First Boxer Cargo delivered...

The Koninklijke Landmacht (Royal Netherlands Army) has taken over the first Boxer cargo vehicle on the 8th April of 2016. This is the fourth of the five versions ordered by the Dutchmen.

Boxer Cargo vehicle, photo from Artec by ESUT

The Boxer Cargo can transport up to 2500 kilograms (5511 lbs) of load under very high armor protection. The Dutch Army has ordered a total of 27 Boxers in the Cargo configuration among the 200 vehicles of their first batch. A crew of three (commander, driver and gunner) operates the Boxer Cargo. The mission module of the Cargo variant has a usable transport volume of 14 m³.

Honestly, let's be real. What sense has a heavy armored, mine-resistant cargo vehicle? What type of cargo needs to be protected against bomblets and light/medium types of top-attack ammunition and is required on the battlefield?

MAN truck with AMAP-B armor and ADS active protection system

With the exception of high value medical equipment, optronics or electronics, there is nothing what seems to require the additional protection provided by a Boxer vehicle. Then one also has to ask the question, how likely a larger amount of this equipment is needed directly at the frontline (otherwise the armored protection of the Boxer wouldn't be needed) and in what quantity (smaller quantities can be carried by other vehicles or within Boxer APCs, larger quantities will be too much for a Boxer Cargo variant). Protection of cargo can be provided by armored containers, so there should be no need to armor the whole vehicle plattform.
Mine-resistant belly plates, additional balllistic protection and even active protection systems are available for larger trucks. Rheinmetall & MAN have shown their uparmored truck solutions on different exhibitions like Eurosatory 2012. The Integrated Armour Cabin (IAC) and Modular Armoured Cabin (MAC) concepts from Rheinmetall provide driver and gunner/commander of a truck with heavy armor protection, while the cargo bay can be armored with a lower protection level. Other companies have come up with similar solutions.

British MOD version of MAN truck with net and slat armor against RPGs

The Koninklijke Landmacht seems to have very odd requirements and might not be very efficient with distributing funds among multiple different vehicle programs. After downsizing the CV9035 fleet (and making sure that no applique armor is fitted during training, in order to reduce the fuel consumption) and decommissioning the Leopard 2 tanks (the negative impact of this has been slightly equalized by letting a Dutch unit joining the German Army), one simply has to be astonished or shocked by the decision of introducing the Boxer Cargo into service.

Germany and the Netherlands increase military cooperation

On the 4th of February, Germany and the Netherlands announced a closer cooperation of their militaries. This process was already reported earlier in late 2015.

German and Dutch Defence Ministers signing a letter of intent

About 3000 Dutch soldiers from the 43rd Mechanized Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army will be integrated into the 1st German tank division, together with the last 16 Leopard 2 tanks from Dutch stocks. 2 further Leopard 2 tanks will be rented/bought by the Netherlands to get to the 18 tanks required for a tank company. All of these tanks are understood to be upgraded in near future to the latest Leopard 2A7 configuration.

The Leopard 2A7 tank entered service in late 2014

On the other side a 400 men strong mixed brigade will be put under Dutch command. This will include a German tank battalion to be stationed at Loheide/Bergen in Lower Saxony, Germany.

The closer cooperation of the German and Dutch land forces already started in 2014, when the 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade (11th air-mobile brigade) was integrated into the structure of the German Division Schnelle Kräfte.

Regarding naval forces, both the German and Dutch government have agreed upon a letter of intent, which includes plans of the German Navy being allowed to utilize the Dutch Karel Doorman support ship, while the German naval battalion will be integrated into the structure of the Dutch marine corps, but not be relocated to the Netherlands.

The Karel Doorman support ship

 Such European cooperation can be beneficial for all partner: Germany will probably not buy new support ships, despite originally planning to order two new ones; the Dutch Navy on the other hand had troubles affording the Karel Doorman, so German money will help out a lot.
Without the integration of the Dutch tanks into the German Army, the Netherlands would lack two tanks for having a whole company and the support structure related to using MBTs after retiring all Leopard 2 tanks a few years ago. On the other hand Germany has only enough tanks and soldiers to create the new 414th tank battalion thanks to the Dutch tanks.

German armor sales process

Recently

The Brazilian armed forces are expecting the final delivery of former German Gerpard self-propelled anti-air guns (SPAAG). Back in Novembre 2011 the Gepard was presented to the Brazilian army, where it managed to score several direct hits against remotely operated model aircraft (with a wingspan just above 1 metre) used by in Brazil to represent airplanes at longer ranges. The previously used 40 mm Bofors gun failed at achieving direct hits and required a larger amount of time and ammunition to destroy the aircrafts.

A total of 32 Gepard 1A2 SPAAG were ordered by the Brazilian army. The last 8th were shipped in the first week of August in Germany and are scheduled to arrive 20 days later in Brazil.
The Gepard is based on the Leopard 1 chassis, which is already operational within the Brazilian army.

Source: Jane's IHS

Meanwhile the Croatian army received the first of 12 Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled guns (SPG). All vehicles are former German ones, which were bought by Croatia in 2014 for 14€ million. The total budget of the Croatian army to buy, support and modernize the Panzerhabuitze 2000s is 41€ million. It is expected that all 12 PzH 2000 will be operating in 2016.

Source: Jane's IHS

Rheinmetall has started working on a 130€ million contract for Lockheed Martin UK. The contract is about the production of 245 turrets for the Scout Specialist Vehicle (or rather it's structure bar many components chosen by the British). The weapon mount is also assembled by Rheinmetall.
The Scout SV is going to use a modified version of Rheinmetall's Lance Modular Turret System (Lance MTS). The structure of the turret is assembled in Germany. It seems to consists of steel, but contains many mounting points for composite armor panels.

Two turret structures for the Scout SV in a Rheinmetall facility in Germany

Source: Rheinmetall

Last but not least, the Royal Netherlands Army took over the first of 60 Boxer command post vehicles on the 31. of July. The command post vehicle will be the third version of the Boxer to enters service with the Dutch army. The engineering vehicle version and the cargo transport version of the Boxer will enter service in 2016.

Source: ARTEC Boxer

Boxer news

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.

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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.

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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).