Lord Jim wrote:Well at least there will be a reason to push the trials forward at a pace so that the vehicles could be in service by 2025. Then again we could go with something already cleared/certified for use such as the Lance-R remote turret by Rheinmetall. This would still allow the vehicle to carry between six and eight dismounts whereas installing a manned turret mounting the CT40 would reduce this ti four. This is what the Australians and Germans have accepted by their adoption of the manned version of the Lance turret. The alternative if we really want to have the CT40 on the Boxers to create an IFV would be to use the remote turret designed by Nexter which like the Lance can also hold two ATGW. However this has also not been certified for Boxer but it does actually work reliably, so probably a similar delay but we keep the higher number of dismounts. So;
1st Choice - Lance-R.
2nd Choice - Nexter remote CT40 Turret.
3rd Choice - LM Turret designed for WCSP.
We could then use the CT40 guns for a number of Sky Ranger SPAA turrets, again already certified on Boxer, and we are going to need around 120 of these to provide the necessary cover for our Ground Troops, so with spares etc the 200 we have should cover it.
It is interesting that the Dutch are testing the M230LF 30mm fitted on a EOS/RWS on Boxer. This system and weapons fit is claimed by ESO to be able to hit moving targets from a moving vehicle at 2000 meters this RWS is also capable of taking 2 ATGW's
Now we know that the UK has gone for the RS4 RWS which is capable of taking 12.7 or 40mm AGL plus Javelin however if we were to also have RS6 as well which allows 30mm and 7.62 plus Javelin or Stinger at the same time this could allow a Boxer Battalion to look like
20 x APC fitted with RS4 / RWS with 12.7 mm Plus 2 x Javelin ATGW's
20 x APC fitted with RS4 / RWS with 40mm AGL plus 2 x Javelin
20 x APC fitted with RS6 / RWS with 30 mm and 7.62 mm Plus 2 x LMM
9 x 120mm Nemo
20 x fitted with 40mm turret
this would be a hard hitting force in my book with the APC still able to carry up to 8 dismounts