Land Forces 2026: Rheinmetall advances dual Boxer production

The Australian Army displayed this Boxer Block II combat reconnaissance vehicle equipped with a Lance 2.0 turret at Land Forces 2026. (Gordon Arthur)

Rheinmetall Defence Australia is producing Australian and German Boxer 8x8 armoured vehicles concurrently at its Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) near Brisbane, while continuing deliveries to the Australian Army under the Land 400 Phase 2 programme.

The Australian Army is acquiring 211 Boxers under a contract signed in August 2018, and Nathan Poyner, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia, told Janes at Land Forces 2026 in Perth that “deliveries have been under way for quite a while now” and “are continuing according to the scheduled plan”.

The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) previously told Janes , “Rheinmetall Defence Australia continues to see impacts from global events, including continuing volatility of the global supply chain. Through close collaboration with RDA, delays to Land 400 Phase 2 interim milestones are being intensively managed to ensure the delivery of this key capability for army.”

Poyner highlighted the extensive use of Boxers at the School of Armour in Puckapunyal, and ongoing deliveries to the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment in the Brisbane-based 7th Brigade. “We're just continuing to deliver and ramp up our production,” he said. Nonetheless, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in the Townsville-based 3rd Brigade will not replace its ASLAVs with Boxers until 2028.

Steady production

Poyner described Project Land 400 Phase 2 as “a really technically complex programme” that includes six Block II variants exclusive to Australia. He added, “Development of five of them are complete, and we're just going through the final stages of the last one.”