The British Army will receive 100 extra armoured Boxer vehicles, ensuring more vehicles reach the frontline faster and bolstering the programme to a total of 623, as the UK maintains defence ties with Germany, the Prime Minister has announced yesterday.
Boxer production for the British Army is underway. The first 117 vehicles are being built on German production lines, as UK facilities in Telford and Stockport ramp up for the remaining 506 and begin manufacture. The first Boxer vehicles will arrive in units from 2023, with the overall programme protecting up to 1,000 jobs nationally, enhancing skill sets and creating an ambitious UK apprenticeship scheme.
army.mod.uk
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: «In these difficult times, our deep defence partnership offers reassurance to our people and the wider world, while also ensuring we are ready to respond to new threats. This joint programme will ensure our militaries have state-of-the-art equipment as the very foundations of European peace and security."
The UK announced in 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme with OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement / Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) to explore options to modernise its vehicle fleet to meet the Army’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle requirement. These extra vehicles will be produced in both UK and Germany whilst full production transfers to the UK. Production will source and sustain expertise and components from the already maturing and expanding UK supply chain, supporting the initial batch of 523 placed in 2019.
