The Boxer is a cooperative European design project aimed at producing the next generation of armoured utility vehicle. The project was originally started as a joint venture between Germany, Britain and France, but France left the programme in 1999, later to pursue their own design, the VBCI. However, in early 2001 the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding and joined the project. In July 2003, shortly after the start of the Iraq war, the UK Ministry of Defence announced its intention to withdraw from the Boxer programme and focus on the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES). Each partner in the programme (including the UK) was to receive four prototypes by July 2004. The first prototype was delivered to Germany in 2002 and is undergoing evaluation trials in Germany. The first Dutch prototype was delivered in October 2003. Production deliveries were scheduled to commence in 2004, but the numerous design changes and political problems delayed production until 2008.

The Netherlands requires around 400 Boxers, to replace the M577 and the support variants of the YPR-765 in the Royal Netherlands Army, with the Netherlands having already confirmed the procurement of 200 vehicles in autumn of 2006. The fighting versions of the YPR-765 will be replaced by the CV90 IFV.

On December 13, 2006 the German parliament approved the procurement of 272 Boxers for the German Army, to replace shares of its M113 and Fuchs TPz 1 vehicles. When the high numbers of Fuchs´ become obsolete by 2020, more Boxers are likely to follow.

So far, about 600 Boxers are planned for the German Army. On September 23, 2009, the first Boxer was officially handed over to the German Federal Office of Defence, Technology and Procurement (BWB).

In June 2007, the Boxer was being considered for the British FRES programme.

In spring 2011 first German production vehicles with FLW200 remote weapon stations (equipped with M2QCB machine guns and H&K 40mm GMGs) were handed over to Infantry Battalion 292 and Mountain Infantry Battalion 231 for training and deployment to Afghanistan in the second half of 2011.

Like most Hobby Boss armor kits, this one is molded in a nice tan plastic. The kit box is segregated with the upper and lower hulls each in their own cardboard surround. Also as is normal with Hobby Boss and some others, sections of the sprues are wrapped in foam sheet to protect small parts from being broken in shipment.

This is not a simple kit, despite not having tracks. Thanks to having eight wheels with nicely done vinyl tires, there is a lot of suspension to build up. This takes up a considerable section in the instructions. Once the lower hull and suspension are done, then the upper hull, which comes in a front and rear section, will take over the rest of the build. There is no interior.

It is the upper hull that takes the nicely done photo etch fret. This consists of mostly what look like intake vents. It does have some rather small bits that are the attachment heads for the screens that one will have to use as well as a couple of grab handles. Despite no interior, it appears that most of the hatches could be posed open if one really wished to. Typical of APCs, this one has a single machine gun on a turret of sorts. The vehicle also has a plethora of hand grabs and other small items to be fitted.

Instructions are well drawn and easy to understand. There is some color information supplied, but most of it is left for the full color painting guide. This is the box art vehicle and aside from plates and large red/white striped sections, there is nothing else on the well printed decal sheet. A variety of paint brands are provided to ensure that the builder will be able to find the shades being used.