Breaking News: Boxer MIV APC tested with Javelin missile strengthens British Army’s anti-tank power.

In a video published by Rheinmetall on LinkedIn on August 19, 2025, the Boxer MIV infantry carrier vehicle for the British Army successfully tested its integration with the Javelin anti-tank missile. This step marks an important development in the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) program and provides British forces with the additional capability to engage armored targets directly from the vehicle while remaining protected under armor.
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Screenshot from Rheinmetall’s video published on August 19, 2025, showing a British Boxer MIV launching a Javelin anti-tank missile during integration trials. (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

The program involved adapting the Javelin system to the Kongsberg RS4 remote weapon station, integrated by Thales in Glasgow. Designed to provide flexible and scalable firepower, this weapon station can mount a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, a 30 mm automatic cannon or guided missiles. The integration of the Javelin follows this logic of modularity, turning the Boxer MIV into a combat-capable infantry vehicle, both able to transport troops and to deliver effective anti-tank support. The successful trial marks the start of a broader phase of testing and demonstrations, before entry into service.

The trial comes at a time when the first Boxer MIV vehicles are being delivered to the British Army from both UK and German production lines. The program is entering a new stage, with crew training set to intensify and units preparing for integration into mechanised formations. Produced at Stockport by KNDS UK and at Telford by RBSL, the Boxer MIV relies on a nationwide supply chain involving numerous subcontractors and supporting hundreds of skilled jobs. Beyond the operational aspect, the program represents a strategic investment in the British defense industry while ensuring autonomy in production and sustainment.

The Boxer MIV retains the key features of the Boxer family, already in service with several European countries. Its modular armor provides a high level of ballistic and mine protection, in line with the latest NATO standards. Its unique architecture, built around a base chassis with interchangeable modules, allows the vehicle to be reconfigured rapidly for different roles: troop transport, command post, medical evacuation or combat version. Powered by a diesel engine of over 700 horsepower, it reaches 100 km/h on road and has an endurance of more than 1,000 km, giving mechanised units extensive operational mobility.

The integration of the Javelin missile on this platform adds a critical capability. The Javelin is a short- to medium-range anti-tank missile, widely tested in combat and used by many allied countries. Its “fire and forget” guidance allows the crew to lock on a target, fire, and maneuver immediately without remaining exposed. It is capable of destroying modern main battle tanks, as well as neutralising lighter armored vehicles and fortified positions. In the current context, marked by the proliferation of armored systems and the return of high-intensity engagements in Europe, this capability is highly relevant. It enables British units to conduct anti-tank engagements directly from their transport vehicles, without relying solely on dismounted infantry.

Operationally, the Boxer MIV fitted with Javelin supports the concept of the British Army’s mechanised brigades. These formations, designed to combine strategic mobility, protection and firepower, gain from this integration an additional tactical advantage. It allows units greater autonomy in operations, reduces vulnerability to hostile armor, and strengthens their effectiveness in missions of area control, interdiction and deterrence. By being able to engage armored threats as soon as they appear, the Boxer MIV directly improves survivability and combat effectiveness within the formation.

For Rheinmetall, a key partner in the program, this development demonstrates the adaptation of the Boxer platform to the evolving requirements of armed forces facing changing environments and increasingly well-equipped opponents. By equipping the Boxer MIV with this capability, the United Kingdom enhances its operational flexibility while maintaining interoperability with NATO allies, many of whom already employ the Javelin missile.

The successful integration of the Javelin onto the Boxer MIV is more than a technical update. It represents a strategic step combining industrial development, national economic contribution, and the strengthening of British Army firepower. The next phase, marked by the completion of trials and the expansion of training, will open the way to operational use of this configuration, which is expected to become a central element of the UK’s land forces modernization.