British Boxer AFV Completes Javelin Integration
The British Army has announced on a recent Linkedin post that its Boxer Armoured Fighting Vehicle has successfully completed integration with the Javelin Anti-Tank Missile System after successfully passing an integration trial earlier this year.
The Javelin has been seamlessly fitted onto the Boxers RS4 remote weapon station, produced by Norwegian defence and aerospace manufacturer Kongsberg and is supplied to the British Army by Glasgow-based Thales UK. The post also described the test firing of the Javelin further:
“This achievement marks a crucial step towards fielding this powerful anti-tank missile system on Boxer and providing the British Army with the capability to fire Javelin from under armour.”
The successful integration means that British Boxers now have an Anti-Armour capability as well as being able to field the AFV with other weapon systems such as heavy machine guns and medium-caliber cannons where applicable. Training on the Javelin system for Boxer crews is set to be ‘ramped up’ in coming months, with the integration trials having formed part of a comprehensive testing phase for the AFV. Boxer was selected in the late 2010s after an initial £2.3 billion pound contract awarded to ARTEC for 523 AFVs. The British Army plans to achieve initial Boxer operational capability by the end of 2025 and full operational capability by 2032.
Boxer is produced within the UK by KNDS UK in Stockport (manufacturing the chassis) and by Rhinemetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) in Telford. The successful Javelin integration is also set to create a range of new jobs as the delivery programme is put into effect. The news also follows a recent announcement by Lockheed Martin that they are set to increase production capacity of the weapon system with the Javelin gaining renewed world wide attention in part to its usage during the ongoing war in Ukraine