At Bovington, soldiers will learn to drive, operate, and maintain the new 8×8 vehicle, which is expected to play a central role in the Army’s future force. The delivery forms part of a £5 billion investment for 623 Boxer vehicles in various configurations to equip future mechanised infantry units.
The Boxer offers modularity, high mobility, and improved protection, with about 75 per cent of components sourced from within the UK. Production is now underway at RBSL in Telford and WFEL in Stockport, supporting around 400 direct jobs in those locations and over 1,000 in the wider UK supply chain.
Some initial manufacturing will continue in Germany as production capacity grows in Britain, in line with government plans to strengthen domestic industrial resilience. Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle said the programme “delivers both cutting-edge capability for our soldiers and high-value industrial benefits at home.”
The UK Boxer project runs alongside the procurement of 148 Challenger 3 tanks and the Ajax family of tracked reconnaissance vehicles. Collectively, the three programmes are expected to create and sustain more than 6,000 defence manufacturing jobs nationwide.
