. At this time the first production run was to have been 200 for each country. The UK Ministry of Defence announced its intention to withdraw from the Boxer programme and focus on the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) in July 2003. to replace some of its M113 and TPz 1 Fuchs vehicles, although as of Q2 2024 no TPz 1 Fuchs have been replaced by delivered Boxer. and that Lithuania had selected the Boxer. The first two Boxer in IFV configuration were delivered in June 2019 and at this time the Lithuanian MoD stated that 15 vehicles would be delivered in 2019 and that all 89 IFV variants would be delivered by the end of 2023. Most of the original German Army Boxer order was delivered in the A1 configuration. 40 APC and 16 command posts, however, were delivered in the A0 configuration; these were subsequently upgraded to the A1 configuration. In June 2017 it was announced that the Bundeswehr's Boxer A1 fleet would be upgraded to A2 standard. The first A2 Boxer was delivered in June 2015. The A2 standard resulted from operations in Afghanistan and incorporates changes in the drive and mission modules that include preparation for the integration of a driver vision system, changes to the stowage concept in both modules, changes to the gearbox, integration of a fire suppression system, modification of the RCWS, interface for an IED jammer, satellite communication system and other minor modifications." The latest Boxer variant is the A3. The British were the first customer of the A3 in its entirety. In February 2018 it was announced that Slovenia had selected the Boxer as the basis for two new mechanised infantry battle groups. In November it was revealed that pricing issues had impacted the Slovenian procurement timeline and that a new proposal from industry was pending. According to the Slovenian MoD's initial release on the subject, funding had been allocated for the procurement of 48 vehicles in 2018-2020 for the first battle group, which was expected to become operational by 2022, followed by the second in 2025. The desired total was reported to be 112 Boxer (96 IFV, 16 mortar) plus a small number of driver training vehicles. It was reported mid-2019 that the planned Boxer procurement had been suspended, the MoD deciding to conduct research and draw up a new comprehensive tactical study relating to the formation of a medium infantry battalion group, this likely to affect the procurement of 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicles. The ministry will then re-examine options available and make a decision on how to build a medium infantry battalion group capability. Under Rheinmetall's offering, the first batch of 20 to 25 vehicles were to be built in Germany with Australians embedded into teams to learn the necessary skills before transferring back to Australia for the build of the remaining vehicles. RDA's Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Ipswich, Queensland, is the hub for the production of the majority of the vehicles, the local build programme including about 40 local suppliers. These industrial opportunities were stated to create up to 1,450 jobs across Australia, The acquisition and sustainment of the vehicles is costed at AUD15.7 billion (US$12.2 billion), acquisition worth AUD5.2 billion, the remaining AUD10.5 billion costed for sustainment over the vehicles' 30-year life. It was first reported in October 2016 that the British Ministry of Defence had taken its first formal step towards government-to-government acquisition of Boxers. At DSEI 2017, a Boxer in a Union Jack paint scheme was shown by Rheinmetall to promote the vehicle for the MIV requirement. In November 2017, a company of German Army mechanised infantry equipped with 11 Boxers exercised with British Army units in the Salisbury Plain Training Area. British Army sources denied that the exercise was linked to any decision on a procurement process for its MIV project. In February 2018 it was reported that ARTEC had signed agreements with UK suppliers, this contributing to the fact that 60% by value of the MIV contract will be done in Britain, along with final assembly of the MIVs at facilities already owned by the consortium. On 18 July the Lithuanian MoD announced that the country's first two Boxer prototypes had entered trials in Germany. On 19 July 2018 the UK MoD disclosed its intent to order between 400 and 600 Boxers in four variants plus driver training vehicles, reference vehicles and support, with the first vehicles then to be in-service by 2023. The contract would contain options to increase the quantity of vehicles by up to an additional 900. and in July 2019 the first two of the 25 Boxer being built in Germany arrived in Australia. The 25 vehicles delivered from Germany were split 12 reconnaissance platforms and 13 multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs). The 13 MPVs are classified as military off-the-shelf (MOTS), while the 12 reconnaissance are classified as MOTS Plus. Also in September 2019 reports emerged that Algeria had selected the Boxer and that production would commence shortly. As of Q3 2024 this had not been confirmed by ARTEC. 2020s In January 2020 in an interview with Shaun Connors of Janes, Stefan Lischka, MD of ARTEC, stated that only 8% of UK Boxers (the original 523) would be manufactured in Germany with the remainder being assembled at and delivered from two sites in the UK, Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) at Telford and KMW subsidiary WFEL at Stockport. Production began in early 2023. In November 2020 it was announced that ARTEC consortium partners Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) had awarded two separate subcontracts to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) and WFEL respectively for the local production of Boxers for the UK. RBSL and WFEL were selected by Rheinmetall and KMW respectively to be the UK Tier 1 suppliers and operate one Boxer production line each. The value of KMW's initial contract has not been announced, but is known to involve at least 480 drive modules being produced by WFEL in the UK, with under half of them being assembled by WFEL into full vehicles covering the Infantry Carriers, Specialist Carriers and Ambulance variants. The remaining drive modules being produced by WFEL will be shipped to RBSL to construct the other full vehicles in a number of variants, including the Specialist Carrier. Rheinmetall's initial contract with RBSL is worth US$1.15 billion (GPB860 million) and involves the manufacture of 262 Boxer vehicles at RBSL's assembly line in Telford, UK. All of these vehicles will either be the Specialist Carrier or Command vehicles. The German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (, BAAINBw) awarded Rheinmetall a contract at the end of January 2021 to upgrade 27 more Boxer command vehicles to the A2 standard, this award bringing all the Bundeswehr's Boxer command vehicles up A2 standard. In December 2019 Germany's BAAINBw ordered 10 Boxer in C-UAS (Counter UAS) configuration, these later designated Extended All Arms Air Defence (EAAAD). By June 2020 all elements of the system had reportedly passed the critical design review and live firing had been conducted. The first systems were to be delivered to the Bundeswehr by the close of 2020. Boxers with the C-UASs were stated to be used to protect the NATO Response Force Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) which Germany took leadership of in 2023. In 2023 it was stated that deliveries of these C-UAS configured Boxer would occur 2023–2024. differentiating it from the smaller Fennek scout car. The new variant will be centred around a sensor mast known as the Panoramic Above Armour Gimbal (PAAG) and built by Thales Group, with imaging sensors for visible to thermal infrared spectra and rangefinding and targeting lasers. Two prototypes were ordered in 2021, with delivery expected during 2024–2026, with full production of 20 vehicles that will operate in pairs to follow in between 2028 and 2031. Lithuania confirmed in January 2024 that at the end of 2023 it had completed the procurement of the original 91 Boxer. Also in January 2024 it was reported that the UK had plans to order some additional Boxer variants, although quantities were not revealed. With an Initial Operating Capability (IOC) of the end of the decade, the first priority is to order Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge, Repair and Recovery, and Armoured Mortar Vehicle configurations in 2024. Serpens Deep Find radar, Mounted Close Combat Overwatch (MCCO) anti-tank vehicles, and a C-UAS capability could then follow. The vehicles will be built in both Germany and the UK with over 100 UK-based suppliers manufacturing components. The platform will be in service with the Royal Artillery by the end of the decade. While not confirmed, it was reported in May 2024 that the Bundeswehr had selected the RCT30 turret option for the 148 Boxer it had identified it required for its new medium forces. The choice is understood to have been role-driven, the RCT30 turret permitting the transport of a fully equipped grenadier squads, while the Lance turret-equipped sWaTrgInf Heavy Weapons Carrier does not, this vehicle optimised for direct tactical fire in support of infantry forces, not as a transport for them. Also in September 2024, Rheinmetall in partnership with Patria presented a Boxer with a NEMO 120 mm mortar turret. The concept demonstrator was built in response to the Armoured Mortar requirement from the British Army and was shown using an existing British Army drive module. In October 2024 it was announced by OCCAR that the Lithuanian Army would receive 27 additional Boxer. Few details beyond a statement that the agreement included a new engineering variant of Boxer directly integrating engineering equipment (such as that used for mine clearance) into the existing Lithuanian Infantry Fighting Vehicle configuration were released at the time. In January 2025 at International Armoured Vehicles 2025 (IAV2025) the first British-manufactured Boxer was unveiled. The vehicle was manufactured by RBSL, the joint venture between Rheinmetall and BAE Systems, and under licence from the ARTEC consortium of KNDS and Rheinmetall. At the time of the unveiling RBSL had manufactured four Boxers, with another four then undergoing factory acceptance tests. An additional 48 platforms are scheduled to be manufactured over the course of 2025 in command post, special carrier, ambulance and infantry carrier variants. At IAV 2025 it was also revealed that an order for 222 Boxer RCT30 had been delayed to Q2 or Q3 2025 by the German national elections, these scheduled for 23 February. Of the 222, 150 are for Germany's new medium forces, and 72 are for the Netherlands. January also saw the confirmation of the delivery of nine Boxer RCT30 IFVs to Ukraine, these designated AiTO30 FDC and equipped with systems specifically designed for counter-drone operations to protect artillery units from aerial threats. In February 2025 Rheinmetall announced the delivery in late-January of the first Boxer Skyranger 30 air defence vehicle (the verification model) to the Bundeswehr. Trials commencing in spring 2025 are scheduled to be followed by serial deliveries during 2027–2028. == Design ==

The Boxer is an eight-wheeled multirole vehicle that at the time of its development easily exceeded most comparable vehicles in weight and dimensions. In recent years the size/weight differences between Boxer and its contemporaries has reduced considerably, with Boxer quoted to have a combat weight of 36.5 tonnes in 2016 in A1 and A2 configurations, while vehicles such as ST Kinetics' Terrex 3 had a quoted combat weight of 35 tonnes, and Nexter's VBCI, Patria's AMV and General Dynamics' Piranha V all weighing in around the 32 to 33 tonne mark. Current combat weight of the Boxer in A3 configuration is quoted as up to 38.5 tonnes. However, ARTEC conducted trials in December 2021 with a Boxer weighing 41 tonnes. The vehicle, which was ballasted and without a mission module, traversed gaps up to 2.2 m, climbed a 60° slope, and surmounted a 1 m vertical step during trials. ARTEC managing director Stefan Lischka stated that there was no actual customer requirement for such a heavy Boxer at this time. The heaviest current version is the remote-controlled howitzer (RCH) version at 39 tonnes. In 2024, the states participating in OCCAR's Boxer program defined the B0 drive module as Future Common Drive Module, offering advantages such as easier scalability of production, reducing the training required by the users and maintainers, improving interoperability and flexibility while also reducing parts and lead times. The B0 module is based on the A3 model and has a gross vehicle mass of , new tires and a modified chassis. The hull has been altered so that mission modules rest on six instead of four connection points. The German IFV variant of the Boxer will be based on the B0 drive module. The Boxer sWaTrg Inf variant manufactured in Australia for the German Army is also based on the C0 module. The Bundeswehr's Joint Fire Support Team, schwer (heavy), programme Boxers will be fitted with Kongsberg's Protector RS4 RWS, as will the C-UAS Boxer's if delivery occurs. British vehicles will also be fitted with Kongsberg's Protector RS4 RWS, the £180 million contract award announced in February 2021. Lithuanian Boxers are fitted with the Israeli-made RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Samson Mk II RCT turret, mounting a fully stabilised Orbital ATK Mk 44 30 mm dual-feed cannon, 7.62 mm co-axial MG, and Spike-LR missiles. The turret is fitted with an independent commander's sight with both commander and gunner provided with thermal and daylight channels. Australian Boxers are fitted with either Rheinmetall Defense's Lance Medium Calibre Turret or an EOS Defence Systems R400S-Mk2 D-HD RWS. 133 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) Reconnaissance variants will be fitted with the Lance 30 mm two-man turret, this armed with the Rheinmetall Mauser (air-bursting munition) dual-feed stabilised cannon and 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. Turret traverse is all electric through a full 360° with weapon elevation from -15° to +45°. A Rheinmetall computerised fire-control system is installed, which allows stationary and moving targets to be engaged. The gunner has a Rheinmetall Stabilised Electro-Optical Sighting System (SEOSS), which typically has day/thermal channels and an eye-safe laser rangefinder. The commander has a Rheinmetall SEOSS panoramic sighting system, which allows hunter/killer target engagements to take place. and the Iron Fist APS (Active Protection System) from Elbit. It is intended that the original 12 Block I vehicles will be upgraded to Block II standard. Weapons' fit for the 82 R400S-Mk2 D-HD RWS ordered has yet to disclosed. Germany will also receive Boxer fitted with the Skyranger 30 air defence system turret mission module. The Skyranger 30 turret is fitted with a modified version of the Oerlikon KCA 30 mm cannon. Rate of fire of is 1,200 rounds per minute and the gun has the ability to elevate 85° to combat terminal diving targets. 252 ready rounds are carried. The gun fires a 30 mm airburst munition based on the 35 mm AHEAD ammunition carrying 160 tungsten cylinders, each weighing 1.25 grams for a total payload of 200 grams, which is time-programmed upon leaving the muzzle to open up in front of a target to form a lethal cone. The system is capable of integrating a selection of very short range missiles, and for Germany these were supposed to FIM-92 Stingers, Protection The Boxer is constructed from rolled all-welded steel armour to which AMAP-B appliqué armour modules made by IBD Deisenroth (now Rheinmetall Protection Systems GmbH) are fitted via shock absorbing mountings. The armour has the form of spaced armour at the upper hull front and rectangular plates of metallic armour German Boxers retained their original armour kit. To increase survivability in case of armour penetration, the crew compartment is completely covered by an AMAP-L spall liner. The spall liner stops most of the fragments of the armour and projectile brought about by hull penetration. To further enhance crew protection, the seats are decoupled from the floor, this preventing the shock of a mine-detonation being directly transmitted to the crew. The roof armour of the Boxer is designed to withstand artillery fragments and can be fitted with optional armor modules against top attack weapons such as bomblets fitted with a High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead. Standard tyre fit for Australian and UK Boxers will be 415/80R 685 Michelin XForce ZL rated to carry 5,600 kg each. ==Boxer variants and mission modules overview==

As of April 2022 ARTEC had outlined 23 mission module configurations for the Boxer, and suggested that two more would soon be introduced. Of the 23, 10 were stated to be delivered or being delivered, five contracted, and the remaining eight at prototype/concept stage. By 2023 ARTEC had outlined 31 mission module configurations for Boxer. Any modules developed independently of ARTEC are not included in the 31 figure, these including RBSL and other developments. Command Post The command post variants of the Boxer are used for command and control in theatre, acting as a centre for tactical communications. Secured communication, displays for situational awareness and instruments for network-enabled warfare are key characteristics of this variant. There are currently four designated Command Post configurations, A, B, C and D. In standard configuration the command post module offers room for four workstations and the vehicle crew consists of driver, commander/weapon operator, two staff officers, one staff assistant and one additional crew member. The German Army received 65 command post modules as part of the initial 272-vehicle order; the Dutch Army ordered 60 command post modules originally, but later reduced this to 36 modules. Australia and the UK will also receive command post variants of the Boxer. Lithuania's command post variants will be based around the IFV. • new medical equipment • D-LBO, modernisation of the radio system. Second generation of ambulances The German Army ordered 38 ambulances to KNDS Deutschland in November 2025. Geniegroep / CRV-MPV (Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle - Multi-Purpose Vehicle) The Boxer Geniegroep (GNPR) was originally a Dutch-specific engineering and logistics support vehicle that is deployed for the transport of troops and engineer group equipment. It provides seating for six dismounts with space available for their personal equipment and an additional separate stowage section for munitions. It may be deployed as a support vehicle with other units or used for independent assignments such as route clearance, or as a protected work location during mine clearance or demolition operations. The Boxer GNGP replaces the YPR-765 prgm/PRCO-C3 variant of the AIFV (Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle). The Royal Netherlands Army initially ordered 53 GNPR, this later revised to 92, and has subsequently converted 12 of the 92 GNGP vehicles ordered to Boxer Battle Damage Repair (BDR) configuration. Crew consists of an engineer commander, driver, observing commander, gunner, and five engineers.). The interior design of the vehicle allows adaptation as necessary for different kinds of missions. For conducting peace-keeping missions or other peacetime operations the set of vehicle equipment can be changed and tailored to suit as required. Crew consists of commander/gunner and driver. 27 cargo examples were originally ordered, this later revised to 12. Crew consists of a trainee driver, instructor, plus up to two additional trainee passengers. The Australian, Dutch (8), German (10) and Lithuanian (2) armies all ordered driver training vehicles. Skyranger 30 was ordered by the Bundeswehr in 2024 and will be a key component of the Bundeswehr's Nah- und Nächstbereichsschutz (short- and very-short-range air defence: NNbS). Schakal (Jackal) / IFV RCT30 (PuBo) KNDS offers the Boxer Schakal fitted with a RCT30 unmanned turret mission module. This configuration was also referred to as PuBo (Puma Boxer) because the turret is essentially same as the one used by the German Army's Puma infantry fighting vehicle. It is reported that a RCT30 turret was the initial choice for Lithuania's Boxer IFV, with the decision later reversed on cost grounds. At DIMDEX 2024 a RCT30-equipped Boxer was shown, the vehicle also fitted with a passive radio frequency sensor that is intended to shoot down small unmanned aerial vehicles. Qatari armed forces are reportedly in the process of receiving 10 Boxers with the RCT30. This turret may also be fitted to 148 vehicles required by the Bundeswehr, and for which a decision on procurement is expected later this year (2024), and will be fitted to the additional 72 Boxers IFV RCT30 ordered by the Dutch Army with 48 options. Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155 mm (RCH 155) RCH 155 Wheeled The Boxer Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155 mm (RCH 155) mounts a version of the KNDS Deutschland Artillery Gun Module (AGM). This is a further development of the tracked Panzerhaubitze 2000 155 mm 52-calibre artillery system. The system was originally developed to meet potential requirements of export customers for a wheeled base platform as this has greater strategic mobility than the tracked and heavier PzH 2000-type system. In December 2020 the then Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) announced in a press release that it planned to begin developmental testing of the Remote Controlled Howitzer (RCH) 155 mm gun in 2021, this a remotely controllable version of the original RCH 155. In September 2022, 18 RCH 155 were announced as a purchase from Ukraine through a German aid fund at a cost of €216 million. A further 18 RCH 155 were ordered on 18 February 2024, and in June 2024 it was stated that the total RCH 155 for Ukraine was 54, with initial deliveries no earlier than the end of 2024. In April 2024, the UK MoD became the second confirmed user of the type when it announced the selection of the RCH 155 for the British Army's Mobile Fires Platform programme, as the successor to the AS90. RCH 155 Tracked In October 2025, a variant on the tracked Boxer was presented by KNDS Deutschland at AUSA 2025, it is known as the "RCH-155 Tracked". Joint Fire Support There are two Joint fire support mission module configurations offered by ARTEC, and they are simply designated Joint fire support A and Joint fire support B. The Bundeswehr's Joint Fire Support Team (JFST) contract was awarded in September 2021 and renderings shown by the company show Boxer (designated Joint Fire Support Team schwer (JFSTsw)) fitted with a mission module based around current in-service JFST/German Army equipment, and another fitted with equipment outlined in a JFST contract award to Thales in 2022. In November 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Karlheinz Boehnke, Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle (MRAV) representative in the German Army Concepts and Capabilities Development Centre, said he expected the two JFSTsw prototypes ordered in September 2021 to be delivered in 2024–2026, followed by 20 vehicles, which will operate in pairs, in 2028–2031. The first twelve Boxer CRV Reconnaissance were delivered as Block 1 vehicles from Germany, the turret on these only equipped with the MK 30-2/ABM cannon, but it will eventually be upgraded to the Block II configuration. The other, 121 CRV Reconnaissance are being manufactured in Australia, and will be equipped with 2 Spike LR2 missile in the redesigned turret. The 123 Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie (sWaTrg Inf) HWC infantry vehicles ordered by the German Army in a deal valued at €1.95 billion are based on the Australian Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) Reconnaissance variant. Vilkas (Wolf) / IFV Samson Vilkas/Wolf is a Lithuanian designation for Boxer fitted with a Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Samson Mk II RCT turret. ARTEC refer to this configuration as IFV Samson. 89 of 91 Lithuania's Vilkas/Wolf order are fitted with the Samson Mk II RCT turret, this mounting a fully stabilised Orbital ATK Mk 44S 30 mm dual-feed cannon, 7.62 mm co-axial MG, and Spike-LR missiles. A range of turret options were bid including the unmanned turret from the PSM Puma IFV. Lithuania received four variants of the IFV, 55 IFV squad leader, 18 IFV platoon leader; 12 IFV company leader; 4 IFV command post. Variants vary by mission fit primarily in the areas of additional voice and data communication equipment as well as modified BMS. ==Other variants including prototypes, concepts and developmental platforms==

Air defence systems • Boxer Mobile LWS The Boxer Mobile LWS (laser weapon system) demonstrator was a version of the Boxer armoured medical treatment vehicle that was fitted with a RWS coupled to a Rheinmetall RMG 12.7 mm HMG, integrated with an unmanned protected turret and fitted with a fully-automated MANTIS turret. No further development or production has taken place. and Hensoldt's Spexer 2000 3D radar. Delivery of the first systems to the Bundeswehr was scheduled by the close of 2020, with these used to protect the NATO Response Force Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) when Germany took leadership of the service in 2023. As of early 2024 there is no evidence this requirement came to fruition, despite a May 2023 statement by Lieutenant Colonel Karlheinz Boehnke, Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle (MRAV) Boxer representative in the German Army Concept and Capabilities Development Centre, that deliveries would occur 2023–2024. • Boxer Skyranger 35 Boxer has been shown fitted with the Oerlikon Skyranger 35 air defence system turret. This is armed with Rheinmetall's 35mm x 228 calibre Revolver Gun, this having the option of a dual ammunition feeding system that allows the choice of two types of shell. It would primarily fire the 35 mm Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction (AHEAD) ammunition, which although optimised for the air defence role is also effective against ground targets including lightly protected vehicles. The secondary nature would be Frangible Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (FAPDS) ammunition. The gun has a cyclic rate of fire of 1,000 rounds a minute, with a typical aerial target being engaged by a burst of 20 to 24 rounds. • Future Armoured Vertical Launcher Lockheed Martin UK is competing for the MCOO programme. Its offer is a vertical launching module for the Boxer with 16 missiles, likely the JAGM. This system would be connected to other systems of the British Army such as the MORPHEUS via the link-16. These other systems could provide targeting data. Electronic warfare • Boxer Knifefish In 2023 it was disclosed that Germany and the Netherlands plan a Boxer jamming variant. The Boxer Knifefish jamming variant would exist in two versions – ultra-high frequency (UHF)/very high frequency (VHF) and high frequency (HF). Delivery of at least one Boxer jamming prototype is planned by 2028. It was tested in September 2022 with a 120mm mortar, but a smaller calibre could be used on the system. This module was developed and built by Rheinmetall UK. And the platform used with the turret was the British Boxer. Compared to a standard mission module, for the NEMO configuration the roofline is higher, this to allow crew egress from beneath the turret basket. The turret is also located to the left of the hull, this enabling the driver to leave the vehicle to the rear. • Boxer ARTHUR At the 2020 Omega Future Indirect Fires/Mortar Systems conference in the UK, Saab displayed a concept of its ARTHUR Mod D counter-battery radar mounted onto the mission module of a Boxer. Saab said ARTHUR Mod D was its “answer to the requirements for a highly mobile, agile, and long range WLR, supporting high tempo brigade and divisional manoeuvre operations. The technology is drawing on [both] existing and evolutions of Saab in-house sensor technologies”, and can be seen “as a spiral development” of ARTHUR. • Turra 30 V10 unmanned turret Rheinmetall presented a new mission module at IDET 2025, an IFV module equipped with the Turra 30 V10 unmanned turret developed by EVPU. The turret includes a Mk44 Bushmaster II chain gun, a twin-launcher for the Spike LR2 missile. The gunner uses an electro-optical sight, and the commander has a panoramic sight. The turret is lightly armoured (composites), but it uses an active protection system, the Harpia by EVPU. ARTEC's mission module range includes a Main gun 105 mm configuration. • KMW RCT120 KMW presented a tracked variant of the Boxer at Eurosatory 2022. It is designed to be compatible with the mission modules of the wheeled Boxer. The mission module presented is the RCT120 which includes a remote controlled turret equipped with a 120mm smoothbore tank gun, 2 Spike LR missiles, a hard-kill Trophy APS and a 12.7mm RCWS Natter. It also offers a coaxial 30 mm gun as an option. Technology demonstrators • Boxer JODAA Boxer JODAA (Joint Operational Demonstrator for Advanced Applications) is a technology demonstrator used by the German Army and Rheinmetall Landsysteme to carry out R&D studies around potential Boxer improvements. It is based on the Boxer armoured medical treatment vehicle variant and is regularly refitted for a range of purposes and roles. ==Gallery==

File:GTK Boxer Prototyp 2 (24769196857).jpg|Boxer prototype 2. The Boxer was designed by an international consortium to accomplish a number of operations through the use of installable mission modules. File:GTK Boxer side.jpg|A prototype Boxer seen in 2004. Production deliveries were scheduled to commence in 2004, but numerous design changes combined with political problems delayed production until 2008 File:Boxer DVD.jpg|German Army Boxer in ambulance configuration. The German and Dutch base vehicles are virtually identical, mission modules and fitments the only significant difference. File:GTK Boxer Fuehrungsfahrzeug front.jpg|German Boxer with FLW-200 remote weapon station File:GTK Boxer Fuehrungsfahrzeug back.jpg|From the rear, a German Army Boxer fitted with a FLW 200 RWS File:Dutch Boxer Commando Post.jpg|Dutch Army Boxer in command post configuration - 36 of which were ordered File:DSCN7337-crop - Copy.jpg|The Boxer bridge layer is designed to deploy two types of LEGUAN bridges, a 22-meter MLC 50 medium, and a 14-meter MLC 80/100 heavy File:DSCN7359-crop - Copy.jpg|Patria and Rheinmetall unveiled a mission module for the Boxer equipped with a NEMO 120 mm mortar system at the Defence Vehicle Dynamics 2024 File:Mokomoji pėstininkų kovos mašina „Vilkas“.jpg|Driver training variant of Boxer; this variant has been ordered by Australia, Germany, Lithuania and the Netherlands File:IFV Vilkas.jpg|Vilkas/Wolf is a Lithuanian designation for Boxer fitted with a Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Samson Mk II RCT turret File:First of the Rheinmetall 211 Boxer on order in Q3 2020.jpg|A single Boxer CRV and a pair of CRV-MPVs driving along the test track at Rheinmetall's Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in 2019. File:KMW-RCH155-01.jpg|The Boxer Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155 mm (RCH 155) mounts a version of KNDS' Artillery Gun Module (AGM) File:Boxer Skyranger 30 ILA-2022.jpg|Skyranger 30; this was ordered by the Bundeswehr in 2024 and will be a key component of the Bundeswehr's Nah- und Nächstbereichsschutz (short- and very-short-range air defence: NNbS) File:Tracked Boxer.webp|KNDS presented a tracked version of the Boxer at Eurosatory 2022, the vehicle fitted with the RCT120 Mission Module ==Operators==

Current operators Australian Army (>25 + 186 on order) Under Land 400 Phase II Australia will receive 211 Boxer designated Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV), with deliveries expected until at least 2026. The first 25 CRVs were manufactured in Germany through to 2021 to meet an early Australian capability requirement for familiarisation and training. The first CRVs were formally handed over to the Australian Army in September 2019. Prior to delivery the Boxers were modified locally with Australian-specific communications and battlefield management systems and fitted temporarily with the Kongsberg Protector RWS that previously equipped Australian ASLAVs deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Training with the first-delivered vehicles commenced by October 2020. The 186 Block II CRVs are made up of 121 in the Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) Reconnaissance variant, 29 in a joint fires support configuration (CRV-JFS), 15 in a command and control configuration (CRV-C2), 10 in a repair configuration (with crane) (CRV-REP), and 11 in a recovery configuration (with winch) (CRV-REC). The first Block II CRV variants were delivered to the Australian Army in time for the 2025 iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre. German Army (403 + 574 on order of October 2025) • The original German Army order consisted of 272 drive modules and 272 accompanying mission modules. Configurations ordered were 125 in armoured personnel carrier (APC) configuration, 72 in 72 armoured medical treatment vehicle configuration (ambulance), 65 in command configuration, and 12 driver training vehicles. First production example delivered in 2009. • The second order called for all 131 vehicles ordered to be of a revised A2 APC new configuration. Order placed in 2015 with deliveries concluding in 2021. • The third German order is for a Joint Fire Support Team (JFST) configuration, the contract award dating to 2021. Two JFST prototypes have been ordered and these will be delivered 2024–2026. • The fourth German order was placed in 2024 and calls for 19 Boxer Skyranger 30. The €595 million contract calls for a prototype at the end of 2024, followed by 18 production vehicles, with an option for 30 more. • The fifth German Boxer order calls for 123 Boxer based on the Australian CRV-variant and these were ordered in March 2024, with deliveries from 2025 to 2030. • The sixth German order is related to the purchase of 48 Boxer, 38 in the heavy medical variant, and 10 for driver training. There is an option of 200 vehicles of this type for the German Army. • The eighth order is for 232 Boxer - RCH-155, budget approved in December 2025 that includes: • 3 prototypes for Germany • 80 production systems • 149 planned orders for 2026 The above information accounts for 547 of the 551 total provided by ARTEC at IAV 2025, the assumption being the unidentified four examples are developmental and/or prototype vehicles. Lithuanian Land Force (91 + 27 on order) Lithuania ordered 91 Boxer A2 in 2016 for €385.6 million, with deliveries from 2017 to 2023. Two driving training vehicles (DTVs) were delivered in December 2017, these followed by 89 Infantry Fighting Vehicles "Vilkas" of which two prototypes were tested in 2018, with deliveries following from 2019 to 2023. The 89 IFVs are split: 55 squad leader vehicles; 18 platoon leaders vehicles; 12 company leader vehicles; 4 command posts vehicles. Following these deliveries Lithuania indicated a desire to acquire a small additional quantity of Boxer in specialist configurations and in October 2024 an order for 27 additional Boxer was announced. Details were limited but deliveries will include an engineering variant that will directly integrate engineering equipment (such as that used for mine clearance) into the existing Lithuanian IFV configuration. Qatari Army (10) The Qatari Army is reportedly (as of Q1 2023) in the process of receiving 10 Boxer fitted with a RCT30 unmanned turret and a passive radio frequency sensor for the purpose of protecting against small unmanned aerial vehicles. The first IFV was transferred in December 2025. ''' Royal Netherlands Army (220 + 72 on order per October'25)''' The original prototype was delivered to the Dutch Army for evaluation in October in 2003, and the contract for the procurement of 200 Boxer was disclosed in December 2006 at a value of €1.2 billion (€1.429 billion end cost). Deliveries ran from 2013 to 2018. The order called for 92 engineering section vehicles (including battle damage repair vehicles), 52 ambulance, 36 command post, 12 cargo carriers, and eight driver training vehicles. 72 Boxer Schakal (IFV-RCT30) ordered with 48 options on October 17. In June 2024, KNDS revealed that 54 were on order in total for Ukraine, meaning that 18 additional RCH-155 had been ordered. The first RCH 155 delivery took place in January 2025, and that same month the delivery of nine Boxer RCT30 IFVs designated AiTO30 FDC and equipped with systems specifically designed for counter-drone operations to protect artillery units from aerial threats was confirmed. Future operators British Army (623 from 2024 confirmed) In November 2019 the UK Ministry of Defence awarded ARTEC a GBP2.3 billion (US$2.97 billion) contract to deliver 523 Boxer in three main configurations, these encompassing nine sub-configurations. In April 2022 it was announced that a further 100 Boxer would be ordered, bringing the total to 623. The British Army plans to achieve a Boxer Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2025, and Full Operational Capability (FOC) in 2032. (96 planned in the Mobile Fire Platform Programme). Potential orders Australian Army (11) The option exists to purchase 11 ambulances. British Army The UK will likely order additional mission modules which include: • Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) • Serpens Deep Find Radar: The UK plans to procure the GM 200 MM/C as part of the Serpens Project. The radar systems might be installed on mission modules for the Boxer. German Army (3,000) As of early July 2025, the German Army estimated a requirement of up to 2,500 Boxer in different variants. By the end of July 2025, that number was raised to 3,000. • Air defence: • 500 to 600 Skyranger 30 • 100 IRIS-T SLS launch vehicles Detailed expected purchases: • Up to 30 additional Boxer for the NNbS program (Nah- und Nächstbereichs-schutz), equipped with the Skyranger 30 turret, for command and control of SHORAD air-defence. Prototype + 18 ordered in 2024. Prototype/verification vehicle delivered Q1 2025. • The German Army intends to field four medium brigades and these brigades are planned to be equipped with new Boxer variants, including the Boxer Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV). While not confirmed, it was reported in May 2024 that the Bundeswehr had selected the RCT30 turret option for the AIFV Boxer. Sources suggested that the Netherlands could also order a batch of RCT30-fitted Boxer. The German project was scheduled for parliamentary approval in Q4 2024, with reports in January 2025 stating that the German order for 150 Boxer AIFV and a batch of 72 for the Netherlands have been delayed to Q2 or Q3 2025 by the German national elections, these to be held on 23 February. • Option for 200 Jackal IFV. • 150 sgSanKfz - the ambulance model • 100 driver training vehicles • Other projects include: • 79 JFST production vehicles (initial number). As of March 2026, up to 200 of the vehicles are expected to be purchased. • Boxer GBF (Geschützte Bewegliche Führungseinrichtung), a command vehicle, unknown quantity. Portuguese Army The Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Army confirmed in an interview in October 2025 that the M113A1/A2 vehicles of the Army's Mechanized Brigade would be replaced by Boxer vehicles. Portugal joined the group of countries that, through the European Union's SAFE program, will acquire Boxer vehicles. Royal Netherlands Army (>130) Needs mentioned by the Netherlands Army: • At least 10 Boxer for electronic warfare missions to replace the TPZ Fuchs EloKa are planned to be purchased by the Netherlands Army. • As of October 2025, 72 Boxer Schakal - IFV (the same as the German Jackal, equipped with the KNDS DE RCT30 turret of the Puma IFV), and with an option for a further 48 vehicles. Following an initial postponement, in May 2022, Slovenia signed a contract with ARTEC to procure 45 Boxer. In September 2022, the Slovenian government announced the cancellation of the Boxer contract. Competitions lost / potential sales not concluded Bulgarian Land Forces In 2017, Bulgaria invited companies to submit offers for a future IFV and other combat support vehicles (reconnaissance, combat engineering, ambulance) based on a 8×8 armoured vehicle. Over time, several offers were made by various competitors and in September 2023, General Dynamics Land Systems was awarded the contract for Stryker. Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force Japan requested information regarding Boxer to succeed the 8×8 Type 96 APC, especially as the Komatsu proposal collapsed, there was an opportunity to join the ARTEC collaboration, however in 2019 the type was not one of three preselected bidders for this program, with Patria's AMVXP selected in December 2022. Spanish Army In 2015, a program to replace the VEC-M1, the BMR-M1 and part of the M113 fleet was launched by the Spanish Army. Competitors included Boxer, and in September 2015 GDELS' Piranha V was selected. In December 2019, the program was cancelled and relaunched, and in August 2020 the Piranha V was again announced as the winner. Swiss Army Starting in 2022, the Swiss Army conducted a program to select a successor to the M109 KAWEST WE as part of the "Artillerie Wirkplattform und Wirkmittel 2026" program, with the RCH 155 mounted on either the Boxer A3 or the Mowag Piranha IV 10×10, and the BAE Bofors Archer, participating in the competition. In November 2024, the Mowag Piranha IV-mounted RCH 155 was selected. ==See also==