The Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania announced that the first phase of its procurement of Boxer infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) was completed in late 2023 with the delivery of 89 Boxer IFVs along with 2 prototype vehicles.
Designated as “Vilkas” (Wolf) in Lithuanian service, the 8×8 wheeled Boxer IFVs were manufactured by the German ARTEC consortium in accordance with the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ requirements. These vehicles come equipped with the Israeli-made Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Samson Mk II RCT turret, which mounts a fully stabilised Orbital ATK Mk 44 30mm dual-feed cannon, 7.62mm co-axial machine gun, and Spike-LR anti-tank guided missiles.
The final 23 Boxer IFVs had been due for delivery in mid-2023, however additional testing on the vehicles meant that this was delayed until late 2023.
The Minister of National Defence, Arvydas Anušauskas, recently announced that his ministry conducted intense negotiations with manufacturers in 2021-2022 to agree on system upgrades and additional test trials for the Boxer IFVs. These negotiations were necessary because the vehicles delivered in 2020 had flaws. Since the upgrades were implemented all Boxer IFVs have been operational without any restrictions since the end of 2022.
The new vehicles have fully furnished two battalions of the Mechanized Infantry Brigade “Iron Wolf” of the Lithuanian Army.
Negotiations for the second phase of procurement began in 2022, with the Ministry of National Defence planning to purchase over 120 additional Boxer IFVs for the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
