Implementing “Zeitenwende” – KNDS expands BOXER vehicle production

Munich, April 22, 2026 – KNDS has opened a production line for the successful, highly protected 8×8 wheeled vehicle BOXER* at its Munich/Allach site and entered into a strategic partnership with the Vilsbiburg, Germany-based DRÄXLMAIER GROUP for the production of these vehicles.

In the presence of Bavarian Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder, Florian Hohenwarter, CEO of KNDS Deutschland, presented the new series production concept. As part of industrial scaling measures, ten BOXER drive modules per month will be produced in a line series production at the Munich/Allach site alone. Further production facilities at KNDS and our partners, operating in similar settings, will take BOXER production volumes to a new level. The new production line is part of a comprehensive package of measures aimed at producing six times as many BOXER systems by 2030 as before, in order to meet, among other things, the requirements of the German Army.

“Many armed forces and governments clearly expect us to increase production to boost Europe’s defence capabilities. Bavaria plays a special role for KNDS in this. We will continue to invest in our locations in Bavaria and we will expand our activities. I thank Minister-President Söder for the support we receive here,” said Florian Hohenwarter. “I am pleased that we have found a partner in DRÄXLMAIER with whom we can work boxertogether in a trusting and collaborative manner on the necessary scaling of our production. We are expanding our production capacities through a player from the non-defense sector, entirely in line with the requirements for the timely scaling of our production.”

In addition to increasing BOXER drive module production, KNDS is entering into a strategic partnership for the production of BOXER mission modules. DRÄXLMAIER plans to produce a significant number of mission modules at its Bavarian site in Landau an der Isar. To this end, Managing Director Florian Hohenwarter and Jan Reblin, CEO of DRÄXLMAIER, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during a visit by Bavarian Minister-President Söder.

“With over 65 years of experience in the development, validation, and industrialization of series production products for the automotive industry, we are specifically contributing our process and technological expertise to the manufacturing of complex subsystems. The partnership with KNDS is a significant milestone for us and unites two high-performing Bavarian companies in a stable industrial collaboration,” said Jan Reblin, CEO of DRÄXLMAIER.

Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder said: “The collaboration between KNDS and Dräxlmaier is a perfect match. Bavarian industrial expertise is growing together. We need a strong defense industry with our own technologies from Germany to be able to defend ourselves. Ideally, these devices should never be used – but they must deter others from attacking us. Bavaria is number one in Germany in the field of defense tech: One-third of all German companies in this sector operate in the Free State, employing 50,000 people and generating € 9.5 billion in added value. Bavaria serves as a strong partner: We are expanding universities specializing in defense tech, supporting the German Armed Forces, and facilitating business development with our own Armed Forces Act and Armaments Act. Thank you to everyone who works for the security and freedom of our country.”

The BOXER is one of the world’s best-protected 8×8 vehicles. Its modular design, consisting of a drive and mission module, offers a high degree of flexibility and a wide range of variants, from ambulances to the world’s most advanced wheeled howitzer and armored personnel carrier systems. In all variants, it provides the crew with maximum protection against mines, improvised explosive devices, and gunfire, and is characterized by high mobility both on roads and in the most challenging terrain. With over 2,000 systems in service, the BOXER is under contract in Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Qatar, Australia, and Ukraine.

photo courtesy KNDS