Specialist manufacturer WFEL has won a £2.3billion contract to produce armoured vehicles for the MOD.
WFEL, a subsidy of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall, will supply the MOD with armoured vehicles for the Army’s Strike Brigades and aim to source material from UK suppliers. Under the contract, a significant portion of the manufacture of the 500 Boxer Armoured Vehicles for the Army’s Strike Brigades will take place in the UK.
The Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicle programme aims to source more than 60% by value of the vehicle content from UK suppliers and these 8 x 8 wheeled vehicles will be supplied in several different configurations, including an armoured personnel carrier, field ambulance, command vehicle and specialist carrier. As well as the on-going commitment to new Apprenticeships, WFEL is also actively recruiting for a substantial number of new roles to be based at its Stockport site.
James Heappey, Defence Minister, said: “Investing in the Boxer programme is a prime example of Defence doing more than ever to level-up the UK economy through employment.”
“By developing our relationship with WFEL, we are also supporting high-skilled jobs across the UK supply chain. This partnership ensures we engage with our people from the very beginning, connecting talented apprentices with the valuable roles Defence has to offer.”
MOD: Official partner of DPRTE 2020.
Delivery of the vehicles is expected to start from 2023 and this order marks the return of the UK to a European Defence Programme, having taken part in the Boxer project while in its infancy. Boxer is now on its way to becoming one of NATO’s standard vehicles.
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Apprentices armoured vehicles Army contract manufacturing MOD tanks
Post written by: Ciara Houghton
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