Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) joint venture has launched production of Boxer armored vehicles for the British Army.

March 27 marked the day that RBSL’s Telford plant officially began production of key components of this vehicle.

It is currently known that the Boxer programme will supply more than 600 vehicles to the British Army.

“Not only will the delivery of Boxer provide the British Army with a complete step-change in capability to meet their MIV requirement, it will also protect vital engineering and manufacturing skills as a sovereign capability to the UK and we are incredibly proud to be a part of this milestone, alongside our partners in WFEL,” Colin McClean, RBSL Managing Director said.

Their production has been subcontracted equally between RBSL and Stockport-based WFEL. Both companies will undertake fabrication of the armoured vehicle structures together with assembly, integration and testing of the complete vehicles at their respective facilities.

RBSL has invested £40 million into its manufacturing facilities so that the company can deliver next generation military vehicles and essential in-service support.

The investment includes installation of system integration labs which will support both Boxer and the British Army’s Challenger 3 Main Battle Tanks through life with appropriate updates and upgrades.

The company has also received new cranes, welding equipment and other special appliances, as well as new test facilities, including a 1.6-kilometer test track and a turret test rig.

In total, the UK is known to have ordered 623 Boxer armoured vehicles in various variants. The value of the first deal, announced in November 2019, is £2.8 billion.

As previously reported, the intentions of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain to return to the Boxer MIV (Boxer mechanized infantry vehicle) development program were made public in April 2018.

It is expected that the first vehicles will be ready for operation in 2023.

The Boxer is a German-Dutch 8×8 wheeled multirole armoured fighting vehicle with a modular design that allows for the placement of a variety of weapons, including combat modules of various types and weapons, as well as other equipment.