Rheinmetall is now commissioning the first Hungarian-built Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle following development, production and testing at its Rheinmetall Hungary unit’s plant in Zalaegerszeg.
The locally made IFVs will be delivered to the Hungarian army in mid-2024, according to the company. Hungary’s Lynx KF41 order totals 209 units in seven variants.
The production of the Lynx fleet comes under a $2.2 billion contract awarded in September 2020, with the initial 46 units made in Germany delivered in October 2022. The rest of the IFVs will be manufactured in-country by Rheinmetall Hungary from the end of 2023. The company is a joint venture between Rheinmetall and the Hungarian government.
Rheinmetall also uses the Lynx KF41 IFV template for a mobile air defense vehicle that Hungary ordered under a $32.9 million contract, The Defense Post reported on Friday. The contract stems from the European Sky Shield Initiative to boost the air defense capabilities of the region’s allies following Russia’s Ukraine invasion, the report added.