Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann hand over first serially produced Boxer vehicle

Metallic · Sep 25, 2009

Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann hand over first serially produced Boxer vehicle
GERMANY - 23 SEPTEMBER 2009

Official transfer of the first serially manufactured transport vehicle takes place in the presence of German and Dutch defence ministers.
The armed forces of Germany and the Netherlands take delivery today of an optimally protected, highly mobile transport vehicle with massive useful load carrying capacity.

At a ceremony in Munich, Rheinmetall Defence and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) transferred the first serially produced Boxer to the Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matiére d'Armement (OCCAR), which is administering the Boxer project, and Germany's Federal Agency for Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB).

The transfer took place in the presence of German defence minister Dr. Franz-Josef Jung, and Dutch defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop. The series order for the Boxer includes a total of 272 vehicles for the German Bundeswehr and 200 for the Dutch armed forces. The Dutch Army will take delivery of the Boxer from 2011 through to the end of 2016.

"The Boxer project underscores the cutting edge position of the German defence industry, and not just in Europe", declares Klaus Eberhardt, Chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall Defence, noting that "no other vehicle is so systematically oriented to the current and future needs of the armed forces. We thus see strong potential for additional international sales."

In the words of Frank Haun, Chief Executive Officer of KMW, "the Boxer is an impressive example of European defence cooperation. The German and Dutch armed forces are getting a highly protected, highly mobile transport vehicle that's specifically designed to meet the needs of the modern military. I'm especially pleased that the defence ministers of both Germany and the Netherlands are on hand for the official transfer, which indicates the importance which both countries attach to the Boxer project."

The Boxer armoured transport vehicle is a pioneering, highly mobile 8x8 wheeled vehicle. Thanks to its modular design, it can be quickly modified for a wide variety of missions, going from a medivac role, for instance, to a command and control configuration. To do this, all that is necessary is to exchange the mission modules on the vehicle chassis. When configured as a section (squad) transport vehicle, the Boxer can carry up to ten men, who benefit from excellent protection against landmines and ballistic threats: the fully armoured fighting compartment assures maximum crew survivability. Superb mobility, excellent self-defence weaponry and a heavy payload are further key features of this versatile, highly flexible transport vehicle.

Rheinmetall and KMW have joined forces with other national and international partners in the ARTEC consortium to make the Boxer a reality.

Source: Rheinmetall Defence

Archive Photo: Boxer

hamtaro · Apr 14, 2011

Boxer APC to deploy to Afghanistan in August 2011March 28 2011 at 3:46 PM

The first Boxer armored personnel carriers (Gepanzertes Transport-Kraftfahrzeug GTK) have arrived at Donaueschingen Germany in February 2011 to equip the 292 Jägerbattalion (light infantry battalion), in preparation for the units deployment to Afghanistan by August this year. The battalion will dispatch a platoon with four vehicles to be deployed to Mazar-e-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan, as part of the German training and protection battalion. Last year the Boxer went through a successful operational evaluation in Australia, which paved the way for the deployment decision.

According to infantry officers training with the vehicles, the first experience with the Boxer is positive with the vehicle described as robust, impressive and offering a high level of protection and mobility. Driver orientation courses are currently underway at the driver training school in Dornstadt, where seven Driver Training Vehicles (DTV) were received in 2010.

The 292 Jägerbattalion is receiving the infantry carries, each carrying seven troops in addition to three crew members the driver, gunner and Commander. Eight of the vehicles have been delivered to the Infantry school to start the infantry training with the unit. The unit holds a daily evaluation of the training activities to further improve training, deliver operational feedback, and report technical and operational issues to the program office, vehicle developer and industry on technical problems.

The Boxer offers high level of safety and relative comfort to the occupants. Troops are seated in individual blast protected seats, while crew members are provided with adjustable blast protected seats designed for each position. An air conditioner which also supports Chemical, Biological and Radiological-Nuclear (CBRN) filtration is also provided. Water heater and toilet facility make a long stay in the vehicle more comfortable.

The power pack consists of a militarized MTU model 8V199 TE20 diesel developing 530 kW coupled with Allison model HD4070 fully automatic transmission with seven forward and three reverse gears, torque converter and an integrated cooling. The drive train features selectable differential locks and two steerable front axles. The tires are equipped with run flat, and with central tire inflating system adapting the tire pressure to optimally traverse difficult terrain (sand, snow, mud etc). Independent suspension allows both speeding on roads and high mobility off-road. The vehicle has a passive protection system comprising modular base armor and applique composite modules. The FLW 200 Remotely controlled light weapon station provides the primary weapon for the Boxer, controlled by the gunner from inside the vehicle. The station mounts a 12.7 or 40mm automatic grenade launcher.

Boxer APC to Deploy to Afghanistan in August 2011 - Defense-Update