The Ministry of National Defense of Lithuania announced about arrival on December 15 of this year to the country of the first two training armored vehicles “Vilkas” with the wheel formula 8×8 (the national designation of the armored combat vehicle (ACV) “Boxer”).
Training armored vehicles are not equipped with weapons and a number of other systems that equip combat vehicles. At the same time, they are equipped with equipment that helps instructors in training drivers.
After the completion of all the procedures for transferring the machines to the customer, the technician will be officially accepted into the armament of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Lithuania, and this year will be applied for the training of personnel.
On August 22, 2016, the joint venture ARTEC (Germany), formed by «Rheinmetall» and» Krauss-Maffei Wegmann» (KMW), announced the conclusion of a supply contract with the Armed Forces of Lithuania through the Organization for Cooperation in the Field of Arms Procurement OCCAR (Organizational conjointe de cooperation en matiere d’armement) of 88 multi-purpose ACV «Boxer” with the wheel formula 8×8 in the adapted version, as well as three training vehicles. In addition, the agreement provides for maintenance of machinery, the supply of spare parts at the initial stage, the transfer of technical documentation, the supply of training systems and simulators, special equipment, ammunition, etc. The total value of the contract was 385.6 million euros (437 million US dollars).
Adapted to the requirements of the Armed Forces of Lithuania, the armored car was designated as the IFV «Vilkas»/«Wolf». It is assumed that the first ACV will be delivered to Lithuania in early 2019. The full delivery of ACV in four versions will be completed by 2021. At the same time 53 machines will be manufactured by KMW, and 35 units by «Rheinmetall». The new ACV will be used by two battalions of the mechanized infantry brigade “Iron Wolf”.
Lithuania became the third buyer of the ACV Boxer after Germany and the Netherlands. The contract with Lithuania increased the total number of ordered “Boxer” armored vehicles to almost 700 units.
Source: http://www.armstrade.org/includes/periodics/mainnews/2017/1218/094744638/detail.shtml
