Another big cat arrives in the armory of the Hungarian Land Forces
Last weekend marked another milestone in the modernization of the Hungarian Defense Forces with the arrival of the first Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) which will form the backbone of the country’s ground combat capabilities.
The German-made Rheinmetall tracked vehicle is equipped with a 30 millimeter main gun, is capable of carrying 8 soldiers and will feature an active protection system vital on a modern battlefield where the availability of anti-armour weapons increase. Although the state-of-the-art vehicle is not cheap, estimated at between 11 and 14 million euros each, the Lynx IFVs are expected to pay for themselves in part due to the fact that their second batch will be manufactured in Zalaegerszeg in Hungary. . , where the recruitment of engineers and staff is underway. This will not only bring jobs and taxes to the local economy, but will also strengthen the Hungarian national arms industry.
One of the newly arrived vehicles was showcased in the capital’s Heroes Square on Sunday. Viktor Vauver, Lieutenant Colonel of the Hungarian Defense Forces, pointed out that the Lynx currently on display in Budapest was made in Germany, but in the future the combat vehicle will be made in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary. Colonel Vauver said Rheinmetall, the infantry fighting vehicle maker, will deliver 46 Lynxes to Hungary by 2023, and another 172 will be produced in Hungary by 2029. He pointed out that with the help from the defense fund, “we will be able to continue the development of the armed forces despite inflation,” MTI reported.
The Sunday Hungarian Defense Forces Recruitment Day in Heroes’ Square attracted a high turnout. The event was also attended by Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.
Hungarian government orders from German defense technology manufacturers Rheinmetall and KMW have already resulted in the arrival of new PzH 2000 tracked self-propelled howitzers and Leopard 2A4 tanks in Hungary, with the first high-end Leopard 2A7s expected to arrive from here. the end of this year. Whether reports are to be believed, negotiations are underway regarding the 155 mm HX3 wheeled howitzers with Rheinmetall. The multimillion-dollar question is what will replace the aging BTR-80/A armored vehicles currently in use, but even here the wheeled Boxer IFVs of the German company have a good chance of being the ones to replace the old ones soviet era vehicles.
Feature photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
