"There are nations that have already begun preparations and we cannot fall behind," the Prime Minister warned.Continue reading
The past weekend has marked another significant milestone in the modernization of the Hungarian defense forces with the arrival of the first Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) which will form the backbone of the country’s land fighting capabilities.
The German Rheinmetall-made tracked vehicle is equipped with a 30 millimeter main gun, it is able to carry 8 soldiers, and will feature an active protection system vital in a modern battlefield where the availability of anti-armor weapons is increasing. Although the state-of-the-art vehicle does not come cheap, estimated at 11 to 14 million Euro a piece, the Lynx IFVs are expected to pay for themselves in part due to the fact that their second batch will be manufactured in Hungary’s Zalaegerszeg, where recruitment for engineers and staff is currently ongoing. This will not only bring jobs and taxes for the local economy, but will also strengthen the Hungarian domestic weapons industry.
One of the newly arrived vehicles was shown in the capital’s landmark Heroes’ Square on Sunday. Viktor Vauver, Lieutenant Colonel of the Hungarian Defense Forces pointed out that the Lynx currently on display in Budapest was made in Germany, but in the future the combat vehicle will be manufactured in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary. Colonel Vauver said that Rheinmetall, the manufacturer of infantry fighting vehicles, would deliver 46 Lynx to Hungary by 2023, with a further 172 to be produced in Hungary by 2029. He stressed that with the help of the defense fund, “we will be able to continue the development of the armed forces despite inflation”, reported MTI.
The Sunday Hungarian Defense Forces recruitment day in Heroes’ Square attracted a huge turnout. The event was also attended by Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.
The Hungarian government’s orders from the German defense technology manufacturers Rheinmetall and KMW have already resulted in the arrival of new PzH 2000 tracked self-propelled howitzers and Leopard 2A4 tanks in Hungary, with first of the top of the range Leopard 2A7s expected to roll in by the end of this year. If reports are to be believed, negotiations are under way regarding the wheeled HX3 155mm howitzers with Rheinmetall. The multi-million dollar question is what will replace the aging BTR-80/A armored carriers currently in use, but even here the German company’s wheeled Boxer IFVs have a good chance of being the ones replacing the old Soviet-era vehicles.
Featured Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd