Germany and UK expand co-operation from Boxer to gun barrel production and BMD

A view of part of the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land Boxer production line in Telford showing the lifting ramp used towards the end of the production process to check wheel alignment and install the vehicles' powerpacks. (Janes/Sonny Butterworth)

The Trinity House Agreement signed by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey in London on 23 October expands co-operation between the two countries from the Boxer armoured vehicle to gun barrel production and the development of long-range strike weapons and systems to defend against them. These are among the projects Germany and the United Kingdom will co-operate on under the agreement, which covers all dimensions: air, land, sea, space, and cyber.

The agreement aims to increase industrial co-operation, especially in the land domain, with a long-term commitment to produce Boxer vehicles. The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) joint venture is producing Boxers and Challenger 3 main battle tanks in the UK.

Under the agreement, a Rheinmetall factory will be opened in the UK to produce gun barrels in the country for the first time in over a decade using British steel produced by Sheffield Forgemasters. A Rheinmetall spokesperson told Janes on 23 October that the factory would produce 155 mm artillery and 120 mm tank guns, including for the Challenger 3.

He said, “Rheinmetall is working closely with the Department for Business and Trade to determine the most suitable location for the production facility. No decision has yet been made. Concrete construction planning requires a contractual agreement between the British government and Rheinmetall. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027.”