TSAMTO, April 20. The Ministry of National Defense of Lithuania has started an active phase of negotiations on the purchase of the second batch of armored fighting vehicles "Boxer".
As reported on April 19 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, a delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Vilius Semezhai in Munich held talks with representatives of the Organization for Cooperation in the Field of Armaments OCCAR (Organization Conjointe de Cooperation en Matiere d'Armement) and the ARTEC joint venture formed by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann on the issue of continuing the supply of BBM "Boxer".
Preparations for the negotiations began in January of this year. During the last meeting, the parties discussed the specific parameters of the supplementary agreement, including the number of purchased vehicles, their cost and delivery terms. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense believes that the purchase of BBMs already in service is a rational decision and will allow the efficient use of resources allocated for national defense.
According to the deputy minister, the contract for the supply of a new batch of armored vehicles can be signed in the summer. It is planned to strengthen the combat capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces by purchasing more than 120 armored vehicles. They will be supplied both armed with a 30 mm cannon and a 12.7mm machine gun.
If the contract is signed, deliveries of the new Boxer BMP (in the adapted version of Vilkas) should begin at the end of 2023 – early 2024.
As reported by TSAMTO, on August 22, 2016, the command of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, through the OCCAR Organization for Cooperation in the Field of Armaments, concluded a contract with the ARTEC joint venture formed by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann for the supply of 88 multi-purpose BBM "Boxer" with an 8x8 wheel formula in an adapted version, three training vehicles, as well as related services and equipment. The contract value was 385.6 million euros ($437 million). The delivery of combat vehicles was planned for the period 2019-2021.
A mechanized battalion of them should be equipped with new BBMs. Grand Duke Algirdas and the Ulan Motorized Infantry battalion named after Grand Duchess Birute of the mechanized brigade "Iron Wolf".
It was planned that the first serial BBMs would be transferred to the Lithuanian SS in March 2019, but the equipment was delivered only on June 25 of the same year. The first pair of BBMs was officially adopted by the Lithuanian Navy on July 9, 2019.
The number of BBMs transferred at the moment is not disclosed.
Adapted to the requirements of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Vilkas armored vehicle (IFV Vilkas) is armed with the Samson Mk.2 SAMV of the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with a 30 mm MK-44S automatic cannon, a 7.62mm machine gun paired with it and a launcher with two Spike-LR ATGMs.
