Plant starts producing armoured vehicles for Army

RBSL managing director Colin McClean said the Telford plant would produce up to 50 Boxer vehicles each year

Work has begun to produce more than 300 Boxer armoured vehicles for the British Army at a site in Shropshire.

The vehicles are being produced at the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) plant in Telford which the firm has spent £40m upgrading.

The site will produce up to 50 of the armoured vehicles annually, managing director Colin McClean said.

"RBSL has doubled in size in the last three years. We were a business of 350 people, we are now over 700," he added.

The firm has four sites across the UK and will also produce 148 upgraded, fully-digitised Challenger 3 tanks for the Army at the Telford factory.

The plant will make more than 300 Boxers for the Army

Project manager Jack Sears said seeing manufacture of the Boxer vehicles begin was an exciting moment for him.

"Six years ago, I came for an interview and it was really quiet, no sparks flying as it was not in manufacture but today is when that all changes," the 23-year-old said.

"It's really exciting, we get to give the British Army a brilliant capability and it opens up the pathway for future orders and potentially exports."