Sources the German armed forces are in talks with KNDS, the French-German firm, for the supply of approximately 100 Boxer armoured vehicles. These vehicles will be delivered to Ukraine as reported by a German daily. A first tranche of 80 vehicles will likely cost more than 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion), to be financed from the defence military’s 100-billion-euro special fund created after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Spiegel added.
A KNDS spokesperson said there was no contract at this time and declined to comment further. The possible order for 100 Boxers will probably include 80 wheeled self-propelled RCH155 howitzers, the report said, adding that the German parliament would likely vote on the deal during the fourth quarter of this year. Asked for comment, the German defence ministry said it had submitted an invitation to tender with KNDS for the Boxer and RCH155 models, but declined to elaborate on a possible deal.
The eight-wheel Boxer vehicles are more nimble than tracked tanks. The talks come after a recent order by Germany for 105 KNDS-manufactured Leopard 2 A8 tanks for 2.9 billion euros, which was reported by Reuters last month and confirmed by the defence ministry.
The defence ministry’s transaction with KNDS has wider implications because it is part of a possible framework order for over 300 Boxers that Britain and other NATO member states could draw on at a later stage, Spiegel added.
The U.S. Congress passed USD 60 billion supplemental funding for Ukraine earlier this year. Ukraine is in urgent need as its ammunition reserves, especially those of artillery and air-defence, have been dwindling. Ukraine would receive ammunition for Patriot air defence system, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from the United States. he U.S. will reprioritize planned deliveries of foreign military sales of Patriot and other missiles to go to Ukraine, which is in “desperate need” of more air defense capabilities amid its ongoing war with Russia. The Ukrainian forces will also get Additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems(HIMARS) and ammunition, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) and Javelin ATGMs besides AT-4 anti-armour rockets.
(With inputs from Reuters)
