Rheinmetall is currently bringing another 27 Boxer command vehicles of the German Army up to the latest A2 standard. Germany’s Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) awarded the order at the end of January 2021. The vehicles feature a full panoply of radio equipment and advanced C4I systems. The 27 vehicles are to undergo modernization at the Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH plant in Kassel, Rheinmetall’s centre of excellence for tactical wheeled vehicles. Now official, the latest order forms a sequel to the modernization to A2 status of the first lot of 38 Boxer command vehicles that commenced in 2017. Work is set to begin in March 2021, with return of the vehicles to the Bundeswehr slated to take place during the 2022-2024 timeframe. For Rheinmetall, the order is worth a figure in the lower two-digit million-euro range.
The upgrade to A2 status encompasses an extensive array of modernization measures, including (among other things) the driver’s visualization system; the exhaust emission and air-conditioning ducts; the towing gear; the driver’s station; the headlight technology; as well as software and system security modifications. In addition, the vehicle’s satellite communications capability, voice and data transmission and IT equipment will all be improved. The command vehicle, or FüFz in German military parlance, is one of four variants of the tried-and-tested, high-mobility Boxer armoured transport vehicle currently in service with the Bundeswehr. The FüFz is found in mechanized formations, where it serves as a mobile tactical operations centre or command post. The current combat performance upgrade of the second lot will ensure that the Bundeswehr’s entire fleet of 65 Boxer command vehicles reflects the latest tactical and technical state of the art.
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. The nations participating in the Boxer program have changed as the program has developed. The Boxer vehicle is produced by the ARTEC GmbH (armoured vehicle technology) industrial group, and the programme is being managed by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation). ARTEC GmbH is based in Munich; its parent companies are Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH and Rheinmetall Military Vehicles GmbH on the German side, and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. for the Netherlands. Overall, Rheinmetall has a 64% stake in the joint venture. Confirmed Boxer customers as of February 2020 are Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Australia and the UK. The Boxer has been produced in A0, A1 and A2 configurations. The UK will receive the A3 Boxer, and Australia is receiving an A2/A3 hybrid.