Germany to Receive First Australian Boxer IFVs in Mid-2026

Germany is set to receive the first Australian-made Boxer Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) in mid-2026.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius reported this to hartpunkt.

Due to limited production capacity in Germany, more than 100 of the total 123 ordered Boxer armored vehicles will be assembled in Australia. The German-made vehicles, however, are expected to arrive for the Bundeswehr as early as March.

Australia plans to complete delivery of the full batch for Germany over the next two years.

The prototype of the Australian-made Boxer IFV, handed over to the Bundeswehr in May 2024, has not yet finished the testing required for serial production.

The Boxer prototype was handed over for testing on May 2, 2024.

In total, Germany is set to receive 123 vehicles from Australia, worth around €2.7 billion. The delivery of the first 19 production vehicles was originally scheduled for 2025.

Meanwhile, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) stated that “intensive testing is currently underway to ensure compliance with the required operational criteria.”

These tests are necessary to identify and address any potential issues before the start of serial production.

The Australian-made Boxer Infantry Fighting Vehicle is based on the Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) – a wheeled reconnaissance vehicle of the Australian Defence Force, produced by Rheinmetall in Australia.

It consists of an 8×8 Boxer chassis and a two-man Lance turret, which is also used on the German Puma IFV. Its main armament includes the MK30-2 ABM autocannon and a launcher for two Spike LR missiles.

The first production Boxer CRV vehicles were manufactured in Australia in March.