Lithuania Launches Bold €400 Million Initiative for Advanced Boxer Vehicle Fleet

Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann are on the verge of providing 88 Boxer multirole armored combat vehicles to the Lithuanian military. With a valuation of around €390 million, this essential export agreement is projected to extend from 2017 to 2021. Alongside Germany and the Netherlands, Lithuania will become the third NATO member to deploy this battle-tested, robust, high-mobility combat system.

The agreement was formalized on 22 August 2016 in Vilnius through OCCAR, the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, which later tasked ARTEC GmbH—a joint venture of Rheinmetall and KMW—to deliver the Boxer vehicles. These units will be equipped as infantry fighting vehicles featuring a turret-mounted 30mm automatic cannon.

Thanks to its advanced composite armor, the Boxer is ranked among the safest 8×8 protected vehicles worldwide. It also provides outstanding mobility on and off the road, even in demanding environments. Powered by a robust 530 kW (720 HP) turbocharged diesel engine, the Boxer can reach speeds over 100 km/h while maintaining a combat weight of 36.5 tonnes. The vehicle’s modular framework—including a driver cab and mission modules—ensures remarkable adaptability and versatility.

The Bundeswehr currently operates 405 of these combat vehicles, while the Dutch military has an additional 200. Lessons learned from operations in Afghanistan highlight the Boxer’s critical importance in military logistics and mobility. Positive tactical outcomes and favorable results from Lithuanian field trials significantly influenced the Baltic nation’s choice to adopt the Boxer. The Lithuanian forces will refer to the vehicle as the Vilkas, meaning ‘wolf’.