Newcastle upon Tyne, UK – Rafael’s subsidiary Pearson Engineering has furthered its contribution to British Army armoured vehicle programmes, with a contract from KNDS to manufacture Mission Modules for the British Army’s BOXER Mechanised Infantry Vehicle.

The contract award means that BOXER, Challenger 3, and AJAX will all include key components manufactured at Armstrong Works, marking a return to strength for defence manufacturing in Newcastle. As a direct consequence, Pearson Engineering has recently announced over £5,000,000 in capital investments, to enhance manufacturing capability and capacity.

In another development, Rafael has announced that Pearson Engineering will play a significant role in delivering the SAMSON 30mm Remote Weapon Station (RWS). Initially aimed at UK opportunities, the collaboration launched at DSEI 2023, will see critical knowledge and skills transferred to the Newcastle based team. This strategic development supports current thinking around Boxer’s role on the battlefield as the foundation of a dispersed medium force.

The SAMSON 30mm RWS is an advanced remote-controlled weapon station which incorporates a suite of sophisticated combat capabilities, including SPIKE, the world’s leading anti-tank guided missile which is in use with 20 NATO members and throughout Europe.

The set-up also includes partnership with EUROTROPHY to offer TROPHY as a proven active protection system for Boxer. The advanced, precise strike capabilities of SPIKE, together with the TROPHY active protection system allow BOXER to conduct operation in more challenging conditions, and to undertake new types of missions to meet the needs of the current operational environment.