Army Bumps Up Salaries of Soldiers Operating the New Lynx IFVs

Young people who specifically want to become operators of Lynx armored infantry fighting vehicles, turret gunners or gunners transported into combat with these combat vehicles will receive a gross salary of 737.000 HUF (EUR 1900). This was announced by Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.

The aim is to enrich the Hungarian Defense Forces with young people who are capable of handling the Lynx infantry fighting vehicles, an important part of our modern, 21st century, high-performance armed forces.

We must increase our national resilience and continuously develop our military forces. In short, peace requires strength,”

he said. The Defense and Armaments Development Program, which is still ongoing, has now reached the milestone of not only the introduction but also the entry into service of the Lynx armored fighting vehicles.

“We need soldiers to handle our newly arriving modern assets and we can start recruiting for these assets. You could say that we are waiting for a man for the iron”, underlined Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky. It was said that the Hungarian Defense Forces are looking for Lynx drivers, turret gunners and gunners who will be transported into combat with these combat vehicles, who want to be the leading soldiers of the largest proportion of infantry development, i.e. our best soldiers will be together with the cutting-edge technology.

“Of course, the priority assignment comes with a priority salary. I have set a special salary in such a way that the starting salary for the sergeant-major entering the 30th Armored Infantry Brigade of the MH Kinizsi Pál Battalion operating the Lynxes will be 737,000 HUF gross per month. This can be up to 600 thousand forints net for those under 25 years of age. We will also increase the salary of all soldiers – old and new – of the battalion concerned to this level, up to the level of battalion commander,” the Minister announced.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky also said that the application process would be “easy, quick and simple”. As he said, those who want to join the infantry brigade will have to apply on iranyasereg.hu, then with the basic personal documents (ID card, address card, tax and social security card, and certificate of primary education) to appear on 11 September in Hódmezővásárhely, at the barracks of the infantry brigade, where after the medical examination, a contract can be signed for a three-year period, and then almost immediately the training will start.

Major General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, described the KF41HU Lynx as one of the world’s most advanced combat vehicles. As he detailed, the armour provides protection against mines and improvised explosive devices. The active armor provides protection against anti-tank weapons. The survivability is enhanced by smoke grenade launchers, and the advanced self-defense system includes laser and radar irradiation warning systems and an acoustic in-fire warning system. The combat vehicle is equipped with advanced day and night surveillance equipment and a high-bandwidth communication system ensures its connectivity. The most important piece of the Lynx’s remarkable main armament is the 30 mm automatic machine gun, which can fire programmable ammunition with a range of up to 3,000 meters. In parallel, a 7.62 millimeter machine gun can also be found on Lynxes. In addition to the main armament, there is a 12.7 millimeter remote-controlled weapons platform, as well as space for armor-piercing missiles on the turret. The 45-tonne vehicle can travel at speeds of up to 65 kilometers per hour and has a range of over 400 kilometers.

“When you add it all up, it is not an exaggeration to say that this combat vehicle is a real star destroyer for the infantry,” said the Deputy Chief of the Hungarian Defense Forces, adding that a total of 218 Lynx will be completed and integrated into the Hungarian Defense Forces system by 2029.

Major General Ferenc Kajári said that the aim is to set up the first battalion of the Hungarian Defense Forces equipped with the Lynx combat vehicle, which will be a truly elite unit, at the end of the special recruitment campaign. “Anyone who feels that they are prepared and ready enough should give it a try, apply, and if they prove their perseverance and ability, they can become a member of this elite corps and participate in building the future. After the eight-week basic training and the military oath, the basic training of the rifle corps will begin. Here, everyone will acquire the knowledge required for the combat vehicle, but only the best will be allowed to join and remain in the corps, because only then will it become an elite corps,” the Major General recalled.