Boxer’s first round

Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles are being put to the test in the largest exercise they have operated in since being introduced into the Army.

The vehicles are being used in the 7th Brigade-led Exercise Diamond Walk at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland.

Trooper Harrison Dietrich, a gunner on the Boxer, said crews had adapted well to the new capability.

“We have just conducted a battle run with the hatches down, which has been a first for the troop,” he said.

“It’s also been about adapting and trying to work out the best way to employ the Boxer.”

Lieutenant Riley Brassil previously worked with ASLAV – the vehicle the Boxer is replacing.

“The crews have shown great initiative and technical mastery in the way they have adapted to the new platform, which is unlike anything they have worked with before,” he said.

“In a vehicle that has so many sensors and digital systems, you find you have so much more to work with and your mind is stretched between a few different lines of effort.”

“However, if you can pull that all together and work with the crew as a whole, the Boxer is extremely effective at doing its job.”

PHOTOS BY PRIVATE JACOB HILTON