BELFAST — Germany and the Netherlands will acquire scores of additional RCT30 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles from a joint venture of KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall under a collaborative armament program.
Berlin is to receive a further 35 vehicles, on top of 150 units already on order, with the Hague buying an additional 34 vehicles, building out a total of 106 in all, according to a KNDS statement. It did not disclose a contract value but noted that this top up order exercises an option under a €4.7 billion ($5.4 billion) 2025 contract, for 222 systems.
The deal was commissioned by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), a European procurement agency that manages collaborative weapons programs.
“Joint procurement of a system and the resulting higher production volumes not only enable faster deliveries,” Florian Hohenwarter, CEO of KNDS Deutschland, added in the statement. “It also has a direct, positive impact on training and logistics and guarantees interoperability between the [German and Dutch] armed forces.”
KNDS said it has developed the Boxer RCT30 as the “backbone” of Germany’s new “Medium Forces,” a highly mobile category of forces that bridge the gap between light infantry and heavy armored units. Such modernization fits with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s vision of transforming the Bundeswehr into the “strongest conventional army in Europe.”Design of the land vehicle is based on the Boxer’s wheeled chassis and the Puma infantry fighting vehicle’s 30mm turret.
In German service, the Boxer RCT30 is dubbed “Schakal” and can counter drones and other aircraft. It is also equipped with Eurospike’s MELLS (Multi-Role Light Guided Missile System) anti-tank solution and can target main battle tanks.
OCCAR said in a related statement that the joint, additional vehicle procurement takes total new investment in the Boxer program to close to €6.5 billion, over the last 12 months alone.
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The deal “highlights OCCAR’s role in delivering collaborative defence programmes that strengthen interoperability, increase production efficiency, and enhance operational readiness for participating nations,” the intergovernmental organization said.
Earlier this year, German supplier Hensoldt announced it received a contract from KNDS, valued at around €290 million, to equip Schakal vehicles with 288 digital optronics sets.
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