Lynx production begins in Hungary

Pre-series production of the KF41 Lynx IFV (pictured at Rheinmetall's new Zalaegerszeg plant) began in Hungary at the beginning of 2023. (Rheinmetall)

The low-rate initial production of the KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) began in Hungary at the beginning of 2023, Rheinmetall announced in a press release on 12 January. Pre-series production includes building the Lynx's Lance turret and additional variants of the vehicle, the company noted. This would be followed by full-rate production in mid-July, it added.

The Hungarian Ministry of Defence (MoD) ordered 209 Lynx armoured vehicles, nine Büffel 3 armoured recovery vehicles, nine armoured vehicle-launched bridges (AVLBs), and 16 trucks, plus ammunition, simulators, training, an initial supply of spare parts, and maintenance support worth more than EUR2 billion (USD1.85 billion) in September 2020.

Rheinmetall is building the first 46 Lynx IFVs and command-and-control vehicles as well as nine Büffel 3s in Germany and 163 Lynx IFVs and nine combat support vehicles at the company's new plant being built in Zalaegerszeg, eastern Hungary, with deliveries starting in 2024.

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) will produce 16 TGS and HX trucks in Vienna.

Hungarian employees of Rheinmetall have begun work on the new Lynx vehicles in Germany.

The new plant in Zalaegerszeg, part of the ZALAZone industrial complex, includes assembly lines, a paint shop, internal logistic systems, an automated warehouse, a powerpack testbed, an electromagnetic compatibility chamber, a climate chamber, an underground firing range, and a test track.