KF31 Lynx IFV Rheinmetall

Tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle - Germany

The Rheinmetall Lynx is a tracked armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) which was unveiled at Eurosatory, the International Defense and Security exhibition in June 2016. The vehicle is a new generation of state-of-the-art tracked armoured vehicle offering high mobility, protection and firepower. The vehicle was developed as private venture by the German Company Rheinmetall to dominate the modern battlefield, lending itself to operations from peace enforcement to high-intensity combat. According to Ben Hudson, Head of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Division, the Rheinmetall Lynx is an advanced new modular family of vehicles that offers our customers the highest levels of survivability, mobility, lethality and capacity while utilizing proven technologies to deliver a compelling value proposition for our global customers. Lynx delivers the capabilities that will allow our customers to fight, survive and win on the battlefields of today and tomorrow. The Rheinmetall Lynx will be offered for the Australian Defence Force's LAND 400 Phase 3 program.

KF31 Lynx variants:

- Lynx Rheinmetall KF31: The Lynx family of tracked armoured vehicles can be configured for a variety of roles that include command and control, armoured reconnaissance, surveillance, repair, recovery or ambulance operations in addition to infantry fighting vehicle configuration
- Lynx Rheinmetall KF41: larger than the KF31 with a weight of around 44 tones and can carry eight soldiers and the crew including commander, driver and gunner.
Both vehicle classes – Lynx KF31 and Lynx KF41 – can be configured for other roles include a command & control, an armoured reconnaissance, repair & recovery and an ambulance.

Armament

The Rheinmetall Lynx IFV is fitted with a two-man turret LANCE armed with a stabilized, externally powered, airburst-capable automatic cannon (either 30mm or 35mm). This enables Lynx to effectively engage targets with high precision at ranges of up to 3,000 meters – even on the move. The turret has a reserve of 200 rounds of two different ammunition types for the main weapon. The turret has 360º electric traverse and the weapons can be elevated from -10 to +45º. Lynx can also be equipped with an antitank guided missile launcher and a secondary weapon station linked to the main optics (main sensor slaved armament). Not only does Lynx have hunter-killer capability, but it can also operate in killer-killer mode since the commander and gunner can observe and engage targets independently of each other.

At Eurosatory 2016, the Lynx KF31 was fitted with a twin-round launcher for the Spike-LR ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) mounted to the left side of the turret. A 7.62mm coaxial machine gun is mounted to the right side of the main armament.

Design and protection

The hull and turret of the Rheinmetall Lynx are protected against antitank weapons, medium-caliber ammunition, artillery shrapnel, IEDs and bomblets using a modular armour concept. In addition, a spall liner in the vehicle interior protects the entire crew. The driver sits at the front of the hull on the left side and has a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the rear, in front of which are three day periscopes. The vehicle can carry a total of 9 military personnel including driver, commander and gunner. For the Rheinmetall Lynx IFV KF31, the rear part of the vehicle can accommodate a total of 6 infantrymen. Owing to the manned turret, the commander can still lead from the hatch. The gunner and driver each have hatches, too, while two soldiers in the rear of the fighting compartment can also observe the area around the vehicle from an open hatch. The Lynx includes a Mission Kit that is designed specifically for the intended roles and fitted to the Base Vehicle to form a Mission System variant. The Mission Kit designs incorporate many of the sub-systems and components in common with the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) offered into Land 400 Phase 2, thereby providing logistics advantages through commonality. The infantry enters and leave the vehicle through a large hydraulically operated ramp at the rear of the hull.

Mobility

The Rheinmetall Lynx IFV is motorized with a Liebherr Diesel engine developing 563 kW mounted at the front of the vehicle. The engine uses a cooling system consists of two coolers on the left and right rear sponsons. This provides the lowest possible infra-red (IR) signature. The vehicle can run at a maximum road speed of 65 km/h. The torsion bar suspension each side consists of six dual rubber-tired road wheels with the drive sprocket at the front, the idler at the rear. The road wheels are mounted on a suspension system comprising swing arms with conventional torsion bars and damper systems, this set-up proved to be reliable and cost-efficient. The upper part of the suspension is protected by armour plates. The Rheinmetall Lynx features an excellent power-to-weight ratio and can handle gradients of up to 60 degrees and lateral inclines of more than 30 degrees. It can cross ditches up to 2.5 meters wide and ford bodies of water up to 1.50 meters deep. Furthermore, it can climb over one-meter-high obstacles. The vehicle can run on either rubber or light metal tracks.

Accessories

The Rheinmetall Lynx is equipped with a Mine and IED protection packages, decoupled seats and the optional hard-kill Active Defence System (ADS) to increase the survivability of the vehicle. The commander and gunner both have access to the Stabilized Electro Optical Sight System/SEOSS, a digital TV - IR optical system with an integrated laser range finder and fire control computer. In the fighting compartment, displays provide the crew with a seamless 360° panoramic view. Rheinmetall’s Situational Awareness System (SAS), featuring automatic target detection and tracking, enhances the hunter-killer capability and minimizes crew reaction time. Emerging threats can be swiftly engaged with Lynx’s main or secondary armament. Laser warning sensors and the Acoustic Sniper Locating System (ASLS) likewise form part of the sensor suite. A combat management system and intercom for tactical communication round out the array of on-board equipment. The heating, cooling and nuclear, biological and chemical filtration system are combined in an environmental control system stowed in the rear-located left sponson in front of the cooling system.