Armoured vehicle manufacturer Rheinmetall rolled into Townsville this week on a road trip with a difference.

The company brought a 35-tonne Boxer along as it visited the city for a briefing with businesses and community members.

Rheinmetall is touring the state to build a supply chain of companies for its bid to win the Australian Army’s $5 billion LAND 400 Phase 2 contract.

“The company has committed to design, manufacture and maintain 225 Boxers in Queensland if it wins the LAND 400 contract,” State Development Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said.

The Boxer will be in Cairns on September 28, Mackay on September 29 and the Gold Coast on October 3.

Rheinmetall Defence Australia announced in July that it had selected Queensland as the location for its Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) and the Australian Headquarters that would be established if the company was successful in securing Australia’s Land 400 combat reconnaissance vehicle program.

Rheinmetall is delivering more than 2500 logistics trucks to the Australian Army under the LAND 121 Phase 3B program and is bidding for the supply of the armoured combat reconnaissance vehicle under the Land 400 Phase 2 program.

Photo: Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper checks out the Boxer in Townsville.