Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann have been awarded a contract by the Bundeswehr to supply 131 GTK Boxer armored transport vehicles. The total volume of the order amounts to €476 million.
The international procurement agency Occar has now commissioned Artec GmbH – a joint venture between Rheinmetall and KMW – to supply 131 GTK Boxers in the “Group Transport Vehicle (GTFz)” variant on behalf of the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support. Delivery is scheduled for the period 2017 to 2020. In 2006, Artec had already contracted 272 Boxers for the Bundeswehr, the last of which will be handed over to the troops in March 2016. These are the command, medical, driving school and group transport vehicle variants. The Netherlands is also a partner in the cross-border Boxer program; they have a total of 200 vehicles under contract and use the additional variants, including the pioneer group vehicle and another van version. Thanks to its adapted composite armor, the Boxer is one of the best-protected 8×8 combat vehicles in the world. The armored wheeled vehicle offers the crew a high level of protection against mines, booby traps and shelling and is characterized by high mobility both on the road and in the toughest terrain. Thanks to its MTU turbodiesel engine with 530 kW (720 hp), the Boxer reaches a top speed of 103 km/h with a combat weight of up to 36.5 tons. The modular concept consisting of a drive and mission module also offers a high degree of flexibility and versatility. In the group transport vehicle variant, the Boxer serves as a “mother ship” for ten soldiers. It is armed with a remote-controlled FLW 200 light weapon station with a 40mm grenade launcher or heavy 12.7mm machine gun. Operational experience in Afghanistan has shown that the Boxer contributes significantly to the infantry group’s endurance and mobility. The positive operational experience with the GTK Boxer was one of the decisive factors for the order that has now been placed.
