IAV 2025: Hungary’s Lynx IFV programme

Hungary’s 30th Mechanised Infantry Brigade has taken delivery of the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and is starting the long and complex process of integrating it into their order of battle. Some of the challenges and successes that they have achieved throughout the process were explored during the Defence iQ International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) conference, held from 21st January to 23rd January in Farnborough, the UK. 

The speaker, who is a serving officer in the Hungarian armed forces and held a conference session during the event, explained that 2024 was a key year for the platform, and that the 30th Mechanised Brigade carried out driver and turret operator training in that year, as well technical training. The speaker noted that the prior vehicle fleet included systems like the Soviet BTR-80, a wheeled platform. The soldiers were used to patrolling and manning checkpoints, “they have had to relearn the art of mechanised warfare,” he said. 

A total of 46 Lynx IFVs manufactured by Rheinmetall are to be delivered by 2025, with the Hungarian armed forces set to receive a total of 172 vehicles that will be manufactured in-country through the joint venture with Rheinmetall by 2030, the speaker said. The first locally manufactured vehicle was delivered in July 2024, indicating that the plans to stand up local production are relatively advanced. The future vehicles will include other variants in addition to the existing Lynx IFV and C2 variants: The speaker explained that there would be, a recce variant, a mortar vehicle, a targeting vehicle, medevac variant, and finally a driver training vehicle. Hungary is also working to develop a new variant of the Lynx armed with the Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 turret that was signed in 2023 under a development contract. 

The speaker indicated that the partnership with Rheinmetall is closely-knit and lessons from Hungary’s use of the vehicle have been fed back and actioned quickly. “This is key to building trust with the soldiers,” he added. 

“The digitalisation of the vehicle and its sensors is very important to the Hungarian armed forces, this is because the soldier is a sensor, and they must be able to send information to the vehicle and to where it is needed,” the speaker said. This ties into a planned digital soldier system which will use the Lynx as the central hub of the digital network. “We are working with Elbit to introduce their hardware to enable this, so that our infantry can report targets to the Lynx, and the Lynx will engage the enemy,” the Speaker added. 

Speaking of the road ahead, he indicated that a primary challenge is for the infantry to remain inside the vehicle for as long as possible and fight from the vehicle when possible, as well as from foot for as long as necessary. However, all of this requires a new doctrine and training system, a challenging task. Furthermore, the brigade is just beginning its integration with the Hungarian Leopard 2A7, which involves a whole new learning process.

He also explained that other challenges include the logistics for the vehicle fleet, including the provision of spare parts and establishment of supply chains to keep the vehicles functioning at a high level of readiness, which is to be expected from the introduction of a new platform into service. 

Tech profile: KF41 Lynx IFV

Situational awareness of the Hungarian Lynx IFV is enhanced through a suite of modern technologies including automatic target detection and tracking as well as a 360 degree situational awareness system consisting of both thermal and electro-optical cameras. It also includes a 360 degree laser warning system and an acoustic gunshot detection system, all of which feed into a central computer. It can reach 75 km/h on a hard road and 70 km/h off-road – both proven through experience, the speaker said. He added that driving the vehicle and learning to use it is easy and that Hungarian soldiers had not found the adjustment too challenging. 

The front and sides of the vehicle are protected from 25 mm ammunition, the rear against 14.5 mm heavy machine guns. The StrikeShield system is planned to be added to the vehicle, providing a combined active/passive protection system. The Lance 2 turret carries a MK30-2 30 mm cannon with 116 programmable rounds or 115 rounds of kinetic energy, anti-armour round. It is planned to integrate the Spike ATGM onto the turret in the near future, extending the crew’s ability to engage heavily armoured targets at greater range. 

Calibre comment

The KF41 Lynx may reflect a considerable success for tracked armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) development. The design was first introduced in 2018 and appears to be approaching design maturity for the Hungarian armed forces. This indicates a total development timeline, including the initial KF31 Lynx that preceded the KF41, of just eight years. For comparison, other tracked vehicles like the Ajax and Puma have taken 14 and 13 years respectively to enter service. Arguably, the Ajax still has a way to go before it can be said to have reached design maturity. This reflects the challenges of developing tracked AFVs and getting them into service, which can be significant when working from a clean sheet design.