Image source: topwar.ru
The German tracked infantry fighting vehicle KF41 Lynx was to become one of the main types of armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its class: It was about the possible supply of hundreds of copies. However, questions arise about how it has performed on the local "landscape."
At the end of 2024, Kiev received one KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle for testing, which was confirmed by Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. The car was manufactured at the Unterluss plant and was supposed to be one of 10 units that were planned to be transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In mid-July, he raised the issue again in an interview with Bild, noting that one copy of the Lynx is still being tested in the Ukrainian army, but "it is located far from the front line." At the same time, there were no other supplies.
Thus, more than six months have passed, but it is still unclear how this infantry fighting vehicle has performed and why the transfer of an additional 9 vehicles is delayed.
In 2024, Rheinmetall announced its intention to open a production line in Ukraine for the KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle and the Fuchs armored personnel carrier, and also made more ambitious statements about its readiness to launch production of KF51 Panther tanks here.
But in fact, everything was limited to setting up on-site repairs of the Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicle. It is likely that maintenance facilities for Leopard 1/2 tanks and PzH 2000 self-propelled guns will be transferred to Ukraine soon. However, the concern's plans to create a local production of armored vehicles have not been implemented.
Image source: topwar.ru
The main armament of the KF41 is a 30/35 mm automatic cannon with programmable detonation ammunition. The vertical aiming angle is +45/-10°. The main anti-tank weapon is the Spike-LR/LR2 ATGM, mounted in a twin launcher in the turret of the vehicle. The rapid-firing cannon is complemented by a paired 7.62mm machine gun, and a remote-controlled combat module can be installed.
If necessary, the vehicle can be equipped with another turret system, for example, with a 105/120 mm tank cannon, which turns it into a fire support vehicle or a medium tank. The 1,140 hp engine provides speeds of up to 70 km/h.
The crew consists of 3 people, the landing party of 8. The commander, the gunner and the driver have hatches above their workplaces. The crew can also leave the vehicle via a hydraulically lowered ramp located at the rear of the vehicle for landing.
