Oxley Group has solidified its position as the leader in the worldwide vehicle lighting market after being awarded a contract worth about £1.39M by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) for LED lighting for the British Army’s upgraded Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank (MBT).
The Oxley Group will supply internal cabin lighting, breach lighting, and task lighting for a particular program. Manufacturing for this project will begin in 2025. Oxley’s recent success in securing the LED lighting contract for the UK MoD’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) program ensures that there will be consistency in the internal lighting for both platforms.
The Oxley Group’s Ulverston site in Cumbria will handle the complete design and production of the lighting. The company has a proficient workforce of 150 engineers, production technicians, and support staff at the site. Winning this contract will promote more expansion and safeguard crucial manufacturing skills in the UK, which includes the 14 apprentices currently undergoing training in the company.
RBSL is set to upgrade 148 Challenger 2 MBTs, resulting in significant improvements and a world-class capability for the British Army. The upgraded version, called Challenger 3, is a digital MBT that is network-enabled and includes state-of-the-art lethality, surveillance, and target acquisition capabilities.
As part of the contract, the tanks will be fitted with Oxley lighting solutions, known for their high-build quality, high performance, and compliance with strict EMC and power standards. Oxley has extensive experience in producing LED lighting designed for military vehicle applications with excellent optical performance and advanced technical characteristics.
Darren Cavan, Oxley Group CEO said: “We’re delighted to be awarded this contract, this builds on the success we have achieved on the MIV Boxer vehicle and further cements our world leading position in the provision of high-performance lighting for military vehicles. This contract gives us long term stability, protecting jobs and enabling us to further invest in technology and process improvements. We look forward to working in partnership with the RSBL team as this programme develops.”
Colin McClean, Managing Director of RBSL added: “This contract is the latest in a series of UK supplier contracts awarded by RBSL for Challenger 3, ensuring the programme benefits from the best of British engineering and manufacturing whilst also sustaining valuable skills across the country.
“We are very pleased to welcome Oxley Group to the Challenger team and we look forward to working with them as the programme progresses.”
