Hungarian Army begins Rheinmetall Lynx KF41 IFV crew training.

In February 2024, the Hungarian Army began its modernization program by initiating the training of new crews for the Lynx KF41, a latest-generation infantry fighting vehicle developed by the German company Rheinmetall. After a testing campaign, the commissioning of the first Lynx vehicles into the Hungarian Army is announced for mid-2024.
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Hungarian Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Picture source: Hungarian MoD)

As a reminder, in September 2020, the Hungarian Ministry of Defence awarded Rheinmetall a contract worth more than 2 billion euros for the supply of 209 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and related products and services to Hungary. In the first phase of production, Hungary is taking delivery of 46 Lynx vehicles in infantry fighting and command post versions, as well as 9 Buffalo armored recovery and evacuation vehicles assembled in Germany. The first vehicle was already transferred to the Hungarian military on October 15, 2022. Starting from the end of 2023, the remaining vehicles will be produced in Hungary by Rheinmetall Hungary Zrt., a joint venture company co-owned by Rheinmetall (51%) and the Hungarian state (49%).

The replacement of the old Soviet BTR 80s with the Lynx KF41 was inaugurated as part of the Defence and Military Development Program. The newly acquired vehicles were transported to Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary, where the retraining of the first crews began in September 2023. After an initial phase of driving training, the crews progressed to live firing exercises, successfully demonstrating their ability to engage both stationary and moving targets.

On August 18, 2023, Rheinmetall inaugurated its new factory in Zalaegerszeg, underlining Hungary's strategic importance in its defense material production. This state-of-the-art facility, intended for the production of the Lynx KF41, embodies Rheinmetall's commitment to Hungary's "Zrínyi 2026" program, aimed at equipping the country's armed forces with modern, locally produced equipment. On December 26, 2023, Rheinmetall completed the assembly of the first Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle in its factory in Hungary.

Rheinmetall, a European leader in manufacturing systems and equipment for ground forces, now considers Hungary a key domestic market. The site in Zala County, covering 33 hectares, houses one of the most sophisticated development, production, and testing centers, including EMV/CLIMA chambers and a firing tunnel. The factory's design emphasizes the latest industrialization principles, flexibility, growth potential, efficiency, and the implementation of advanced transport and logistics concepts and production techniques.

The Zalaegerszeg plant is set to become a cornerstone of the Hungarian and European defense industry, strengthening Hungary's position as a major player in the NATO security landscape and beyond.

The contract originally envisaged seven variants of the Lynx KF41 for the Hungarian military: the standard infantry fighting vehicle; a command post vehicle; a reconnaissance vehicle; a forward artillery observer vehicle; a mortar track; a field ambulance; and a driver education vehicle. Rheinmetall will develop a Lynx mobile air defense vehicle with a Skyranger 30 turret as a further variant. The contract for the conceptual development of this variant was signed in December 2023.