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The first Lynx infantry fighting vehicle to be built in-country in Hungary has now rolled off the assembly line in Rheinmetall’s production, development and test facility for armoured fighting vehicles in Zalaegerszeg.  

Following comprehensive function, performance and quality inspections in Zalaegerszeg, the first Hungarian-built Lynx will be transferred to the Hungarian armed forces in mid-2024,

Opened in August 2023, Rheinmetall’s ultramodern facility in Zalaegerszeg will enable the development and production of wheeled and tracked armoured fighting vehicles for the Hungarian armed forces. These include the Lynx KF41 family as well as the Evo version of the Panther KF51 main battle tank.  

“Rheinmetall is steadily expanding its production capacity in Europe to meet growing demand from our customers and to support European security”, states Rheinmetall executive board chairman Armin Papperger. “Opened in August of this year, our new plant in Hungary is the most advanced production and testing facility for armoured vehicles anywhere in the world.”
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence awarded Rheinmetall a contract in September 2020 worth more than €2 billion to supply Hungary with Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and related products and services.

In the first production phase, Hungary will take delivery of 46 Lynx IFVs made in Germany. The first vehicle was already transferred to the Hungarian military in October 2022.  Starting at 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 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.

First Lynx Skyranger variant

As a further variant, Rheinmetall will develop a Lynx mobile air defence vehicle with a Skyranger 30 turret. The contract for the conceptual development of this variant was signed in December 2023. 

Hungary awarded Rheinmetall a contract, worth close to €30 million, for the conceptual development of the Skyranger 30 turret for the future Lynx KF41 Mobile Air Defence Vehicle. The contract was signed on 15th December 2023 in Budapest.

The customisation development of the Skyranger 30 turret for the Lynx tracked armoured vehicle and the integration of additional effectors responds to Hungary’s need to address the current threat landscape.

A hybrid solution, its turret combines a high-performance 30 mm automatic cannon, surface-to-air missiles and the accompanying sensor suite, all on a single platform. Moreover, the system is compatible with a variety of modern guided missiles, such as the Mistral, Stinger and Chiron.