Germany’s Rheinmetall Delivers First KF41 Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle to Ukraine

German defense company Rheinmetall delivered its first KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) to Ukraine, reported Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on January 7.

The vehicle, produced at Rheinmetall’s Unterlüß facility, arrived in Ukraine in late 2024 and is currently undergoing testing by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“This will allow for serial orders to be placed as quickly as possible,” said Papperger.

While initial discussions involved assembling the Lynx IFV from prefabricated kits at Rheinmetall’s new plant in Ukraine, this delivery appears to be a completed vehicle.

In June 2024, Rheinmetall announced an agreement to supply several hundred Lynx vehicles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin.

“This agreement reaffirms our commitment to continued collaboration in the coming years and establishes a framework for this partnership,” said Papperger at the time.

“We are already in talks to set up a joint venture for producing artillery munitions in Ukraine. Additionally, we plan to deliver the first Lynx vehicles this year and initiate local production soon.”

The framework agreement is expected to include training, maintenance, and repair services alongside the vehicles.

Papperger indicated in December 2023 that serial production of the Lynx IFV in Ukraine could begin in the summer of 2025, with each production cycle estimated to take about 12 months.

Unveiled in 2018, the KF41 Lynx is a cutting-edge infantry fighting vehicle weighing approximately 44 tons. It features a 30 or 35-mm automatic cannon mounted on the LANCE turret, a machine gun, and a launcher for anti-tank missiles that can be customized to client requirements.

The Lynx provides robust protection, with its front shield capable of withstanding 30-mm projectiles and side armor protecting against 14.5-mm rounds. Its hull is designed to endure blasts equivalent to 10 kg of TNT.

The vehicle is powered by a 1,470-horsepower Liebherr D9612 engine, enabling speeds of up to 70 km/h and a range of 500 km. It accommodates a crew of three and can carry up to nine soldiers.

Currently, the only operational KF41 Lynx vehicles are used by the Hungarian Armed Forces, which reportedly had at least eight units as of early 2024. Hungary manufactures these vehicles at Rheinmetall’s Zalaegerszeg plant.

Earlier, reports emerged that the German defense company Rheinmetall secured a contract to supply Ukraine with an additional 180,000 35mm HEI-T (high-explosive incendiary with tracer) rounds for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems.