Rheinmetall Will Deliver Vehicles 2019-2026
On 17 August Rheinmetall announced that the Australian government has signed the contract, first announced in March, for 211 BOXER 8×8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRV). The contract, valued at A$3.3 billion (€2.1 billion), calls for Rheinmetall to deliver the vehicles between 2019-2026.
The selection of the BOXER CRV ensures Rheinmetall will play a key role in the comprehensive modernisation of Australia’s armed forces. “This demonstrates, in no uncertain terms, the continued successful cooperation between Rheinmetall and the government and armed forces of Australia,” commented Rheinmetall AG’s CEO, Armin Papperger. “As a company, we are extremely pleased to have secured one of the biggest orders in the recent history of Rheinmetall.”
BOXER is already in service with, or being procured by, the armed forces of Germany, the Netherlands and Lithuania. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will introduce several versions, with the reconnaissance variant – accounting for 133 of the 211 vehicles – equipped with Rheinmetall’s cutting-edge LANCE turret system and armed with a 30mm automatic cannon.
The BOXER CRV was selected after rigorous trials conducted by the ADF. Under the LAND 400 Phase 2 selection process, BOXER was chosen in 2016 as one of two candidates for Risk Mitigation Activity trials, in which the 8×8 vehicle performed convincingly in the categories of survivability, mobility, firepower, and command and control.
Rheinmetall is co-operating closely with Australian defence industry, having established a strong, highly effective in-country team. A significant share of the industrial value added during production of the BOXER will occur in Australia, where more than 40 local companies will be included in the programme.
“The BOXER CRV is highly protected against both asymmetric threats that have been faced by Australian soldiers in recent operations, while also being highly protected against conventional battlefield threats that our soldiers may face one day in a conventional war-fighting scenario,” observed Head of Rheinmetall Vehicle Systems Division, Ben Hudson, adding that the vehicle is the most capable, survivable and adaptable field-armoured fighting vehicle available today.
Production of Australian BOXERs will take place in a dedicated new facility in Queensland in partnership with the Queensland government. “This will allow us to establish a sovereign military vehicle industry in Australia that will underpin the enduring partnership with the government to design, manufacture, deliver, support and modernise this world-leading capability,” commented Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing Director, Gary Stewart.
