Ground Warfare

German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M

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German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M
German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M

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The German Air Force’s 62 Transport Squadron (Lufttransportgeschwader 62) Airbus A400M are carried out to determine whether a Boxer armored vehicle can be loaded and lashed. Up until now, it was only brought to a foreign mission by land transport or in the belly of an Antonov An-124, but now the Bundeswehr wants to be able to do it with its own A400M from Wunstorf. A loading inspection is necessary here so that the transport of the armored vehicle Boxer can be approved. The Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle weighs a total of around 35 tons. However, only 32 tons are allowed to drive over the opened ramp of the A400M.

German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M
German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M

According to EATC European Air Transport Command regulations, the lashing must be able to withstand a multiple of the weight of the Boxer. In the case of the boxer, that means that the vehicle is fixed in the simulator as if it weighed 75 tonnes instead of the actual 25 tonnes. The Boxer consists of two elements: the vehicle chassis and the mission module as an attachment. Both are separated from each other for air transport. In the future, after certification, two Boxers with three A400Ms will be able to fly abroad. One chassis per aircraft and two mission modules in the third. In the Cargo Hold Trainer (CHT), the CHT looks like the cargo compartment of the A400M.

German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M
German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M

The Airbus A400M Atlas is a European four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to replace older transport aircraft, such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The A400M is between the C-130 and the Boeing C-17 in size; it can carry heavier loads than the C-130 and is able to use rough landing strips. Along with the transport role, the A400M can perform aerial refueling and medical evacuation when fitted with appropriate equipment. The German Air Force order reduced from 60 to 53 (plus 7 options), and will try to integrate 13 into an international transport alliance.

German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M
German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M

The Boxer is a multirole armoured fighting vehicle designed by an international consortium to accomplish a number of operations through the use of installable mission modules. A distinctive and unique feature of the vehicle is its composition of a drive platform module and interchangeable mission modules which allow several configurations to meet different operational requirements.Other names in use or previously used for Boxer are GTK (gepanzertes Transport-Kraftfahrzeug; armoured transport vehicle) Boxer and MRAV (multirole armoured vehicle). Other names in use or previously used for Boxer are GTK (gepanzertes Transport-Kraftfahrzeug; armoured transport vehicle) Boxer and MRAV (multirole armoured vehicle).

German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M
German Air Force Tests Loading of Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle in A400M
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