The UK defense ministry has awarded Thales Defence a £180 ($252.3M) million contract to provide a remote weapon system for the British Army’s Boxer armored vehicles.
The contract was awarded to Thales by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) and Rheinmetall Landsystems (RLS), the prime contractors on the Boxer program.
The Protector RS4 RWS and the Acusonic shot detection system, which is also part of the contract, will provide enhanced stabilization on the move improving first hit probability. It will also allow soldiers to view targets on a screen inside the vehicle, ensuring their protection by the vehicles armor.
The Acusonic shot detection system, a component part of the new addition, is designed to accurately sense and report the direction of incoming enemy fire. The system will give the Boxer vehicle’s crew the critical situational awareness to react to threats.
Acusonic was first supplied in 2018 to the British Army’s Ajax armored vehicle program and now, under this contract, will be fitted to Boxer as well.
The UK decided to re-join the Boxer program in 2018 and since then has committed £2.8bn to deliver over 500 vehicles to the British Army. The first vehicles are scheduled to be ready for service in 2023.
Following the sonar contract for Dreadnought submarines last year, this is Thales UK’s second multi-million-pound contract within 12 months.
“This £180-million contract with Thales UK will deliver pioneering surveillance and protection for our front line soldiers and our new Boxer fleet. We depend on skills and technology from across the United Kingdom and this order will secure 700 Scottish jobs,” Minister of State for Defence, Baroness Goldie said.
“Our troops face a myriad of new and emerging threats so it is imperative we invest in critical detect and destroy technology such as this.”
