Hybrid armored vehicle from Germany. What happens when you combine the Boxer and the Puma? KNDS has unveiled a revolutionary vehicle for NATO countries
The German company KNDS has combined the time-tested Boxer armored personnel carrier with a tracked chassis and a turret from the Puma infantry fighting vehicle. The result is a vehicle that combines the off-road capability and firepower of a modern infantry fighting vehicle. The APC was unveiled at the Enforce Tac 2026 exhibition in Nuremberg.
The idea isn’t new—the tracked Boxer concept was first unveiled at Eurosatory 2022. At that time, the vehicle was armed with a 120-mm smoothbore gun mounted in an RCT120 turret. Now KNDS has taken it a step further and presented a version that is as standardized as possible with existing combat modules. The key feature is that the drive module is fully compatible with the standard modules of the wheeled Boxer. This means the army can swap out the “chassis” depending on the mission without having to redesign everything else.
The new Boxer weighs up to 45 metric tons with the module installed, is 7.56 meters long, and 3.775 meters wide. Under the hood is a diesel engine with a power output of up to 880 kW (about 1,180 horsepower), which accelerates the vehicle to 70 km/h on the highway. It has a range of 500 kilometers. It can climb gradients of up to 60%, traverse side slopes of up to 30%, cross trenches 2.5 meters wide, and climb steps 0.8 meters high. Its fording depth is 1.8 meters.
The mission module can weigh up to 17 metric tons, and replacing it takes about an hour. The air conditioning system, protection against chemical, biological, and radiological weapons, and vibration isolation for the crew are included in the base configuration. It is equipped with a stabilized, remotely controlled turret featuring a 30-mm MK30-2/ABM automatic cannon, which the Germans have already tested on the Puma. The rate of fire is 200 rounds per minute, and the effective range is up to 3,000 meters.
The gun can fire two types of ammunition alternately, thanks to its dual-belt feeding system. Tracking angles: 360 degrees horizontally, from -10 to +45 vertically. Stabilization allows it to engage targets on the move, including low-flying drones and their swarms. A twin machine gun is integrated into the turret.
Optical and optoelectronic systems provide all-around surveillance and long-range target detection. The turret is protected by the MUSS (Multifunctional Self-Protection System), a soft-kill system that jams guided missiles.
The wheeled Boxer RCT30 is lighter (38.5 metric tons), faster on the highway (over 100 km/h), and has a longer range (over 750 km). However, it handles rough terrain less well and has fewer options for adding armor. The tracked version is designed for those who need to traverse muddy terrain and withstand heavier fire.
At the same time, the interfaces are completely identical. Infantry, artillery, command, and engineer modules are compatible with both platforms without any modifications. According to KNDS’s vision, this should simplify logistics and training. The tracked Boxer RCT-30 can transport infantry and provide fire support equally well, without requiring a separate line of spare parts or training. For armies that already use it, this is practically a gift.
Source — https://dzen.ru/a/aabC1wWwsDlXdgzk
