Belgian company John Cockerill unveils the latest version of wheeled fire support vehicle based on a Boxer 8x8 armored vehicle fitted with a Cockerill Defense 3000 series turret armed with one 105mm NATO-standard tank gun.
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Boxer 8x8 armored vehicle fitted with a Belgian Cockerill Defense 3000 series turret armed with one 105mm NATO-standard tank gun. (Picture source Nicholas Drummond Twitter account)

The Boxer is one of the most modern 8x8 armored vehicles available in the current military market. The vehicle was developed and designed by the ARTEC GmbH (armored vehicle technology) industrial group, and the program is being managed by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation). Artec group includes German companies e Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH and Rheinmetall Military Vehicles GmbH and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. for the Netherlands.

The Boxer is a multirole armored vehicle designed to be configured in different roles and missions. The vehicle includes two main parts including the platform module and the removable mission module. The platform module includes the driver position, the engine and the driveline. The unique feature of the Boxer is its ability to change rapidly the mission module mounted at the rear of the platform module to meet different operational requirements. Mission modules are attached by four points and can be swapped within an hour under field conditions.

Thanks to its modular design, the Boxer can be fitted with different types of weapon systems including manned and unmanned turret armed with medium caliber weapons up to 40mm caliber that can be used as an IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle or with large-caliber cannon up to 120mm caliber to provide a fire support vehicle.

The concept of wheeled fire support vehicle was launched by the Italian companies IVECO-Oto Melara with the Centauro using an 8x8 chassis which fitted with a turret armed with one 105 mm or 120mm cannon. This type of vehicle offers the firepower of a main battle tank and the mobility of a wheeled armored vehicle. With a total combat weight of 50% less than a main battle tank, it can be easily deployed and transported by military transport aircraft.

With its 3000 Series weapon station, the Belgian company Joghn Cockerill has developed a new concept of combat turret that can be armed with automatic 25 mm, 30 mm, 30/40 mm, 35 mm and 50 mm caliber guns, along with direct fire guns of 90 and 105 mm, which are also able to fire anti-tank missiles. The turret can be also easily integrated into current or future tracked or wheeled armored vehicles.

The "standard" form of the Cockerill 3000 Series provides full digital weapon stabilization and a digitalized fire control system to deliver a very high target-hit chance. The turret also boasts thermal and day sights to provide 24-hour operation weather the vehicle is moving or static. The Cockerill 3000 Series can be protected with ballistic protection up to STANAG Level 5 against the firing of 25mm automatic cannon using APDS-T Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot with Tracer (M791) or TLB 073.