Portugal to procure 90 Boxer 8x8 APCs via European SAFE program to form new medium brigade.

Portugal confirmed plans to procure 90 Boxer 8x8 armored personnel carriers through the European Union’s Security Action for Europe financing framework, according to statements made on January 20, 2026, during an international armored vehicles conference in Farnborough, United Kingdom.

As reported by Shepard, Portugal intends to acquire 90 Boxer 8x8 armored personnel carriers (APCs) using financing provided under the EU Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, subject to European-level approval. The vehicles are planned to form the core of a future medium brigade and will be procured through the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation framework to align with existing multinational support structures.
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The Boxer, also known in German service as GTK, originates from a multinational European program launched in the 1990s to develop a new generation of wheeled armored fighting vehicles capable of replacing both aging tracked and wheeled vehicle fleets. (Picture source: German Army)

More precisely, Portugal confirmed its intention to procure 90 Boxer 8x8 armored personnel carriers through the European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, embedding the acquisition within a broader transformation of the Portuguese Army. The decision was announced on January 20, 2026, by the commander of the Intervention Brigade, Miguel Freire, during an international armored vehicles conference held in Farnborough in the United Kingdom, and it framed the Boxer as a central element of future brigade reform. The planned purchase links national land-force modernization with an EU financing mechanism aimed at accelerating capability delivery while offering long-term repayment conditions.

The procurement is intended to be financed through the SAFE framework, which provides European member states with access to lower-interest, long-duration funding to support defense readiness and industrial activity. Although the purchase still requires formal approval at the European level, the financing structure aligns with SAFE objectives and is expected to follow the standard approval pathway. Portugal plans to conduct the acquisition through the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), placing the Boxer order within a multinational management and support structure already used by several European armed forces. This will integrate Portugal into an existing cooperative framework, as well as combine financial, industrial, and operational dimensions within a single program.

Within the Portuguese Army, the Boxer is intended to form the backbone of a medium brigade that will operate alongside Pandur II 8x8 armored vehicles and Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks. Initial planning foresees the introduction of Boxer vehicles between 2026 and 2030, covering battalion headquarters, infantry companies, formations operating alongside Leopard tanks, and air defense batteries. A second phase between 2030 and 2040 is expected to extend Boxer use into combat support and service support roles, further broadening its presence across brigades. From 2045 onward, the Boxer is planned to become the primary vehicle of the medium brigade, marking a long-term shift toward a standardized wheeled armored fleet. Parallel to the Boxer introduction, Portugal plans to upgrade its Leopard 2A6 tanks to the Leopard A7+ standard to address obsolescence affecting the hull, turret, and powerpack.

The future equipment of the Portuguese Army, as defined under the current Military Programming Law and aligned with NATO and EU sourcing rules, is structured around a broad and diversified acquisition plan. Planned air defense includes short-range Thales RapidRanger batteries, initially contracted in 2024 with options for additional Ground Master 200 radars and launchers, complemented by a Land Force 2045 objective to acquire three additional short-range batteries and a medium-range air defense battery under the European Sky Shield Initiative, with the IRIS-T SLM identified as the reference solution. Indirect fire capabilities are set to expand through the acquisition of 120 mm heavy mortars, 12 URO VAMTAC ST5 4x4 armored mortar carriers, and 36 CAESAr Mk2 155 mm self-propelled howitzers, with deliveries split evenly between 2029 and 2030.

Ground maneuver and support assets include about 230 new 4x4 armored vehicles to replace the cancelled JLTV program, two Bergepanzer BPz3 Büffel recovery vehicles, and two Panzerschnellbrücke 2 bridge layers. Additional assets include military bridges, MineWolf demining systems, and light mobility vehicles for rapid reaction units. Aviation and unmanned capabilities cover three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with an option for a fourth airframe, Hero 30 loitering munitions, multiple surveillance drones, portable anti-drone guns, and new ground surveillance radars. Logistics and sustainment investments include medium tactical trucks with armored cabins, island-deployed trucks, a 6x6 tank truck, inflatable diesel storage tanks, and a Role 2B military field hospital planned for delivery by 2026, together outlining a comprehensive re-equipment effort extending into the 2030s and aligned with NATO interoperability requirements.

The Boxer, also designated GTK in German service, originated from a European requirement formulated in the early 1990s to replace ageing armored personnel carriers and support vehicles with a protected wheeled system suitable for expeditionary and high-intensity operations. The program initially involved Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, with the Netherlands joining later, before France and the UK withdrew to pursue national alternatives. Development continued under German and Dutch leadership, leading to the creation of the ARTEC industrial consortium and program management by OCCAR. Prototype work progressed through the late 1990s and early 2000s, with the vehicle publicly unveiled in 2002 and series production starting later in the decade. The first production vehicles were delivered in 2009, and the Boxer entered operational service in 2011, after which the program expanded to include multiple European and non-European operators.

The Boxer was designed around a modular architecture intended to reduce fleet complexity while supporting a wide range of operational roles. The vehicle is divided into a drive module, which includes the hull, powerpack, suspension, and driver position, and a removable mission module that contains role-specific equipment and crew spaces. Mission modules are mechanically attached to the drive module and can be exchanged under field conditions, allowing the same automotive base to be used for troop transport, command and control, medical evacuation, fire support, air defense, or engineering tasks. Over time, the drive module evolved through successive standards identified as A0, A1, A2, A3, and intermediate hybrid configurations, reflecting increases in protection levels, suspension capacity, electrical power generation, and powerpack performance. This separation between automotive and mission elements allows upgrades to be introduced incrementally without replacing the entire vehicle.

In terms of size and performance, the Boxer is an 8x8 wheeled armored fighting vehicle with a combat weight reaching up to 38.5 tonnes in later configurations, with technical growth margins tested beyond that threshold. It is powered by the MTU 8V199 diesel engine, delivering 530 kW or 600 kW depending on the variant, coupled to an automatic transmission driving all eight wheels. The Boxer reaches a maximum road speed of 103 km/h, with a maximum range of 1,050 km and an average operational range of 650 km. The vehicle is designed to negotiate a 0.8-meter vertical step, cross a 2.0-meter trench, and climb gradients up to 60 percent. Protection is based on a welded steel hull with scalable add-on armor packages linked to mission modules, and the vehicle can be transported by A400M aircraft by separating the drive and mission modules.