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Rheinmetall has confirmed that the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle that the Italian army has received for testing was indeed produced in Hungary, the Combatant blog reported. Production at the Zalaegerszeg (western Hungary) plant started in 2023, and the first vehicle assembled there was completed last year.
The Lynx is an armored infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) developed by Germany’s Rheinmetall in recent years. The first regular customer for the Lynx KF41 was the Hungarian Defense Forces, with the first combat vehicle delivered at the end of 2022. Since then, new units have been arriving continuously, and the Hungarian army is now also receiving units from the Hungarian factory in Zalaegerszeg.
The construction of the Rheinmetall Hungary Zrt. factory in the vicinity of Zalaegerszeg started in 2020, production started in 2023, and the first “Hungarian” Lynx was rolled out a year later.
The Italian army is now planning to purchase 350 tracked IFVs to replace the 200 Dardo IFVs currently in service, as well as the M113 tracked armored personnel carriers currently in service with mechanized units. According to a Memorandum of Understanding announced on July 3, 2024, between Germany’s Rheinmetall and Italy’s Leonardo, the Lynx KF41 will be the expected platform for the AICS (Armored Infantry Combat System) program, as part of the KF51 Panther selected for Italy’s MBT program.
Lynx KF 41 at the Hungarian Rheinmetall factory. Photo: Hungary Today
Italian website Rivista Italiana Difesa, reported on the last day of 2024, that a Lynx vehicle, probably in connection with the above news, had arrived in the country for testing.
The Combatant blog contacted Rheinmetall to find out if the vehicle that the Italians received for testing was manufactured in Hungary. Rheinmetall replied saying that “the Lynx KF-41, delivered to the Italian armed forces on December 31, 2024, was manufactured in Zalaegerszeg. It is one of the most modern combat vehicle factories in the world. It is a short-term temporary export for demonstration purposes for the Italian Army.
Rheinmetall Hungary is grateful for the opportunity to support this project.
The Lynx is currently the most advanced IFV in service. It offers excellent network management, protection, mobility, and firepower.
Thanks to its modular design, it can be configured for a wide range of tasks.
Italy, as a potential NATO and EU Lynx user nation, would also provide the Hungarian Army with a number of benefits in terms of training, interoperability, and supply.”
Via Combatant.blog.hu, Rivista Italiana Difesa; Featured photo via Hungary Today