Australia to ship Boxer armoured combat vehicle to Germany

According to reports, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that Germany will receive 100 Boxer armoured fighting vehicles from Australia. 

Under a $1 billion agreement, Australia will export to Germany more than 100 Boxer heavy weapon carrier vehicles made in Brisbane beginning in 2025. 

Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRVs) with eight-by-eight wheels will be manufactured by Rheinmetall Defence Australia at its Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Brisbane. 

The move is significant on multiple levels, according to John Blaxland, Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University (ANU). 

The war in Ukraine has compelled European nations to replenish their military equipment, so the agreement to export German military technology back to Germany comes at a critical time. 

German defence worker for employment Rheinmetall started making the battle observation vehicle in northeastern Qld in Spring, under an agreement to supply 211 vehicles to the Australian military, making 1,000 positions more than 10 years. 

The choice has been lauded by the previous Australian state leader Paul Keating, who said Nato was wandering from its expected reason as a European and US alliance. 

The Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy and his German partner, the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defence Thomas Hitschler marked a Letter of Participation and started proper discussions to send out the vehicles. 

“This will increase our defence capability and boost our economy, this is a great outcome and it’s the first outcome of quite a few that we have ready to announce tomorrow with our friends here in Germany.” said Albanese. 

Albanese is in Berlin to examine defence and exchange with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. 

 On Tuesday, he will go to a summit of NATO pioneers in Lithuania, to which Australia has been welcomed as an Indo-Pacific Four accomplice, alongside Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. 

Delivery is expected to begin in 2025.