Germany to order 229 RCH 155 Boxer self propelled howitzers with deliveries starting in 2028.

Germany is preparing to approve up to 500 RCH 155 wheeled howitzers on Boxer chassis inside a €52 billion package, with an initial €3.4 billion order for 229 units. The decision aims to rebuild the Bundeswehr’s depleted artillery inventory and shift Germany’s posture toward high mobility long-range fires.

The German government is finalizing a sweeping artillery acquisition plan that would put as many as 500 RCH 155 systems into Bundeswehr service, according to details from Bloomberg. Berlin intends to place roughly €52 billion in contracts before Christmas, including €3.4 billion for an opening batch of 229 wheeled howitzers that would arrive in two waves between 2028 and 2034, a schedule meant to supplement the Panzerhaubitze 2000 while restoring an artillery fleet that has dwindled to about 250 pieces after transfers to Ukraine.
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The Remote Controlled Howitzer (RCH 155) combines the 155 mm L/52 gun derived from the Panzerhaubitze 2000 with the Artillery Gun Module (AGM), a fully automated turret installed on an 8x8 Boxer chassis (Picture source: British MoD)

The framework contract gives the authorities room to expand, with a firm core of 229 systems and an option to reach 500 platforms if budget conditions and the strategic context require it. The aim is to equip German divisions with mobile artillery able to support manoeuvre in high-intensity operations while reducing reliance on heavier tracked systems. Artec GmbH, the joint venture bringing together KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall, thus reinforces the central role of the Boxer in Germany’s land modernization effort.

The Remote Controlled Howitzer (RCH 155) combines the 155 mm L/52 gun derived from the Panzerhaubitze 2000 with the Artillery Gun Module (AGM), a fully automated turret installed on an 8x8 Boxer chassis. The system is reported to reach up to 54 km with long-range ammunition and can cover a 360-degree arc without the use of stabilizing outriggers. The Boxer architecture provides a high level of mobility in this category, with an MTU V8 engine delivering 816 hp, a top speed of 100 km/h, and a range of about 700 km, together with the ability to cross a 2 m trench, climb a 0.8 m obstacle, and cope with gradients of 60 percent. Differential steering reduces the turning radius to 7.5 m, which improves agility in confined deployment areas.

Protection is another important feature. The Boxer hull reaches STANAG 4569 Level 4, resisting 14.5 mm armour-piercing rounds at 200 m, while the front of the hull is designed to withstand 30x165 mm armour-piercing ammunition. The multilayer floor is rated to withstand the equivalent of 10 kg of TNT under a wheel or under the hull. AMAP modules and the mine protection kit increase the survivability of the hull, while the aluminium turret protects against 7.62 mm rounds and shell splinters. This layout, combined with a forward crew compartment, reduces exposure of personnel, and the high level of automation limits the crew to two operators, a driver-operator and a commander.

The AGM provides full autonomy in navigation, laying, loading, and fire control. The automatic module manages elevation, full rotation, and inductive fuze programming. The load of 30 projectiles and 144 modular propelling charges offers a volume of fire clearly above that of many truck-mounted systems. The rate of fire can exceed eight rounds per minute, with a Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) capability of up to five shells arriving almost at the same time. Time into action is below 20 seconds, and time out of action is under 10 seconds, which improves survivability against counter-battery radars. The whole system relies on computerized fire control with an integrated ballistic calculation function, a high-precision navigation suite with or without GPS support, and a data link to digital command networks.

One of the main evolutions lies in the demonstrated ability to fire on the move, which remains unusual in this artillery segment. Stabilization technologies drawn from German tanks and infantry fighting vehicles make it possible to engage moving targets or support a defended encampment without stopping the vehicle. Some export versions, such as those intended for Ukraine, can be fitted with the Setas panoramic vision system, offering 360-degree observation, rapid identification of threats, and warning of obstacles that could interfere with the projectile trajectory.

At the tactical level, the RCH155 gives the Bundeswehr a system designed around mobility, dispersion, and rapid engagement. The high rate of fire, the ability to change position in seconds, and the native integration into reconnaissance and command networks allow deep fires to be combined with rapid movements. In an environment saturated with drones, sensors, and long-range strike systems, limiting exposure time on the firing position becomes a central requirement. Integrated into mechanized units operating Puma infantry fighting vehicles, the howitzer strengthens the link between fire support, manoeuvre, and short-range air defence.

The broader package also covers the Schützenpanzer Puma, an Infantry Fighting Vehicle with modular composite armour and a 30 mm MK30-2/ABM gun firing programmable ammunition, as well as the Arrow 3 missile defence system designed to intercept intermediate-range ballistic missiles at very high altitude. Together, these programmes form a triad linking land-based long-range fires, armoured mobility, and layered air and missile defence. In the context of the Zeitenwende and Germany’s effort to reach and maintain the North Atlantic Treaty Organization spending targets, these capabilities place Berlin at the centre of the ongoing reconfiguration of European conventional defence and indicate a renewed German intention to assume a structuring role in the continent’s security architecture.