The British Army will receive the Boxer-based Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm Wheeled Artillery System (RCH 155) for its Mobile Fires Platform as part of a joint programme with Germany.
Manufactured by German defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the RCH 155 is a highly mobile, armoured wheeled howitzer with unmanned fully automated and remote-controlled Artillery Gun Module (AGM) mounted on the Boxer chassis.
The British Army’s Mobile Fires Platform programme was established to replace the AS-90 self-propelled tracked howitzer which has been in service with the British Army since 1992 and has an expected out-of-service date of 2032.
Lieutenant-General Dame Sharon Nesmith DCB, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, said: “I am very proud that we have the opportunity to collaborate with Germany to develop RCH 155 as the British Army’s Mobile Fires Platform.”
“It not only presents an invaluable opportunity to work alongside our vital ally Germany, but also demonstrates our clear commitment to and leadership role within NATO.”
“RCH 155 will provide a worldclass 155mm self-propelled artillery gun system to the Royal Artillery – an excellent strategic fit with the British Army of the future.”
The joint industrial programme between the UK and Germany builds on years of successful cooperation on land systems. This includes the UK’s joint amphibious M3 bridging capability, Challenger 3 tank turret technology and munitions, as well as other Boxer variants that will be produced in the UK.
This programme is expected to create hundreds of jobs in both countries and provide both nations’ armed forces with much-needed capabilities for future ground warfare. The first RCH 155 systems are expected to be fielded by the British Army before the end of the decade.
The Boxer is an 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicle with a modular design that allows for a greater number of variants than any other vehicle system. The British Army has ordered four types of variants including Infantry Carrying Vehicles, Command & Control, Field Ambulance and Specialist Carrier variants.
In 2019, the UK Ministry of Defence placed an order for 523 Boxer vehicles. In April 2022, the order was increased by an additional 100 vehicles.
