[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I'm going to post below both emails with the answers Ralph Zwilling provided from Tank-Masters de. Before I do and not for the primary recipient of this, I've gone back to my sources PLUS both the manufacturers sites ARTEC and Rheinmetall. Also to https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/heer

His answers are all in BOLD any comment by me will be in "()".

47 minutes and counting...

Gesendet: Dienstag, 02. Februar 2021 um 03:40 Uhr
Von: "patrick conklin"
An: "TANK - MASTERS"
Betreff: THANK YOU!
Ralph,
Good Morning! I

I very much appreciate your quick response back concerning the LEOPARD's and I noticed the local time and feel you did it with your morning coffee. I have copied a portion of the 10/26/2020 email this concerning the BOXER.

My feeling is that only Question #1 is relevant to this discussion for Germany. As far as I can determine, only Australia is actively pursuing the BOXER w/ LANCE turret. I believe this might be the case as well with the BOXER IFV however if they do it'll be later in the process. The Australian Army I can confirm is already started training on in parallel with the Manufacturer trials. The UK might also be a candidate for the BOXER LANCE but that can't be confirmed until their Defense Review is released sometime this month to address their whole armor issue.

Another reason is simply I've NEVER seen you post any pictures of any BOXER except the APC version. Finally Question #4 I've answered already unless you really surprise with something different.

"Looking at the German OOB concerning the LEOPARD, I think I came across some issues outside of what we discussed. I'll list them below. Dates are the "big" issues again, other information is there for you to comment on as you desire.

1) BOXER APC - We have a fielded date of 01/2011 another site I sometimes use is showing it to be 2009. What do you say? The GTK Boxer was handed over to the BWB (now BAAINBw) on 23.09.2009 at KMW in Munich. The first Bundeswehr unit, Jägerbataillon 292 from Donaueschingen, received the GTK Boxer on 11 March 2011 during their training rotation at the German Army Combat Training Center in Letz
lingen ( I'm currently looking at something past March 2011.)
1a) I noticed on your pictures the 12.7mm RWS appears to have a thermal imager (We use TI/GSR) is this correct? The FLW 200 features a CCD day camera, thermal imager and laser rangefinder ( I have to investigate the FLW 200 further.)

1b) 80km/h off road? That's outstanding! We do factor speed etc. Depending in the terrain like flat grass, etc. this is possible
( Speed issue off road flat terrain? I would think not but, not sure.)

2) BOXER IFV - Again fielded date JAN 2011. see Above
2a) We have it armed with a 40mm GL and TOW-2 (D) with 6 missiles.

The Bundeswehr has the following Variants

GTK Boxer Gruppentransportsfahrzeug armed with either cal.50 or 40mm Granatmaschinenwaffe (GRAMAWA)
GTK Boxer Fahrschulfahrzeug (Driver Training Vehicle)
GTK Boxer Führungsfahrzeug (Command Vehicle)
GTK Boxer schweres geschütztes Sanitätskraftfahrzeug (sgSanKfz) (Ambulance)
Currently all variants are upgraded to the A2 standard
( Here's where the real work is, there are 3 versions of BOXER's and they are GTK/GTK A1/GTK A2 the difference primarily will be in protection levels. For instance, I can see the GTK A2 at MRAP 7 by way of example. The UK might get this, no decision yet.)


3) BOXER w/LANCE Turret - I wasn't aware you got this version, though I submitted it for the Australian OOB under the LAND 400 contract. That being said, we have it fielded in JAN 2014 for the BUNDESWEHR. No idea (One of the Manufacturer sites indicated this more for export so to this for Germany-NO. That being said, Do not delete this version we'll need this to model it for Australia (w/SPIKE LR) and UK. It again is not in service with the BUNDESWEHR.)

4) LEOPARD 2A4 REVOLOUTION - I believe along with the LEOPARD 2A6 EX I mentioned earlier on, this is also only available as an upgrade, in this case for the 2A4 export market. We have it in the OOB, I know Indonesia was supposed to get it, Singapore operates a similar version and Turkey also was looking to do the same with their LEOPARD-2T that never got off the ground due to the ALTAY.
Did the BUNDESWEHR ever really have it? NO, mine. NO
(Not in active service with BUNDESWEHR. This was strictly an armor upgrade project for the exported LEOPARD 2A4. But like above save this unit as well for future modeling. Indonesia comes to mind right now.)

In my next I'll stay closer to the issue we discussed focusing only on the non-command tanks from your site that matches very closing from what I found from another site, maybe written by someone you know. If you want me to send it along next time let me know.

Posted you "news" from DRAGOON THUNDER 20 in the Forum. Great stuff especially as I'm following developments of that STRYKER 30mm version until it's fielded with the ARMY.

Take your time, insights are welcomed and your help is deeply appreciated.

Have a great day!

Pat"

So, this will be it for me. But one last question, would you allow to use some of your pictures for the tanks I'll be working on with credit to you and the site where I do. I feel when we have pictures of them "doing something" it's better than them being in a "static/display" position.

When this all gets submitted for submission and hopefully into the game would you like to be notified? I see this as a "collaboration" of sorts , that has "cleared the passage of fog for clear sailing" (It's the Submariner in me.) so I can proceed as I had hoped I could.

THANK YOU AGAIN!!

Pat

Never can sleep the night before a training session in the morning after standing post. I've got a couple of hours TV time with CINCLANTHOME on a rare bonus evening at home.

So I'm done here. If I can get to the other before I go to bed I will.

My TGIF on Sat.)

Regards,
Pat