Rheinmetall Presents Its Lynx KF41 Combat Vehicle Family at Eurosatory 2024

The Eurosatory trade fair will take place in Paris from 17 to 21 June 2024. Rheinmetall will be presenting its Lynx KF41 combat vehicle family here. A first production vehicle of the Hungarian infantry fighting vehicle, a demonstrator of the Lynx Skyranger 30 air defence vehicle and, for the first time, a demonstrator of a direct fire support/ light battle tank with the HITFACT MkII 120mm turret from Leonardo will be on display in Paris. The Lynx KF41 is Rheinmetall’s answer to the requirements of future battlefields and offers superior capabilities in terms of survivability, lethality, mobility as well as command and control. The Lynx KF41 is one of the most advanced infantry fighting vehicles on the market and is attracting considerable interest worldwide. Hungary is currently the first NATO country introducing Lynx KF41 into service with first deliveries taken place in 2022.

The Lynx KF41 concept comprises a complete family of vehicles consisting of the common drive module and flexible mission modules in numerous variants. This allows each basic vehicle to be configured, for example, as an infantry fighting vehicle, air defence system, command vehicle or medical vehicle. The mission module can be changed between variants throughout the life of the platform. By making the drive module identical, this system significantly reduces lifecycle costs and also allows military users to adapt force structures or develop new capabilities in a short time to react to changes on the battlefield. Lynx KF41 is characterized by high levels of survivability, mobility and combat power, as well as high growth potential, including in terms of total weight and power consumption. With its large interior volume, Lynx KF41 is unmatched in its vehicle class. In addition to the three crew members, up to eight soldiers can be seated and conduct effective combat operations.

The Lance 2 turret of the Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) variant has powerful sensor systems to fully exploit the capabilities of the associated nextgeneration 30mm programmable ammunition fired by its main MK30-2/ABM autocannon and the advanced Spike LR2 anti-tank missile system. This allows it to engage both symmetric and asymmetric threats in a situation-adapted manner. Lynx KF41 and Lance 2 are fully digitized and based on the NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture (NGVA). This integrates the vehicle crew, dismounts and the vehicle itself into the digitized battle management system. Improved situational awareness capabilities enable rapid and highly automated target acquisition or target transfer. It also allows integration of multispectral reconnaissance systems, including drones and loitering munitions, for target acquisition and engagement beyond the line of sight.

The Lynx Skyranger 30, whose development was commissioned by Hungary, will be a pathbreaking air defence system based on the tried- and-tested Lynx infantry fighting vehicle. Integrating the state-ofthe-art Skyranger air defence system results in an even more effective and versatile air defence capability. The system offers an optimum combination of mobility, survivability, flexibility and precision, capable of thwarting highly challenging new threats in the short- and very-short domain. A hybrid solution, its turret combines a high- performance 30mm automatic cannon, surface-to-air missiles and the accompanying sensor suite, all on a single platform. Moreover, the system is compatible with a variety of modern guided missiles,such asthe Mistral, Stinger and Chiron.

The HITFACT MkII made by Leonardo is a modular and lightweight turret that can be equipped with either a rifled 105/52 mm or a smooth bore 120/45 mm soft recoil gun. It can be operated by a crew of 2 or 3 and optionally features an automatic ammunition loader for 120 mm rounds. The turret’s armor provides top-tier protection, and its architecture is fully digitalized to meet emerging C4ISTAR requirements. Secondary armament includes a 7,62 mm coaxial or a 12,7 mm machine gun, which can be pintle-mounted or remotely operated (HITROLE RWS).

The Lynx KF41’s modular multi-layered protection concept combines passive and active elements. The Lynx KF41 provides its crew with protection against the full threat spectrum, including improvised explosive devices (IEDs), mines, direct and indirect fire, cluster munitions and anti-tank guided weapons. With its high assertiveness and mobility, Lynx KF41 will enable forces to conduct complex military operations across the intensity spectrum in a variety of environments and against a wide range of threats. Because of its digitization and modern design, the Lynx KF41 can take on today’s adversaries and offers upside potential against tomorrow’s threats. The modular architecture allows reserves in terms of payload, electric propulsion and processing to seamlessly integrate further mission equipment into the vehicle or enable further variants within a single vehicle family.

Rheinmetall offers comprehensive industrial cooperation concepts with its partner country’s domestic industry for the production of the Lynx KF41. Hungary can serve as an example. In September 2020, the Hungarian Ministry of Defence commissioned Rheinmetall to supply combat vehicles and associated services. As early as October 15, 2022, Rheinmetall handed over the first of a total of 209 Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicles to the Hungarian armed forces coming from its established production line in Germany. Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) began in Hungary on time at the start of 2023. This pre-series production is considered an important milestone, which also includes the production of the Lance 2 medium-caliber turret and other Lynx KF41 variants.

Full-rate production (FRP) has begun in July 2023. Qualified personnel were recruited for this purpose and a Joint Defence Centre of Excellence, which was founded by Rheinmetall and its joint venture partners at the Zalaegerszeg site, wastechnically equipped. The Joint Defence Center of Excellence in Zalaegerszeg not only helps to maintain and further expand Hungary’s capabilities in the development and production of advanced combat vehicles, but also strengthens the local economy. The new Hungarian Rheinmetall colleagues have already been working on the new Lynx KF41 vehicles in Germany, gaining valuable knowledge and skills that support the transfer of know-how and technology.