Australia’s first Boxer in the mail
Australian Ambassador to Germany Lynette Wood, senior Australian military representatives and senior Rheinmetall representatives attended an official inspection ceremony yesterday in Kassel, Germany, of the first Boxer to be delivered to the Australian Army under the LAND 400 Phase 2 program.
CAPTION: Australia’s first Boxer on show in Germany before delivery to Australia. Rheinmetall photo.
The vehicle will be shipped to Australia in the coming weeks.
Once in Australia, the first few Boxer vehicles will receive a number of Australia-specific modifications before final delivery to the Army.
Modifications include installation of Australian Army-specific communications and computing equipment, a remote weapon station and Australian Army camouflage paint.
Rheinmetall will deliver 211 Boxer vehicles to the Australian Army under its contract with the Australian government, with the first vehicles scheduled to be operated by the Australian Army by the end of this year.
Boxer will enable Army to locate, monitor and engage with enemy forces and ensure Australian soldiers are protected in combat.
The vehicles will fill seven different roles on the battlefield – reconnaissance, command and control, joint fires, surveillance, multi-purpose, battlefield repair and recovery.
The reconnaissance variant – accounting for 133 of the 211 vehicles – is equipped with Rheinmetall’s cutting-edge Lance turret system and armed with a 30mm automatic cannon.
Gary Stewart, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia, said the first Boxer vehicles, built in Germany, would enable the Australian Army to develop training programs for soldiers who will operate the vehicles out of bases in Townsville, Adelaide and Brisbane.
Armin Papperger, Corporate CEO Rheinmetall AG, said work on these first vehicles in Germany would help Rheinmetall transition the know-how necessary to establish a sovereign military-vehicle industry in Australia and enable the local manufacture of combat vehicles.
“This, in turn, will underpin Rheinmetall’s enduring partnership with the Australian government to design, manufacture, deliver, support and modernise this world-leading capability,” Mr Papperger said.
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