British Army signs contract for 500 x Boxer 8x8

[GMK]

 

 

https://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/boxer-armoured-vehicle/

[spruecutter96]

Call me cynical, but this design looks like a serious RPG-magnet to me. Still, it has to be a huge improvement over the FV-432. 

 

Chris.  

[GMK]

2 hours ago, spruecutter96 said:

Call me cynical, but this design looks like a serious RPG-magnet to me. Still, it has to be a huge improvement over the FV-432. 

 

Chris.  

Interesting perspective. What vehicle design wouldn’t, in your opinion, constitute a serious RPG magnet? 

[Kingsman]

1 hour ago, spruecutter96 said:

Call me cynical, but this design looks like a serious RPG-magnet to me. Still, it has to be a huge improvement over the FV-432.

Bearing in mind that it is an all-metal vehicle and that any variety of RPG 7 or 16 will go through 300mm+ of RHA.  A Javelin can manage 540mm.  I believe the baseline requirement is protection against 14.5mm front and side.

 

Doubtless it will end up sporting slat/cage and possibly composite applique add-on modules.  Germany didn't up-armour their Boxers in Afghanistan, but then they didn't venture out as much or as far as UK forces and were in a generally safer area.

 

The choice we came very close to selecting back in 2007 under FRES was effectively the Piranha V as recently bought by Denmark in preference to Boxer.  An equally vast slab-sided wagon which is 50% taller than the M113s it will replace.  I remember it being said at a high level that we would never buy back into Boxer because of the political embarrassment over the £48M+ we'd spent on it for nothing.  I guess it embarrasses less more than a decade later.......................

 

The announcement breaks the convention that such major public investment decisions are not made in the few months before an election, but I guess the argument would be that an election and its date were uncertain.

 

Piranha III and AMV users are realising that they don't have the necessary survivability and weight growth potential, as FRES identified more than a decade ago, and that being able to fly such a vehicle in a C130 is an impossible contradiction.  Modern infantrymen also now occupy significantly more width and height inside the vehicle, especially with suspended seating over double floors.  We will undoubtedly see the rise of significantly larger 8x8s like Boxer and Piranha V.  The Russian Bumerang isn't exactly pocket-sized.

[AntPhillips]

2 hours ago, Das Abteilung said:

I remember it being said at a high level that we would never buy back into Boxer because of the political embarrassment over the £48M+ we'd spent on it for nothing.  I guess it embarrasses less more than a decade later.......................

 

The announcement breaks the convention that such major public investment decisions are not made in the few months before an election, but I guess the argument would be that an election and its date were uncertain.

 

 

It sounds like there's a get out clause, so should a new government "decide to take a different position" on the contract, this saga could yet run and run 😟

[spruecutter96]

8 hours ago, GMK said:

Interesting perspective. What vehicle design wouldn’t, in your opinion, constitute a serious RPG magnet? 

Your point is taken, GMK. If your opponents have effective RPG's, they will obviously put them to very good use. 

 

Chris. 

[Rangerboy83]

Rather be in a Boxer than a 432 any day of the week. Long over due getting Platforms like this for the British Army. Seeing how it’s a off the shelf buy shouldn’t take too long getting it into service with the Field Army. Unlike some other projects. 🤔

[GMK]

DE&S can’t help themselves. They’ll *have* to tweak it. 
 

Apparently no driver-training modules or simulators are in this buy.