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War in Ukraine

How Can Germany’s KF41 Lynx Bolster Ukraine’s Fight Against Russia?

How Can Germany’s KF41 Lynx Bolster Ukraine’s Fight Against Russia?

The KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle is already in Ukraine and undergoing testing ready to take on Russian forces. What is it and how will it enhance the country's growing self-reliant defense industry?

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Jessica_daly
Jess Daly
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The KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) was delivered in Ukraine last month, December 2024. “It is currently being tested by the [Ukrainian] Armed Forces so that a serial order can be placed as soon as possible,” the German manufacturer Rheinmetall CEO, Armin Papperger confirmed.

Rheinmetall is Germany’s leading defense contractor and claims to be one of the world's “leading manufacturers of complex air defense weapon systems”. They have delivered a number of armored vehicles, artillery, ammunition, and air defense systems to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. 

The defense giant confirmed the future delivery of several hundred Lynx IFVs to Ukraine during the “Ukraine Recovery Conference” in Berlin, in June 2024. The collaboration framework would also include training, maintenance, and repair services of the IFVs. 

Rheinmetall sets to establish four production plants in Ukraine, advancing the nation’s self-sufficiency in defense manufacturing and addressing a critical need for immediate armament. One of the factories is already operational and is manufacturing the KF41 Lynx.

What are the key features of the KF41 Lynx IFV?

The KF41 Lynx IFV is a highly advanced vehicle, and according to Rheinmetall it has “scalable armament, various layers of protection, upgradeable systems and the ability to be completely re-rolled within hours” due to its “uniquely modular concept”.

What does it mean? Lynx’s modularity allows any base vehicle to be configured not only as an IFV, but also as an armored personnel carrier, a command vehicle, a recovery vehicle, or an ambulance, with reconfiguration happening within eight hours. Its base vehicle commonality and easy integration means that it can be adapted to provide critical support suiting specific needs on the frontline, in an affordable and timely manner. 

It has a variety of survivability kits available for peacekeeping situations, counter-insurgency operations in urban terrain, and mounted combat. “No other vehicle can adapt to diverse environments across the full spectrum of operational challenges like the Lynx KF41 can,” Rheinmetall says. 

The Rheinmetall Lynx KF41 tank on display on the Rheinmetall stand at the Eurosatory International Defence and Security Exhibition on June 14, 2022 (Source: Kiran Ridley via Getty Images
The Rheinmetall Lynx KF41 tank on display on the Rheinmetall stand at the Eurosatory International Defence and Security Exhibition on June 14, 2022 (Source: Kiran Ridley via Getty Images

The Lynx has a LANCE turret with a 30mm or 35mm gun and a missile launcher that fires anti-tank guided missiles. It carries a crew of three (commander, gunner, and driver) with the capacity for up to eight military passengers and reaches speeds of up to 80km/ph. 

The Lynx is capable of withstanding anti-tank weapons, medium-calibre ammunition, artillery shrapnel, and bomb blasts. Its hull is designed to withstand the equivalent of 10kg TNT explosions and has protection against 30mm frontal and 14.5mm side projectiles. 

Additionally, the IFV can be fitted with active protection systems (APS) and NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical) protection, vital for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. Moscow is well known for its use of chemical weapons against military and civilian targets, along with ongoing threats of nuclear weapon systems. 

It has a flexible suspension system, providing class-leading mobility and up to six tonnes of reserve payload for future growth and adaptations, vital in a growing increasingly complex battlefield. 

How will the KF41 Lynx benefit Ukraine?

Ukraine urgently needs versatile and modern combat vehicles to combat the vast range of high-intensity battlefield threats seen today on its frontlines. The KF41 Lynx provides firepower and troop transportation while ensuring maximum protection. Its modularity gives Ukraine the option of flexibility for various roles needed on the battlefield. 

Rheinmetall offered the Lynx to Czechia to replace their Soviet-era BMP-2 armored fighting vehicles, which both Ukraine and Russia currently use, suggesting that the Lynx would be a great contender against the BMP. 

Ukraine had been relying on the delivery of foreign supplies but is now prioritizing the localization of weaponry to sustain defense efforts. Opening the repair and production facilities in collaboration with Rheinmetall for vehicles like the KF41 Lynx enhances Ukraine’s ability to repair and maintain its arsenal domestically, while growing its self-reliant defense industry, vital to meet Kyiv’s urgent demands. 

“The Ukrainian defense industry has been in decline for decades,” said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine’s Strategic Industries Minister. “But today it is reviving and making a significant contribution to Ukraine's economic recovery—also thanks to partners like Rheinmetall.” 

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