Yesterday, the delivery of Boxer RCT30 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to the Qatar Emiri Land Force by KNDS Deutschland began. The vehicles are equipped with the MK30-2/ABM 30×173 mm cannon, capable of engaging both ground and aerial targets (UAS) thanks to air burst programmable ammunition.
This supply increases the operational capability and firepower of the Qatar Emiri Land Force, already equipped with Leopard 2A7 tanks armed with 120L55 mm guns, PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery equipped with 155L52 mm guns, and Dingo 4×4 armored vehicles, all provided in past years by the German industry.
The Remote Control Turret RCT 30
These Boxers, produced by KNDS DE in collaboration with Rheinmetall, are equipped with the remote control turret RCT 30 armed with MK30-2/ABM, a machine gun-cannon caliber 30×173 mm. They have a hunter-killer capability thanks to the observation and shooting system that allows the crew to observe a 360° view around, detecting, and identifying long-range targets.
The 30 mm MK 30-2/ABM automatic cannon, completely stabilized and capable of engaging flying targets, allows precise target engagement even with the vehicle moving at a distance over 3 km, with a fire rate up to 200 rounds per minute.
It is possible to engage the target for the specific situation with two separate types of ammunition with the simple press of a button thanks to the installed dual belt automatic feeding system.
Coaxially to the MK 30-2/ABM, there’s a general-purpose machine gun caliber 7.62×51 mm that assures close protection of the vehicle.
The primary armament can be integrated with a twin launcher for anti-tank missiles; however, the samples for Qatar seem not to have it, nor do they show the Multifunctional Self-protection System (MUSS) by Hensoldt.
The vehicle in combat setup reaches 38.5 tons and is powered by an engine with the power of 815 hp (up to 600 kW) that allows it to reach a top speed on the road of 100 km/h.
The crew consists of three men, while the squad transported on board is 6-7 assault rifleman/grenadiers.
Source and photo credit @ KNDS Deutschland
