Germany in Talks to Acquire 100 Boxer Armoured Vehicles for Ukraine

Germany is negotiating to order around 100 Boxer armoured vehicles from German-French contractor KNDS for Ukraine. The first 80 vehicles would cost over €2 billion, financed by a special defence fund. The German parliament is expected to vote on the deal in Q4 2022. The deal forms part of a potential larger framework involving NATO partners.

Germany's armed forces are negotiating with German-French defence contractor KNDS to purchase approximately 100 Boxer armoured vehicles for Ukraine, newsmagazine Spiegel reported on Friday, although sources remain unspecified. The initial batch of 80 vehicles is expected to cost over €2 billion ($2.2 billion), funded by a €100-billion special defence fund established after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Spiegel added.

A spokesperson for KNDS mentioned there is no contract currently in place and declined to provide further comments. The German defence ministry was also unavailable for immediate comment. The discussed order for 100 Boxers will likely include 80 wheeled self-propelled RCH155 howitzers, with the German parliament expected to vote on the transaction during the fourth quarter of the year.

The eight-wheel Boxer vehicles are noted for their agility compared to tracked tanks. These talks follow a recent German order for 105 Leopard 2 A8 tanks from KNDS for €2.9 billion, as reported by Reuters last month and confirmed by the defence ministry on Thursday.

This transaction with KNDS carries broader implications, as it forms part of a potential larger framework order of over 300 Boxers, which Britain and other NATO member states could access at a later stage, Spiegel added. ($1 = 0.9185 euros)