The procurement of a machine cannon boxer for the direct tactical fire support of the German infantry units has now cleared another hurdle. On March 23, the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Defense Thomas Hitschler and the Australian Armaments Minister Pat Conroy signed a cooperation agreement on the intended procurement of more than 100 so-called heavy infantry weapon carriers, as announced by the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg).
Together with the light, airmobile forces (parts of the infantry) and the heavy, assertive forces (Panzergrenadier and armored troops), the medium, self-deployable forces should form the future range of capabilities of the army. The core of these forces is provided by the Jägertruppe, which, according to the army, should be given significantly more assertiveness in combat with the heavy weapon carriers infantry, which are to replace the around 30-year-old Wiesel MK and Wiesel TOW/MELLS. Each battalion is to receive twelve of these combat vehicles - four per platoon - the procurement of which is the core building block for the establishment of the new force category.
According to the statement by the BMVg, the common goal of the cooperation agreement is that the supply of the first vehicles will begin as early as 2025. In order to keep to this tight schedule, parliamentary approval should be obtained as soon as possible after the contract is ready. The project is financed from the special fund, where two billion euros are currently deposited for the project.
According to a report released at the same time by the Australian Ministry of Defense, the combat vehicles will be produced in Australia. There, on March 20, domestic production of the first boxers in the Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle Block II (CRV) variant for the Australian army began. In the newly built Rheinmetall plant in Ipswich, Queensland, a total of 186 boxers in different variants are to be manufactured for the Australian army.
The German army has a total requirement of 128 heavy weapon carriers infantry. In order for the first vehicles to arrive in 2025, observers of the project assume that Australia could transfer blocked production capacities to Germany.
New driving module
The heavy infantry weapon carrier is based on the CRV-Boxer Block II, which has a driving module that has not yet been introduced in the Bundeswehr. In the Bundeswehr, the Boxer was delivered in the original version (A0) with a permissible total weight of 36.5 tons and a 530 kW MTU diesel engine (MTU 8V 199 TE 20). Due to the changed threat and with the first findings from operation, the mine protection under the hull and in the wheel housings was strengthened. A new driver vision system and partial equipment relocation (eg, tow rope) improve the military driver's work environment. Changes to the cooling air and exhaust gas routing contribute to reducing the signature. With these changes, the version designation developed up to A2. This configuration is now standard in the Bundeswehr. However, this is not sufficient for the heavy infantry weapon carrier, as the vehicle will have a higher combat weight due to the turret. For Australia, the permissible total weight has been increased to 38.5 tons. The reinforced version can be recognized, among other things, by new wheels and more durable tyres.
arming
In this version, the future heavy infantry carrier will have a Rheinmetall Lance 2 Block II manned turret. The armament consists of a 30 mm x 173 caliber MK30-2 machine gun, known from the Puma infantry fighting vehicle, and an FN MAG turret machine gun with a 7.62 mm x 51 caliber MELLS (Multi-Role Light Guided Missile System).
In addition, observers of the project assume that certain adjustments will have to be made when the CRV Boxer is integrated into the Bundeswehr, since the original vehicle was developed and configured to meet the needs of the Australian armed forces. It is therefore unclear whether the current version of the vehicle will meet all the standards for operation in the German armed forces. In addition, there will certainly have to be differences in the configuration of the mission module in the area of radio connection.
Waldemar Geiger
Related topics
Heavy Weapons Carrier Infantry: Choice made Australia ordered 211 Boxer Boxer production begins in Australia Rheinmetall competence center in Australia The Bundeswehr is to receive 111 more Puma infantry fighting vehicles Reorganization of the army begins on April 1st First boxer goes on the trip to Australia Australia – Boxer CRV wheeled armored vehicle achieves initial operational readiness Australia and France enter into a strategic partnership via Naval Group