The first batch of Australian-made, German-designed Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles have rolled off the assembly line in Queensland.
Rheinmetall’s factory at Redbank is set to build 211 advance armoured vehicles for the Australian Army as well as 100 for the Germans under a $1bn deal.
“We proudly welcome the first seven Australian-built Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles, a world-class capability forged with Australian expertise and Australian steel to protect our soldiers on operations,” Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said on Friday.
“Rheinmetall Defence Australia, their industry partners and a highly skilled Aussie workforce have partnered to deliver this homegrown capability for our ADF.
“But this partnership with Rheinmetall also shows how closely Germany and Australia are working together on critical military capabilities.”
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says the Boxers show ‘how closely Germany and Australia are working together on critical military capabilities’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
The announcement came as Mr Conroy and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius toured several facilities, including the Rheinmetall plant, in the greater Brisbane area.
They also witnessed the signing of a letter of intent between the Department of Defence and German warhead maker TDW in a bid to bolster guided weapons manufacturing in Australia.
Defence and TDW agreed to look at building and maintaining advanced warheads in Australia.
The Albanese government has committed up to $21bn over the decade to rapidly establish a sovereign Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise as Australia navigates the “greatest regional arms race since 1945”, as Mr Conroy has described it.
Mr Pistorius is in the country on a mission to deepen defence ties between Berlin and Canberra amid the war raging in Ukraine and growing Chinese militarism in the Indo-Pacific.
Germany is looking to buy Australia’s Ghost Bats. Picture: Picture: Defence
On Thursday he and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles agreed to work toward a status of forces agreement, which would make it easier for defence personnel from both countries to be stationed in each other’s territory.
They also agreed strength co-operation in space, with Mr Pistorius warning China and Russia “are able to jam, blind or deploy kinetic energy weapons or to destroy satellites”.
During his trip, Mr Pistorius and his delegation were briefed on the Australian designed Ghost Bat – an uncrewed, stealth fighter jet.
Germany is one of several countries looking to buy.
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