The Dutch army has discovered a defect in almost half of its Boxer infantry fighting vehicles
A factory defect in the suspension was found in 70 of the 200 Boxer infantry fighting vehicles in service with the Dutch army. As a result, the vehicles have been temporarily taken out of service.
Here's What We Know
The defect is related to over-tightening of bolts during production due to the use of the wrong machine. This could have led to deformation of the fasteners and a risk of breakage under heavy load.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence has received information from the manufacturer and has taken the machines out of service as a precautionary measure.
Starting Monday, 17 February 2025, these combat vehicles will be sent for repair to military workshops in Oirshot and Havelth. The ministry said the problem would be resolved within "a few weeks".
The Dutch command post based on the Boxer BMP. Illustration: Royal Netherlands Army
The Dutch army has five types of Boxer-based vehicles in service: a command post, a medical vehicle, a cargo version, a training modification and an engineering version.
In September 2024, the Dutch Ministry of Defence announced the purchase of 72 Boxer combat vehicles with the RCT30 combat module equipped with a 30mm cannon. This system provides a 360-degree all-round view, automatic target detection and the ability to destroy drones using programmable munitions. In May 2024, the system successfully intercepted a drone in flight during a test.
Source: ED
