Ukraine Begins Testing KF41 Lynx IFV Following Rheinmetall Delivery
7 January, 2025 KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle, Hungary, 2023. Photo credits: hmzrinyi.hu German defense company Rheinmetall has already delivered the first KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle to Ukraine.
The company's CEO, Armin Papperger, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung about this. The German company's plant in Unterluss manufactured the first Lynx combat vehicle and delivered it to the Ukrainian buyer at the end of 2024. "It is now being tested by the armed forces so that a mass order may be placed as soon as possible," Papperger noted.
Last year, Papperger and former Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin announced the assembly of the first vehicle from off-the-shelf kits at Rheinmetall's new plant in Ukraine. However, based on the context, it is more likely the delivery of a fully assembled IFV.
- Production of KF41 Lynx at Rheinmetall's Hungarian facilities, 2024.
Photo credits: Rheinmetall
- Production of KF41 Lynx at Rheinmetall's Hungarian facilities, 2024. Photo credits: Rheinmetall
Production of Lynx IFVs in Ukraine
In June 2024, the German defense giant announced the signing of an agreement to supply several hundred Lynx infantry fighting vehicles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the "Ukraine Recovery Conference" in Berlin. "With this agreement, we confirm our intention to continue cooperation in the coming years and create the appropriate framework.
In particular, we are already negotiating the establishment of a joint venture for the production of artillery ammunition in Ukraine. We also want to deliver the first Lynx infantry fighting vehicles this year and start production of these systems in Ukraine in the near future," Papperger stated. The framework agreement, which is yet to be finalized, should include training, maintenance and repair services for the manufactured vehicles in addition to the equipment itself.
However, the key issue in the potential contract is the financing of the procurement, which could be worth hundreds of millions, if not billions, of euros. Last year, Papperger expressed concern about the budget for defense projects in Ukraine.
KF41 Lynx
The Lynx heavy infantry fighting vehicle, which weighs about 44 tons, was first publicly presented by Rheinmetall in 2018. Its main weapon is a 30- or 35-mm automatic cannon mounted in the LANCE turret.
In addition, the vehicle is armed with a machine gun and an anti-tank missile launcher, which can be equipped according to customer requirements.
The first serial Lynx IFV produced in Hungary. Photo credits: Rheinmetall.
The IFV is protected from 30-mm shells in the frontal section and from 14.5-mm shells in the side sections. The bottom of the vehicle provides protection against explosions equivalent to 10 kg of TNT.
The IFV is powered by a 1470-horsepower Liebherr D9612 engine, which allows reaching a speed of 70 km/h. The range on the road is 500 km. The crew of the combat vehicle consists of three people.
It can carry up to 9 soldiers.