More information: PAAG Gimbal for Bundeswehr-Boxer

Thales receives an order from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann to deliver 4 Panoramic Above Armour Gimbal (PAAG) to the Bundeswehr:

• As part of the Joint Fire Support Team (JFST), Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Thales will deliver the PAAG system (Panoramic Above Armour Gimbal) to the Bundeswehr.
• In 2023, four prototypes will be produced to equip the BOXER armored vehicle, with the prospect of a follow-on production contract in 2025.
• Thales has established itself as a reliable partner in vehicle optronics solutions for all types of missions and is currently equipping over 50 national ground forces worldwide.

Thales has signed a contract with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann to deliver 4 PAAG systems to equip the BOXER armored vehicle for the Bundeswehr.

Manufactured at the Thales site in Glasgow, United Kingdom, the PAAG (Stabilized Panoramic Above Armour Gimbal) is an electronic surveillance system that is remotely operated from the BOXER, providing the user with stable DRI (Detection, Recognition, Identification) and long-range weapon targeting capabilities during day and night time operations.

The system, equipped with a thermal imager and a high-resolution daylight color camera, allows target identification up to four kilometers depending on the target size. Operating continuously, it can cover the entire hemisphere around the vehicle. A laser rangefinder provides measurement distances of up to ten kilometers. To monitor targets beyond the ridge line, the PAAG can be raised over the vehicle's roof without exposing the user to direct line of sight, significantly reducing operational risk.

Automatic Video Tracking (AVT) and Assisted Target Detection (ATD) will also be integrated into the JFST PAAG system. Combined with an artillery command and control system, PAAG will make a significant contribution to the capabilities in use.

The BOXER program, managed by the European armaments agency OCCAR, supplies armored off-road vehicles of the latest generation to the German, Dutch, Lithuanian, and British armed forces based on balanced capabilities in transport capacity, mobility, protection, resilience, growth potential, and efficient life cycle costs.

The JFST program in Germany includes the delivery of two JFST heavy-duty vehicles based on the BOXER 8x8 armored vehicle, combined with a novel JFST mission module featuring integrated Thales PAAG.

The BOXER is a heavily armored 8x8 off-road vehicle with a unique module concept consisting of a common drive module and an interchangeable mission module, making it a flexible military vehicle that ensures maximum strategic and tactical mobility in a wide range of operational scenarios.

"We are pleased that the Bundeswehr and our long-standing partner Krauss-Maffei Wegmann have chosen the most advanced optronics from Thales for their BOXER JFST. The Bundeswehr is now one of the 50 armed forces worldwide that rely on our reliable solutions for their vehicle optronics," said Oliver Dörre, CEO of Thales Germany.

THALES online