- Full-scale production begins on the first locally made Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRVs) at Rheinmetall Defence Australia's Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Ipswich.
- The Palaszczuk Government and Rheinmetall Defence Australia worked together to secure the $5.2 billion LAND 400 Phase 2 project to deliver 211 Boxer CRVs to the Australian Army
- 600 Queensland jobs have already been created at Rheinmetall's Redbank facility
Full-scale production has begun on the first locally made Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRVs) to be wholly built at Rheinmetall Defence Australia's Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Redbank, Ipswich.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Member for Bundamba Lance McCallum visited the advanced military vehicle manufacturing facility to mark start of production.
Rheinmetall, with the support of the Queensland Government, secured the $5.2 billion LAND 400 Phase 2 project to deliver 211 Boxer CRVs to the Australian Defence Force.
In mid-October 2022, the Australian Army announced that the first 25 Boxer CRVs, partially manufactured in Germany, had achieved Initial Operating Capability following extensive testing and live exercises.
With the technology and skills transfer to Rheinmetall's Australian workforce now complete, full-scale local production of the Boxer CRV at the MILVEHCOE can now commence.
The MILVEHCOE has already created 600 jobs for Queenslanders at the facility with more through the local supply chain, and the facility will contribute more than $1 billion to Queensland's economy over the life of the project.
Australia and Germany recently announced talks are underway to manufacture and export the Queensland-made Boxer CRVs for the Germany Army.
This potential export opportunity demonstrates the world-class capabilities of Australia's defence industry and will likely result in increased employment and a longer production skyline for Boxer CRVs at the MILVEHCOE.
Additionally, Rheinmetall has been shortlisted for the multi-billion-dollar LAND 400 Phase 3 project, and should it be successful, will deliver hundreds of Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicles from the MILVEHCOE.
Quotes attributable to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk:
"This is a very proud day for Queensland's defence manufacturing capabilities, as our association with Rheinmetall on the $5.2 billion LAND 400 Phase 2 project delivers locally built Boxer CRVs.
"That means local, specialised jobs for Queenslanders.
"Through the delivery of LAND 400 Phase 2 and its other projects, our partnership has already created 600 jobs at the Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence, which will be contributing more than $1 billion to the Queensland's economy in its first 10 years of operation.
"The facility is now the most advanced military vehicle manufacturing facility in Australia.
"We expect that hundreds of additional jobs will be created should Rheinmetall be successful for Phase 3. These are the highly skilled, knowledge-based jobs of the future that the government has been working hard to bring to Queensland.
"Our partnership's continuing success provides long-term certainty to the current workforce, and greater opportunities through the entire supply chain which impacts many SMEs right across Queensland."
Quotes attributable to Deputy Premier Steven Miles:
"As a global defence giant, Rheinmetall's presence in Queensland is an economic development game-changer.
"Queensland is creating new jobs and boosting economic growth by supporting this growing industry sector and maximising the opportunities for Queensland enterprises in both local and export markets.
"The delivery of LAND 400 Phase 2 and Rheinmetall's other projects firmly positions Queensland as Australia's home of land defence industrial capability and enhances our existing ecosystem of high-tech expertise that is supporting some of the world's leading-edge military platforms.
"The Queensland Government, through Defence Jobs Queensland, is working closely with Rheinmetall and Queensland companies to improve industry capability and to maximise local supply chain opportunities."
Quotes attributable to Nathan Poyner, Managing Director for Rheinmetall Defence Australia:
"Aussie Recon #1 is the first of 186 Boxer CRVs that will be built at MILVEHCOE, providing jobs, training and new opportunities for Australians working at Rheinmetall and in the more than 200 Australian Industry Partners across the nation.
"Rheinmetall has taken a long-term partnership approach to working in Australia, and we're proud to be the largest provider of Military vehicles to the Australian Defence Force.
"We have an operational facility, the staff in place and we have established real sovereign capabilities including armour production and electronics manufacturing for the Australian Defence Force; all of which happens right here in Queensland."
