The German Army’s new medium brigades will be equipped with the Boxer-based Schakal IFV. (Rheinmetall)
The German army has developed a concept of operations (CONOPS) for its new medium brigades, providing an additional force category between its existing light and heavy forces.
During the 2026 SAE Media Group Future Soldier Technology conference in London in March, a German official under the Chatham House Rule commented on the necessity of forces capable of rapid deployment following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. These units are expected to engage mounted or dismounted to counter mechanized adversaries until heavy reinforcements arrive.
The medium brigades will utilize Boxer wheeled armored vehicles, including the Schakal (Jackal) – a heavy weapon carrier variant equipped with the turret from the Bundeswehr’s Puma infantry fighting vehicle. This includes a Rheinmetall MK 30-2/ABM cannon and the multi-role light missile system known as MELLS, which includes Spike Long Range (LR) anti-tank missiles.
Artec, a Rheinmetall-KNDS joint venture, received orders from the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) for 150 Schakal infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for Germany and 72 for the Netherlands in October 2025.
To form these brigades, existing light and armored infantry battalions are being converted to fit the medium role. Artillery support will be provided by the Boxer-based Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 (RCH 155).
The operational concept revolves around “shoot and scoot” and “hit and run” tactics, with initial contact made using unmanned systems. Each maneuver battalion will deploy a combined reconnaissance and sniper platoon equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to identify and engage targets using loitering munitions (LMs).
