Boxer APC to Deploy to Afghanistan in August 2011

The first German Army unit equipped with Boxer armored vehicles is undergoing training prior to its first deployment in Afghanistan, this year. Photo: German Army, Volker Jung

March 27, 2011 by Tamir Eshel DEFENSE UPDATE

The first Boxer armored personnel carriers (Gepanzertes Transport-Kraftfahrzeug – GTK) have arrived at Donaueschingen Germany in February 2011 to equip the 292 Jägerbattalion (light infantry battalion), in preparation for the unit’s deployment to Afghanistan by August this year. The battalion will dispatch a platoon with four vehicles to be deployed to Mazar-e-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan, as part of the German training and protection battalion. Last year the Boxer went through a successful operational evaluation in Australia, which paved the way for the deployment decision. According to infantry officers training with the vehicles, the first experience with the Boxer is positive with the vehicle described as ‘robust, impressive and offering a high level of protection and mobility’. Driver orientation courses are currently underway at the driver training school in Dornstadt, where seven Driver Training Vehicles (DTV) were received in 2010.