Army Technology

UK government says it cannot project IOC for Boxer AMV and RCH 155

The government's stance at odds with information revealed in September, which disclosed projected timelines for both programmes.

The UK government has declined to provide an expected initial operating capability (IOC) and minimum deployable capability (MDC) for its respective Boxer AMV 120mm mortar and RCH 155 artillery platforms, despite timelines for both programmes having previously been reported.

Responding to a UK parliamentary question on 11 November, Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement at the Ministry of Defence (MoD), stated that an IOC or MDC for the Boxer AMV and RCH 155 “could not be projected at this time “.

However, Army Technology reported in September that the 120mm mortar Boxer AMV variant was anticipated to reach an IOC of 2030, with the MDC for the RCH 155 coming in 2029, according to British Army officials speaking at the DVD 2024 event at UTAC Millbrook in September.

The full operating capability for what was termed the MFP, or Mobile Fires Platform – which is the RCH 155 artillery system – was set at mid-2031.

It was understood that these timeframes were not set in stone, with even the wider introduction of the more basic mechanised infantry vehicle variant Boxer potentially extending to the right.

AMV stands for Armoured Mortar Variant, and sees the installation of a Patria NEMO 120mm mortar into the Boxer vehicle. Credit: Patria

According to Eagle, the difference in terminology between the Boxer AMV and RCH 155 self-propelled howitzer (SPH), which both use the Boxer 8x8 as a base platform, is due to the former being a project within the overall Boxer programme, thus using the IOC acronym.

However, with the RCH 155 falling under the Mobile Fires Platform project and thus part of the Close Support Fires Programme, the MDC term is applied.

“Therefore, an estimated IOC or MDC for either variant cannot be projected at this time,” Eagle said.

Boxer AMV and RCH 155

The Boxer AMV and RCH 155 are both effectively combat capability variants of the Boxer 8x8 wheeled vehicle, incorporating different modules, with the former using a Patria 120mm turreted mortar and the latter a remotely operated 155mm artillery gun system.

Both platforms are part of a wider effort by the British Army to increase its mobile fire support capability, with lessons being learned in observing combat operations between Ukraine and Russia giving renewed emphasis on the need for improved lethality among the service.

Mobility has been an emphasis of the UK’s choice for the RCH, with an 8×8 wheeled option offering commonality with British Army's growing Boxer fleet. Credit: KNDS

The RCH 155 SPH programme is being jointly developed between Germany and the UK, and will replace what is left of the British Army’s AS90 155mm ‘Braveheart’ artillery which have mostly been donated to Ukraine.

However, the Boxer AMV would provide a new capability as the British Army currently does not have a mobile mortar vehicle, which would be used to support troops at the tactical level, requiring a high rate of fire and mobility.

Patria states that its NEMO 120mm mortar is able to achieve a maximum rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute and allows for firing on the move from the Boxer vehicle out to a range of up to 10km.