Stockport-based WFEL Ltd is gearing up to manufacture 60% of the British Army’s 500 new Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicles (MIVs), as part of a £2.3 billion vehicle pro-curement deal signed last year by the Ministry of Defence and ARTEC — the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall consortium.

A substantial number of jobs will be created for both WFEL (a KMW subsidiary) and its UK-wide supply chain.

The Boxer vehicles will be supplied in several different configurations, including armoured personnel carrier, field ambulance, command vehicle and specialist carrier.

Deliveries are expected to start in 2023, and this order marks the return of the UK to a European Defence Programme, having taken part in the Boxer project when it was in its infancy. Boxer is now on its way to becoming one of NATO’s standard vehicles.

Ian Anderton, WFEL’s managing director (www.wfel.com), said: “Our substantial involvement in the Boxer programme allows us to further develop our UK supply chain, in turn creating and protecting valuable UK engineering jobs and developing new skills for our staff and those of our supply chain partners.

"Working in close partnership with our KMW colleagues, we are delighted to be part of this transformational project for the British Army, with whom we have worked for many years.”