Dutch army halts deployment of 70 boxers over suspension fault
The Dutch army has temporarily lost the use of a significant number of its Boxer armoured personnel carriers due to a suspension defect that necessitates a service campaign. The vehicles can only return to service after they have been repaired.
According to the Dutch daily newspaper "Eindhovens Dagblad," the defect was discovered in as many as 70 out of the 200 Boxer armoured personnel carriers in the Dutch army's inventory. These vehicles play a crucial role, especially as Amsterdam has recently started to focus more on the needs of its armed forces, which, for instance, have been without tanks since 2011.
Service action for Dutch armoured vehicles
A spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Defence confirmed that the defective vehicles have already been sent to two military workshops, in Oirschot and Havelt, where they began repairs on Monday, 17th February, at 15:00 GMT. These repairs are expected to last "a few weeks."
– The identified shortcomings will be addressed in cooperation with our industry as swiftly as possible, ensuring the safe reintegration of the equipment into service – stated the spokesperson.
The report reveals that the issue involves one of the bolts, which was tightened with excessive force due to the incorrect use of machinery. This led to the deformation of some chassis components, creating a risk of substantial damage when operating under heavy loads.
German-Dutch Boxer armoured personnel carrier
The Boxer is an armoured personnel carrier based on an 8x8 chassis, measuring approximately 8 metres in length. With an engine producing over 700 horsepower, it can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h. The Boxer is produced by the consortium ARTEC GmbH, which includes two companies – Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall.
It is designed following the modular architecture concept, allowing the vehicle to be adapted to specific user requirements and facilitating potential upgrades. According to information available on the official website of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, the Dutch army uses five different variants of this transporter. These include command vehicles, medical vehicles, Boxer Cargo, training vehicles, and vehicles for engineering troops.
In September 2024, Dutch authorities announced plans to purchase additional Boxer armoured personnel carriers, specifically the RCT30 variant, equipped with a 30 mm automatic cannon and a 7.62 mm machine gun.
