British Army Receives First UK-Built Boxer Armoured Vehicle
The British Army’s first domestically built Boxer armoured vehicle has now been delivered to the Army, marking a significant milestone in its £5 billion ($6.8 billion) modernization program. Produced by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) at its new facility in Telford, it was formally handed over in early August 2025 and then transported to the training unit at Bovington for use as a training platform. This vehicle is the first British-built vehicle of 623 Boxers ordered by Britain, a fleet of eight-wheeled, protected carriers that will serve the Army’s future mechanised infantry. Boxers can be quickly reconfigured for various roles, including troop transport, command posts, ambulances, and artillery support.
This program is also giving a major boost to British industry. About three-quarters of Boxer parts are sourced from UK suppliers, and production is now underway at both RBSL’s new factory in Telford and WFEL’s facility in Stockport. The Ministry of Defence notes that the program supports approximately 400 jobs at those two sites and over 1,000 jobs within the broader UK supply chain. RBSL invested £56 million to modernize the Telford site into an advanced production line with new assembly bays and armor workshops. The Boxer project also aligns with the UK government’s “Plan for Change” industrial strategy. It runs alongside the Ajax AFV and Challenger 3 tank programs. Together, these modernization efforts are expected to create or sustain over 6,000 jobs in the UK defense sector.
Boxer is designed to rapidly deploy soldiers and equipment to their designated positions on the battlefield. The vehicle features a 360-degree camera and sensor system that can detect nearby threats and send alerts to the crew via digital displays. It has a remote weapon station capable of mounting either a heavy machine gun or an automatic grenade launcher.
With this first UK-built Boxer now in service, British soldiers will begin training on it while additional vehicles arrive. Deliveries are expected to continue throughout this decade, with the entire fleet of 623 Boxers in service by 2030 to modernize Britain’s mechanized infantry brigades.