One Down, Three to Go – Rheinmetall Begins Production of Lynx IFV in Ukraine

In an interview with TSN published on Saturday, Oct. 26, the of Germany’s Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, announced that its first Ukrainian production facility, which up to now has been mainly used to repair battle damaged vehicles, has begun to build the KF 41 version of the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). The first batch of around ten of the armored equipment is planned for delivery before the end of the year.

Papperger told the news outlet that a second factory was nearing completion and that planning for two more facilities intended for ammunition production and propellant manufacturing was well advanced.

“Things are progressing. The first plant is already ready. The second one is on the way. And now I insist on speeding up all of this work, because we don't have much time, we shouldn't waste it.”

Papperger added, “We are fully committed to supporting Ukraine’s defense industry, ensuring that essential equipment can be produced and maintained within the country.”

Rheinmetall and the Ukrainian government finalized an agreement to start producing Lynx armored vehicles, for which discussions had begun in March, on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference that was held in Berlin in June. Ukraine’s Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin said at the time that the decision marked a significant development in the defense collaboration between the two nations.

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Papperger expanded on other plans he was working on with Kyiv which also included establishing domestic production of air defense systems so that Ukraine could defend itself from air and missile attack.

He said that he was completely satisfied with the progress that was being made converting old Soviet-era facilities into modern factories that would be as good if not better than anything that was available in the West.

He added that “We conduct a powerful training program for people to teach them what to do there. I am glad that we can move forward very quickly in some issues. Of course, from the German side, from the Ukrainian side, sometimes there is a question of bureaucracy, but in the end everything works.”

The Lynx IFV, described by many as Rheinmetall’s flagship armored combat vehicle was first revealed in 2016. It available in two configurations: the 38-ton KF31 model, and the larger KF41 variant, which is believed to be the version being built in Ukraine.

The KF41 weighs in at around 50 tons and is powered by a 1,140-horsepower diesel engine allowing it to reach a speed of 70 kph (44 mph).

The Lynx is protected by double skinned ballistic steel armor plating augmented by additional modular armor consisting of metal and ceramic layers. The vehicle’s modular armor offers protection from kinetic weapons (rated against 25 mm armor-piercing rounds), rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and is blast resistant from explosive devices containing up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of TNT. The KF41 can be fitted with active protection systems (APS) capable of intercepting drones and anti-tank missiles.

The vehicle has a crew of three: commander, gunner, and driver. It can transport up to eight fully equipped soldiers in its rear compartment allowing it to deploy infantry safely onto the battlefield. Crew safety is a critical element of the vehicle’s design with ammunition stored separately from the modular crew and personnel compartments, minimizing the risk of a catastrophic explosion if its armor is penetrated.

The Lynx is primarily designed as an infantry fighting vehicle intended to deliver and support its infantry “payload” using a turret mounted 30mm or 35mm automatic cannon and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).

Its modular architecture allows it to be configured for a variety of roles such as reconnaissance, medical evacuation, and as a command vehicle. Whatever its role it retains the majority of its core components and systems which simplifies logistic, maintenance and operational support.