Lithuania to Acquire Over 120 Additional Boxer Vehicles

New procurement aims to replace M113 APCs and expand mechanised capability across three battalions

The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced on 24 April that it intends to procure more than 120 additional Boxer armoured fighting vehicles, designated Vilkas in Lithuanian service. Negotiations began in 2022, with consultations held with the Rheinmetall-Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) consortium Artec, and relevant information submitted to the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR).

The MND stated that the contract could be signed as early as the fourth quarter of 2023. When asked about the specific variants and delivery schedule, a spokesperson told Janes on 27 April: “We are currently in the process of making an acquisition, adjusting the scope of the acquisition, and awaiting an offer from the manufacturer, so it is not possible to give an exact timing of the acquisition at the moment and neither is it possible to give the breakdown by number. We will be able to provide information about the planned delivery schedule only after the contract is signed.”

The spokesperson confirmed that the new Boxers will replace Lithuania’s ageing M113 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), many of which have already been transferred to Ukraine. The additional vehicles are expected to equip three more battalions in regions of Lithuania “where there are no Boxers at the moment,” thereby expanding the country’s mechanised capability and strengthening its defence posture