Here is a short recap of a number of news surrounding the German-Dutch Boxer wheeled vehicle:
The 300th Boxer has been delivered by ARTEC. This specific vehicle was an ambulance version of the Royal Netherlands Army. Together Germany and the Netherlands have ordered a total of 472 vehicles in a first batch.
A follow-up order of 131 further Boxer for the German army has been suggested in May 2015, but no contract has been made yet.
The Lithuanian army is interested in buying a number of new Boxer vehicles in the IFV configuration. According to the Lithuanian news website Delfi.lt, a spokesperson from the Lithuanian army confirmed the interest of buying new Boxer vehicles on last Thursday. The army spokesman said that the army would suggest signing a contract for the acquisiton of the Boxer.
However later on the same day, the Lithuanian minister of defence Juozas Olekas said in an interview that no decision for a new wheeled combat vehicle has been made and that a total of 10 different vehicles are participating in the army tender, including the French VBCI and the Finnish AMV.
It is understood that the Lithuanian army wants to buy the Boxer in an infantry fighting vehicle version, fitted with a 30 mm MK-30/2 ABM autocannon in a manned Lance turret. According to Delfi.lt the vehicle is also expected to be armed with a Javelin missile launcher.
The new wheeled vehicle is intended as replacement of the old American-made M113 APCs.
The Boxer is also a contender of the Australian LAND 400 competition. An article of Defence Technology review is covering the submission of the Boxer by Rheinmetall Defence Australia. The "Boxer CRV" is fitted with a two-men Lance turret armed with the 30 mm MK-30/2 ABM gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. A twin-launcher for ATGMs will be added in the near future.
Australia is looking to purchase a wheeled family of vehicles as part of the LAND 400 program to replace the M113AS4 IFV and the ASLAV. The future vehicle will be used in the roles of the CRV (combat reconnaissance vehicle), IFV (infantry fighting vehicle), MSV (manoeuvre support vehicle)and as ITS (integrated training system).
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