British Army Demos Javelin Anti-Tank Missile With Boxer Vehicle
The British Army has demonstrated the integration of the Javelin anti-tank missile with the Boxer armored vehicle, marking a key step toward fielding the capability.
It is part of the British Army’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle program, which will enable soldiers to engage armored targets directly while remaining protected by armor.
The Javelin was integrated with Boxer’s Kongsberg RS4 Remote Weapon Station supplied by Thales in Glasgow.
The RS4 allows the integration of a range of small- and medium-caliber weapons, including a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, a 30mm automatic cannon, or guided missiles.
Javelin
Jointly developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, the man-portable guided weapon is designed to defeat heavily armored platforms, such as main battle tanks.
It features fire-and-forget technology, allowing the operator to reposition or reload immediately after firing, while its top-attack mode strikes the vehicle’s most vulnerable area.
The missile can engage targets at ranges from 65 meters (213 feet) to 4 kilometers (2.48 miles) under most operating conditions.
Moving Forward
The demonstration was conducted during the vehicle’s testing and evaluation phase, which included trials such as stowage and capacity, noise and vibration, electromagnetic compatibility, live crew clearance, fording, and battlefield mission simulations.
This comes as the British Army took delivery of its first UK-built Boxer earlier this month.
The vehicles are being built in the UK by KNDS UK in Stockport and Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land in Telford, alongside a nationwide supply chain.
It is part of a 5-billion-pound ($6.1-billion) effort to provide the British Army with 623 Boxers and 148 Challenger 3 main battle tanks, both expected to be in service by 2030.
“This trial forms part of a comprehensive testing and demonstration phase for Boxer. With vehicles now arriving from both UK and German production lines, training is set to ramp up in the coming months,” the British Army stated.
Boxer Armored Vehicle
As part of the British Army’s Strike Brigades, the wheeled 8×8 vehicle will support the swift transport of troops and mission systems to challenging battlefield conditions.
The vehicle is 7.93 meters (26 feet) long, 2.37 meters (7 feet 9 inches) high, and 2.99 meters (9 feet 10 inches) wide, with a capacity for a crew of 11.
It can reach a top speed of 103 kilometers (64 miles) per hour and operate over a range of 1,050 kilometers (652 miles).
