Troopers from of 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) tested the capability of the Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicle (CRV) against notional real-world threats using live fire at Wide Bay Training Area in March. The lethality and accuracy shown by the crews on Exercise Damascus reinforced the advantages of the new platform. Throughout the exercise, crews’ confidence and competence increased on the Boxer CRV, and troops are now ready to take the next step in their training. Lethality was followed by mobility, then by sustainability and C4ISR considerations. Australia’s Boxer CRV is scheduled to be filled with the Israeli Spike-LR2 anti-tank missile.
Officer Commanding A Squadron Major Katherine Clarkson said,”They’ve worked hard to help bring the Boxer CRV into use since 2021, building the technical and tactical procedures needed to employ the capability. Training to defeat an enemy with complex tactical manoeuvres was a great learning opportunity, and a demonstration of what could be achieved in the armoured vehicle. Training was enhanced by the additional sighting systems and accuracy of the Boxer CRV, and provided a real-world demonstration of our increased threat to enemy call signs in the battle space.”
A Squadron 2nd in Command Lieutenant Dane Brooks said,”Exercise Damascus provided a great opportunity for soldiers to build relationships with each other ahead of a big training year. The chance to perform dynamic battle drills and practise live-fire were also morale-boosters. Everyone always loves live fire, so that was definitely a highlight of the exercise. With a big year of training coming up, including Talisman Sabre, it was also important for the troops to get comfortable with each other and build some cohesion.”
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 Boxer vehicle is produced by the ARTEC GmbH (armoured vehicle technology) industrial group. 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. In March 2018 it was announced that Rheinmetall Defense Australia (RDA) had been selected as the preferred tenderer for Australia’s Land 400 Phase 2 project which at the time called for 211 vehicles, with a roll out of initial vehicles by 2021 and deliveries scheduled to be complete by 2026.
