APC Development and related topics.

[DRG]

Right now the start date for Ajax and Ares is October 2025

When either of them ACTUALLY enters service is crystal ball materiel

" AI Overview" claimes

The Ares platform, which is a troop carrier variant of the Ajax program, is on track to achieve Initial Operating Capability by December 2025

SO..... moving the start date two or three months further away SEEMS TO BE at this point in time a "reasonable" possibility

EDIT-- https://www.army-technology.com/news...december-2025/ claims "British Army’s Ajax programme IOC not expected until December 2025 "

SO... FOR NOW Dec 2025 is the "new" start date for Ajax and Ares BUT I don't expect the update to be ready before the start of Dec this year so when Dec 1 rolls around we'll see what's happening

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Sounds Good!

Been on it since start of FRES Program so what's a few more months
after that?

Regards,
Pat

[blazejos]

Just d'like to add some technical informations about Borsuk APC

The vehicle weighs 28 tons. The maximum speed on the highway is up to 65 km/h. The power plant is a German diesel engine MTU 8V-199-TE20 with a capacity of 720 hp. The basic version of the BMP provides for a crew of three and a landing compartment for six soldiers.

taken from there
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/mk44-...-us-to-poland/


And here Borsuk's on military parade 15th August 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmz_4VQx1y0 as we can see there is already small numbers existing.

Ratel an new Heavy APC planed for polish army with the same ZSSW-30 tower but new hull https://militarnyi.com/en/news/model...ted-in-poland/

[MarkSheppard]

Supposedly a new PLA Airborne IFV family coming:





The new PLA Airborne armoured combat vehicle family consists of an IFV, APC and gun-mortar fire support system. This is the infantry fighting vehicle variant. (Weibo)



This is the fire support vehicle version of the PLAAF Airborne Corps’ new tracked vehicle family. It has what may be a 120mm gun-mortar in its turret. (Weibo)

We don't know if they're actually real real (beyond just manufacturer test rigs) or if they'll be procured in quantity to replace the existing 15+ year old Airborne IFV family...

[blazejos]

After finishing with BWP Borsuk Poland starts to project his heavier version is called BWP Ratel will be armed in the same tower and gun heavier armour and probably without ability to swim.

https://defence24.pl/sily-zbrojne/ms...piechoty-wideo
https://x.com/DRatka1/status/1962535205131997591

[MarkSheppard]

https://www.twz.com/news-features/us...ars-of-service

The U.S. Marine Corps recently marked the formal decommissioning of the tracked Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) family after more than five decades of service. Since 2018, the Marines have been working to replace the AAV fleet with new Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV), an 8×8 wheeled design.

The Marines held a sundown ceremony for the AAV at the Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton, California, on September 26, according to an official release put out yesterday. Whether any AAVs technically remain assigned to units as the service continues to work out plans for their final disposition is unclear.

The retirement event at Camp Pendleton featured a small parade of the vehicles, one of which had an individual in an alligator suit standing in an open hatch, as seen at the top of this story. Alligator and gator have been common nicknames for tracked amphibious vehicles, in general, since they first began entering U.S. military service during World War II. The term amtrac, a portmanteau of amphibious tractor, is also commonly used in the United States to refer to vehicles of this type.

[DRG]

OH this is going to be "fun"..............

[MarkSheppard]

https://x.com/Jeff21461/status/1978782485124374880

The Bundestag Budget Committee has approved a budget of 3,7 billion € for the procurement of 150 Schakal Infantry Fighting Vehicles, simulators and 10 years of in-service support.

The Schakal is a Boxer-based vehicle equipped with the unmanned turret from the Puma IFV armed with a 30mm automatic cannon and Spike anti-tank guided missiles.

The contract will be concluded by the European procurement agency OCCAR, who will order 222 Schakals, of which 150 are for Germany and 72 for the Netherlands. In addition, 248 additional vehicles are in option on this contract (200 for Germany and 48 for the Netherlands).

Deliveries are to start in 2028 and be completed in 2031, with the first prototype being delivered at the end of 2027.

https://esut.de/2025/10/meldungen/la...urm-gebilligt/

Original German Source:

The Jackal will be the first Boxer to be delivered with the new Common Drive Module B0. The B0 drive module will be developed and qualified for series production under the contract. The new drive module will increase the load-bearing capacity for a combat weight of 40 tons. The chassis will be redesigned and new tires will be integrated. The engines will be available in either the 530 kW version (8V 199 TE20) or the 600 kW version (8V 199 TE21). The modernized electrical system complies with the NGVA standard. The digital architecture can access a gigabit data bus. The protection system will also be revised. The B0 drive module is backward compatible. This means that existing mission modules can be used on both the existing and the new drive modules.

The core element of the mission module is a Puma infantry fighting vehicle turret adapted from the Boxer. The crewless, remotely operated turret houses a stabilized 30 mm MK30-2/ABM automatic cannon capable of firing timed airburst ammunition. Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles, introduced into the Bundeswehr as the Multi-Role Lightweight Guided Missile System (MELLS), can be fired from a dual launcher. A coaxial machine gun completes the armament. In addition to the commander, gunner, and driver, the Jackal can accommodate an infantry squad of seven soldiers.

The Optronic Digital Weapon Station (WAO), a stabilized, long-range electro-optical target acquisition system, is used for observation and reconnaissance. WAO Digital features high-resolution infrared and daylight sensors that can be continuously zoomed and are fully stabilized. By fusing images from the day and night vision channels, observation performance can be increased.

[DRG]

QUESTION

In the German MBT OOB now are Boxer RCT30, Boxer RCT30 AT and Boxer AiTO30
These are Boxer hulls with the Puma turret

A LOT of muddy water has passed "under the bridge" since I added them and there are a LOT of things the head injury I had in January 2025 have totally wiped from my memory and this is one of them.

Are these Schakal - Jackels the same thing ?

If yes then I need to push the start dates forward a couple years. Right now they are set up for a 6/2026 start

Don

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Much of this I've posted on many times already. I don't how much more or what I can do to change anyone's mind on this matter. But one of my sources I see has updated their website since I last looked at it and that would the Bundeswehr (German Army official website.).

They NOW list all the current variants ICO the BOXER
currently fielded. You will also note they "show and tell" what weapons they have to include optional also fielded. You might remember me posting at least twice concerning the FLW weapons systems they are using.
The website specifically has narrowed down which FLW was chosen by the German Army.

They have no 30mm Boxers in service other than the demonstrators.

Only Australia has them (Still in operational evaluation.) and Germany as I posted a few months back has signed a contract FOR Australia to build the LANCER 30mm BOXER for GERMANY.
https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/ausrues...wehr/gtk-boxer
http://tank-masters.de/?page_id=5101

The SCHAKAL (Translated JACKAL) is a joint venture
involving Germany, Netherlands, UK and Lithuania.

The contract was signed on the 17th of this month between Germany and the Netherlands. This will eventually be the variant the last 2 countries will also get from my understanding (Initially it was planned they would get the BOXER with the LANCER 30mm that Australia and Germany will be getting.) Ref. below:
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news...d-boxer-fleets

Realistically the only REAL difference between the two BOXERS will lie in the fact that the SCHAKAL will have the PUMA 30mm turret unclear as of this writing if it will have the latest SPIKE LR2 ATGW.

That missile WILL be mounted on the LANCER BOXERS as has been BOTH reported and posted.

Commonalities between the two versions will be they'll be up armored and have new FCS where I can can fully support TI/GSR 60 if for no other reason then to effectively use the SPIKE LR2.

I would further expect Germany to mount APS SHIELD (I posted in here or MBT.) and I BELIEVE Australia is looking at IRON FIST.

I can't ignore the refs. and a certain email I posted in here 2 or 3 years ago. Will everyone get them before December 2030 of that I'm sure though the variable here is a "little disagreement" to the East where Ukraine got the Indirect/Direct Fire 155mm BOXER and Germany has none at this time fielded OR JUST DID.

Back to it after 2 wonderful weeks of not a single thought about work.

Regards,
Pat