Boxer, amphibious armour, and the Ajax procurement problem

Was it a mistake for the British Army to buy Boxer instead of an amphibious 8x8?

Boxer has a defensible case, especially its variants and maintenance advantages. An amphibious alternative is preferred by one contributor, while Ajax attracts the stronger criticism and a proposed CV90 replacement.

Boxer's wheeled layout offers maintenance advantages, and its many mission variants strengthen the case for buying it. A competing preference is an amphibious 8x8 that could reduce dependence on fixed Channel crossings. The claimed ability to cross the Channel independently is challenged in chat, prompting identification of the Iveco-based vehicle built by BAE for the U.S. Marine Corps. Criticism focuses more heavily on Ajax, with an off-the-shelf CV90 family proposed as the preferable original purchase. Changing course after production begins would still require time to establish replacement factories and support arrangements. That transition problem is distinct from the argument over whether past spending has become a sunk-cost justification.