Hundreds of Young People Interested in Operating Lynx Fighting Vehicles

The recruitment campaign of the Hungarian Defense Forces for operating Lynx armored infantry fighting vehicles has been very well received by young people. Hundreds have applied at the 30th Kinizsi Pál Armored Infantry Brigade in Hódmezővásárhely (eastern Hungary), announced Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on public television channel M1, reports Hirado.hu.

The minister recollected that a few weeks ago, he called on young people to volunteer for the crew of the high-end Lynx vehicles under the slogan “Man for the iron!”. As he said, operating a Lynx is a complex military job, so they were looking for those who were best suited for it. The chosen personnel will be rewarded with a special gross salary of 737,000 forints (EUR 1,910). For comparison, the average gross salary in Hungary is currently HUF 566,800 (EUR 1,470).

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that so many people had applied that the program, originally planned to last one day, had to be split into two days, with the first applicants having already passed the health, psychological, and physical assessments on Monday.

The defense minister stressed that

running a Lynx requires a different kind of attitude, a young, dynamic generation with digital skills, thus it was gratifying to learn that the vast majority of applicants were under 25.

The conscripts will start their training for the special device after several weeks of basic training. The minister also indicated that those who do not fit into the Kinizsi Brigade will be offered a place in other units of the Hungarian Defense Forces.

Major General Ferenc Kajári said earlier 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.

He described the KF41HU Lynx as one of the world’s most advanced combat vehicles, adding that the armor 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, while 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-ton vehicle can travel at speeds of up to 65 kilometers per hour and has a range of over 400 kilometers.

Featured photo via Honvédelem.hu