Synopsis

The Boxer ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) ambulance is an eight-wheeled multi-purpose vehicle used by the 13th Motorised Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army as a battlefield ambulance. Its heavy armour and off-road capabilities make it ideally suited to evacuating casualties from the battlefield under heavy fire. The Boxer ATV is a battlefield ambulance and is not equipped to respond to urban or civilian incidents due to its size and weight. This video includes an interview with Corporal Tim from the Royal Netherlands Army based in Lithuania as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup. He talks about the role of the Boxer and the medical team who operate it. The footage includes shots of a simulated battlefield casualty evacuation and drone shots of the Boxer moving through forest at training grounds near Pabradė.

Teaser

“It really gives you a kick to go with the Boxer through the woods at 60 km per hour.” When the Netherlands Army have to rescue a battlefield casualty in any terrain, this is what they use.

Transcript

SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH Corporal Tim, Royal Netherlands Army ‘When there is something wrong on the battlefield, we got a casualty, it really gives you a kick to go with the Boxer around like 50 or 60 kilometres per hour through the woods. Go there, pack up the casualty and take them to safety. The Boxer is our medical armoured vehicle. It's used to extract wounded soldiers from the battlefield. We can use it for three laying patients, or seven in the seats. And our job is mostly to enter the battlefield, and extract the wounded soldiers and take them to safety. A normal ambulance is better inside the cities. This is a rough-built vehicle. We're here for the rough terrain – sand, dirt, where normal civilian ambulances can't come. The Boxer team consists of one driver, one commander and one nurse. Because of the red cross, we're not allowed to fight. We're only allowed to protect ourselves and our patients.’ END