Milestone in the Defense Industry: First Armored Vehicle Produced in Zalaegerszeg

The first Lynx KF41A, manufactured in Zalaegerszeg (western Hungary), has rolled off the assembly line, announced German manufacturer Rheinmetall. The development is a milestone in several respects.

Rheinmetall, the world’s leading defense manufacturer, has produced the first Hungarian Lynx KF41A, reports Világgazdaság. This is significant from a domestic perspective not only because the vehicle was built at the Zalaegerszeg plant, but also because it will go to the Hungarian Defense Forces and improve the country’s military capabilities. Exactly when the handover will take place was not revealed, but it was noted that the commissioning is already underway and the

Defense Forces are scheduled to start using the vehicle sometime in mid-2024.

The Hungarian government signed a contract with Rheinmetall in 2020 for the domestic production of Lynx infantry fighting vehicles. It was decided that the Hungarian Defense Forces would be equipped with 218 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles as part of the two billion-euro program. Of these, 172 will be manufactured in Zalaegerszeg by Rheinmetall. In the first production phase, 46 infantry armored vehicles were built in Germany. The first of these vehicles was delivered in October 2022.

It is important to note that the Lynx is more modern than competing models. One of its greatest strengths is that despite weighing up to 50 tons, it is highly maneuverable. To move that kind of weight, power is needed.

It has a six-cylinder, in-line diesel engine mated to an automatic gearbox.

The Lynx can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h. This makes its specific power, or power per ton, one of the highest on the market.

Only the Russian Kurganets-25 is able to do slightly better, if it is actually systematized. The Lynx’s operating range is 500 kilometers on 900 liters of diesel.

Its primary weapon is a 30 or 35 mm machine gun, and its secondary weapon is a 7.62 mm machine gun.

These are used against targets with a range of up to 3,000 meters, both stationary and moving.

The Lynx can also be equipped with LR2 Spike anti-tank guided missiles. The vehicle has advanced fire control, optical guidance systems, and its night vision capability is outstanding. The armor of the tank is the highest in its class, resistant to anti-tank weapons.

It is also worth mentioning that compared to competing infantry fighting vehicles, the Lynx can be equipped with a unique active protection system called StrikeShield. This system is also used regularly by the Hungarian Defense Forces. It is specifically designed to transport soldiers. In addition to a crew of three, it has a capacity of eight – perhaps needless to say, this is beyond the capabilities of its competitors.

Seven versions of the Lynx are being supplied to the Hungarian army. The basic version is the infantry fighting vehicle, but there will also be

• a command version
• a combat reconnaissance vehicle
• an artillery observer
• one with a 120 mm mortar launcher
• casualty carrier
• and training versions.

The Hungarian Defense Forces is being reinforced with world-class technology, and the procurement is far from over.

Via Világgazdaság, Featured image via honvedelem.hu