On April 19 Vice Minister of Nationwide Defence Vilius Semeška and his delegation met with representatives of the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR), ARTEC consortium, and Krauss-Maffei Weggman and Rheinmatall firms in Munich to debate additional prospects of supplying Lithuania with the Boxer Infantry Preventing Automobiles. A part of them can be armed with a 30 mm cannon, and the opposite half – with a 12.7 mm machine weapons. The Lithuanian Armed Forces can be strengthened with over 120 further Infantry Preventing Automobiles of Boxer kind. If the contract is signed, the supply of latest batch of the Vilkas Infantry Preventing Automobiles will begin in late 2023 – early 2024.
“Preparation for the negotiations started early this 12 months and immediately we’re in a position to focus on concrete quantities, worth and deadlines of a possible order. It’s a rational determination, and efficient when it comes to defence funds, to hold on with the identical infantry combating automobile platform,” says V. Semeška. It has been made considering the teachings from the battle in opposition to Ukraine as nicely.
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The Vilkas Infantry Preventing Automobile spinoff already in service with the Lithuanian Armed Forces are outfitted with Israeli-made turrets, U.S.-made 30 mm MK-44S cannons and Israeli-made anti-armor Spike LR missiles, in addition to with different specialised tools and digital methods. In 2016, Lithuania joined the Programme with a contract to purchase 91 BOXER automobiles by way of OCCAR in 5 completely different variants on the idea of the DE automobile design. The primary automobiles had been delivered in 2019, with manufacturing working till 2021.
Lithuania is an OCCAR member. OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement / Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) is a company that manages and implements procurements, represents member states in negotiations with producers and in a while, in the course of the armament manufacturing. It supervises Boxer armored automobile acquisitions for Lithuania, Germany, Netherlands and the UK. OCCAR additionally the supervisor of such procurement initiatives as A400M, COBRA and TIGER.
