Production contract signed for Boxer armoured vehicle exports

The federal government has signed the production contract for 123 Boxer Heavy Weapon Carrier vehicles with more than 100 of those vehicles to be exported for use by the German Army.

The export order is Australia’s largest foreign military export to Germany.

Rheinmetall completed a contract with the German authorities with a total volume of €2.7 billion, including maintenance and repair, after the commissioning in March 2024. The corresponding production contract has now been awarded in Australia.

Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia Nathan Poyner said: “Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2025 with the first Australian-built vehicle to be delivered in 2026.”

The Heavy Weapon Carrier, or ‘Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie’ vehicle is based on the Australian Army’s 8×8 Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV).

The CRV is equipped with a reconnaissance mission module including the two-person digital Lance turret – the first crewed medium-calibre turret to be put into service on the Boxer platform.

The German Boxers are to be produced at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence at Redbank in South East Queensland, where more than 650 workers produce vehicles, armour and electronics for Australia and global partners.

The Chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG Armin Papperger said: “We are integrating the expertise and capabilities of our Australian MILVEHCOE colleagues from our global Rheinmetall network to provide the German Army with the required combat vehicles as quickly as possible.

“This further deepens defence ties between Australia and Germany and enhances a sustained sovereign defence capability in Australia.

In addition to the 211 Boxer vehicles ordered under Australia’s LAND 400 Phase 2 project – 133 of which are the CRV variant with the crewed digital Lance turret – the company also services the Australian Army’s HX truck fleet of 2,900 vehicles, provides the MASS Multi-Ammunition Soft-Kill System to the Royal Australian Navy and has delivered more than 200 HX Trucks to the New Zealand Defence Force.

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Further reading:
Australia to export 100 Boxer armoured vehicles

Picture: Defence Media