News Review: Boxer trialled Down Under | ADM May 2010
German special machinery company ARTEC, a joint Rheinmetall-KMW company formed to produce the APC referred to as MRAV and now known as Boxer, was trialled in Australia during February and March.
To test Boxer and further test the personnel who will drive it, trials were conducted in the February desert heat of Woomera and then the humidity of Townsville's High Range testing and proving grounds.
Chief of Mission Colonel Michael Theisen was ably assisted by Lieutenant Colonel Stefan Heydt for the six weeks involved.
The modular Boxer comes in nine variants, with various body configurations (mission modules).
Essentially, Boxer is an eight-wheel drive armoured personnel and equipment carrier, with the 27-inch combat wheels independently suspended by long-throw coil springs, with the four forward wheels all providing turning.
With a 1000-litre fuel tank and on-board supplies for over 100 man-days (10 days with a full 11-crew complement), including toilet facilities, the Boxer can survive just about anywhere.
A KMW FLW200 R/C 50 cal machine gun or 40mm grenade launcher support its survivability characteristics.
Of importance was the way the crew handled the conditions.
Half-inch steel armour protects the drive train, top and sides, with V-shaped hull deflecting blast.
A recovery team has up to 10 days to recover the vehicle and crew, and so many of the tests just involved Boxer and crew sitting in the sun, quietly being baked; just to see how uncomfortable it would really be in a conflict zone.
For the technically interested in the Land 400 context, Boxer has a 530kW V8 engine produced by MTU, 7-speed power-shift gearbox, and this can push Boxer's 33 tonnes along at over 100kph on bitumen.
Designed to keep up with a Leopard 2 in cross-country travel, the German Army team pushed the two trial vehicles close to the limits, including managing a roll-over.
There was barely a scratch to its special non-reflective paint and the 50-cal took the load without issue.
Disclaimer: ADM wishes to thank the Bundeswehr team, especially the Chief of Mission and Head of Press, for their assistance and cooperation during testing times.