An initial contract with the German government may spin off into arms exports worth up to $8 billion.
What looms as potentially Australia’s biggest-ever defence export deal could be a launchpad for billions of dollars in further sales of armoured vehicles to Germany and other countries, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy says.understands the German government could source new tank-like troop carriers built at a factory near Brisbane to replace armoured vehicles given to Ukrainian soldiers for combat against Russian invaders, which could be worth as much as $5 billion.
Rheinmetall has just started production on the variant of the Boxer known as the combat reconnaissance vehicle in Brisbane as part of a contract to supply 211 vehicles to the Australian army.The company is also bidding for the army’s contract to build hundreds of tank-like infantry fighting vehicles that can carry between six and eight soldiers into battle.
The Marder was introduced in 1971 and the Lynx is a cheaper replacement option than the Puma IFV. In December, the German government announced a pause on further Puma purchases following a mass breakdown in war games.This month, Berlin started delivering the first of 40 of its Marder IFVs to Ukraine to meet Kyiv’s pleas for armoured vehicles for a springtime offensive.
“We haven’t discussed other vehicles but I think it will be a strong sign to the global defence community if Australia’s exporting Boxers to Germany,” Mr Conroy said.
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