Senior Australian military representatives and the Australian Ambassador to Germany, Her Excellency Lynette Wood, recently attended an official inspection of the first BOXER Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) intended for Australia at Rheinmetall’s Kassel plant, the company announced on 29 March.
Rheinmetall is contracted to deliver 211 BOXERs to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the LAND 400 Phase 2 programme, with the first of them scheduled to be in operational service before the end of this year. The Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) was selected after rigorous trials conducted by the ADF during the Risk Mitigation Activity mandated in 2016.
The vehicles will enable the ADF to locate, monitor and engage with enemy forces and ensure Australian soldiers are protected in combat. The vehicles will fill seven different roles on the battlefield: reconnaissance, command and control, joint fires, surveillance, multi-purpose, battlefield repair and recovery. The reconnaissance variant – accounting for 133 of the 211 vehicles – is equipped with Rheinmetall’s 30mm LANCE turret system.
Once in Australia, the initial vehicles will receive a number of Australia-specific modifications prior to final delivery to the ADF. These will include installation of user-specific communications and computing equipment, a remote weapon station, and Australian Army paint.
“Work on these first vehicles in Germany will help Rheinmetall transition the know-how necessary to establish a sovereign military vehicle industry in Australia and enable the local manufacture of combat vehicles. This, in turn, will underpin the enduring partnership with the government to design, manufacture, deliver, support and modernise this world-leading capability,” commented Rheinmetall AG CEO, Armin Papperger.
“These first BOXER vehicles will enable the Australian Army to develop training programmes for soldiers who will operate the vehicles out of bases in Townsville, Adelaide and Brisbane,” added Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing Director, Gary Stewart.
(Monch)