Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry, and his German counterpart, Thomas Hitschler, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defence, have signed a Letter of Cooperation to begin official negotiations to manufacture the Boxer heavy weapon carrier vehicles in Queensland for export to Germany.
This positions Australia a step closer to finalising a major deal to provide Boxer heavy weapon carrier vehicles to the German Army, according to a news release by the Australian government.
Once the deal is finalised, Rheinmetall would use the production capabilities at its Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Brisbane to build more than 100 Boxer heavy weapon carrier vehicles for Germany.
As part of what might be one of Australia’s largest defence export contracts, Minister Conroy stated that the government was “excited about the prospect of Boxers for the German Army being built in Brisbane, using suppliers across Australia.”
“We are keen to export this world-leading capability to a trusted and respected security partner, and to further strengthen the defence relationship between our countries,” Conroy remarked.
Defence will now enter into official negotiations with the German Ministry of Defence and Rheinmetall to create suitable legal and commercial arrangements.
In a recent media statement, the Queensland government stated that the first 25 Boxer CRVs, partially constructed in Germany, attained Initial Operating Capability in mid-October 2022, following thorough testing and live exercises.
It also detailed that this possible export opportunity shows off the top-notch defence capabilities of Australia and is expected to boost employment and extend the production ceiling for Boxer CRVs at the MILVEHCOE.
