The British Army has ordered an additional 100 Boxer armored vehicles, boosting the total fleet on order to 623 vehicles.
The UK defense ministry announced the contract as joint UK-Germany production begins in Telford, Stockport and Munich. Financial details of the order have not been revealed due to “commercially sensitive reasons.”
The modern digitalized armored vehicles can be used to transport troops to the frontline and can be rapidly reconfigured to fulfil different roles on the battlefield.
The UK and Germany have worked closely together on the Boxer program for the British Army, with the Boxer build in the UK benefitting from German expertise, data and collaboration.
It is worth noting that the UK decided to rejoin the Boxer program in 2018 after initially leaving in 2003. In early 2019, the UK signed off on a £2.8 billion deal for the first batch of the vehicles. In re-joining the program, the UK reassumed the rights it had as a project partner.
Germany, meanwhile, has more than 400 Boxer vehicles that have already seen service in Afghanistan over the past 10 years. Their success in the German Army means they continue to develop new variants of the vehicle.
“In these difficult times, our deep defense partnership offers reassurance to our people and the wider world, while also ensuring we are ready to respond to new threats,” UK prime minister Boris Johnson said.
“This joint program will ensure our militaries have state-of-the-art equipment as the invasion of Ukraine shakes the very foundations of European peace and security.”
The production of Boxer for the British Army is already underway, with the first 117 vehicles currently being built on German production lines. UK facilities in Telford and Stockport will manufacture the remaining 506 units.
The first Boxer vehicles will arrive in units from 2023, with the overall program protecting up to 1,000 jobs nationally.
“Boxer will form the core of our modernized Armoured Brigade Combat Teams and it is great news for our service personnel getting more of these excellent platforms as part of delivering future soldier, whilst investing in the UK’s defense industry and supply chains,” Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Sir Christopher Tickell KBE said.
