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Apart from the RCH 155 Howitzers, Ukraine May Receive Advanced RCT30 Boxer Armored Vehicles from Germany for a Specialized Role

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The RCT30 Boxer / Photo credit: KNDS
The RCT30 Boxer / Photo credit: KNDS

What are the special features of these armored vehicles, and what could be their unique role?

During the ceremony marking the delivery of the first RCH 155 self-propelled howitzer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine on January 13, 2025, in Kassel, Germany, KNDS Germany CEO Ralf Ketzel announced that Ukraine might also receive advanced wheeled armored vehicles of the RCT30 Boxer type.

The primary feature of the RCT30 Boxer is its versatility, allowing it to function both as a wheeled infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and as a platform for neutralizing various types of drones at close range. This information was reported by the Hartpunkt portal.

Read more: Ukraine Becomes the First Operator of Advanced RCH 155 Self-Propelled Howitzers as the First Unit Is Officially Delivered
The RCT30 Boxer
The RCT30 Boxer / Photo credit: Hartpunkt

According to the publication, the RCT30 Boxer’s troop compartment can carry up to six fully equipped soldiers. The vehicle is armed with a remotely controlled RCT30 module, which is also mounted on the tracked Puma infantry fighting vehicle. For this reason, the module is also referred to as PuBo (short for "Puma Boxer").

The RCT30 module includes a 30-mm MK30-2/ABM automatic cannon compatible with 30x173 mm ammunition manufactured by Rheinmetall. The production of the RCT30 or PuBo modules is managed by ARTEC, a joint venture between KNDS Germany and Rheinmetall. A notable capability of the RCT30 is its ability to engage both ground targets and drones, ensuring direct protection for infantry on the battlefield.

Currently, the Bundeswehr plans to purchase 150 RCT30 armored vehicles for its Mittlere Kräfte grenadier units, while the Netherlands intends to acquire 72 wheeled IFVs of the same type.

Additionally, the versatility of the RCT30 Boxer points to another important detail.

The German Puma infantry fighting vehicle
The German Puma infantry fighting vehicle / Photo credit: KNDS

At the same ceremony for delivering the RCH 155 to Ukraine, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, announced the potential acquisition of Boxer-based vehicles for the Ukrainian military under the designation Kommandobegleitfahrzeug—“command escort vehicles”—equipped with a 30-mm automatic cannon.

This context suggests that the future Kommandobegleitfahrzeug vehicles for the Ukrainian Armed Forces might be RCT30 units assigned a specialized role, such as escorting and protecting RCH 155 howitzers on the battlefield from enemy drones.

It is also worth noting that the first RCH 155 delivered to Ukraine is equipped with a remotely controlled self-defense machine gun module. However, given the prevalence of various UAVs in modern warfare, additional counter-drone measures are clearly necessary.

The RCT30 Boxer
The RCT30 Boxer / Photo credit: KNDS
Read more: Germany to Enhance Ukrainian Armed Forces with 6 IRIS-T Air Defense Systems and First RCH-155 Self-Propelled Howitzers, Exceeding Initial Numbers