Most recently, Rheinmetall, the largest supplier of military vehicles to the Australian Defense Force
submitted Lynx infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for the Australian Department of Defence Land 400 Phase 3 Mounted Close Combat Capability tender
The Lynx armored fighting vehicle being developed by Rheinmetall Corporation
is a new line of armored vehicles for global defence customers with many variants
This is a line of tracked armor, designed to operate on the front lines of combat
and is considered a new trend in the design of infantry fighting vehicles in the future
The KF41 variant was unveiled publicly at the Eurosatory defence exhibition on June 12, 2018
It is the larger variant of the Lynx combat vehicle family, which also includes Lynx KF31 vehicle
According to Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing Director, Gary Stewart
“The Lynx is a next generation tracked, digitised and highly protected Infantry Fighting Vehicle and offers a step-change in Army’s capabilities."
The Lynx KF41 combat vehicle is based on modular open systems architecture
which allows for configuration into various roles through the integration of new mission systems
It can be configured from one mission to another within eight hours
The KF41 variant provides significant lifecycle cost savings and benefits as it utilises a common drive module of the Lynx base vehicle
The vehicle can carry three crew and up to eight soldiers
It is larger than the base version and weighs approximately 44t when configured for mounted combat operations
The KF41 Lynx has a unique design using a common drive module and a flexible mission kit arrangement to allow any base vehicle to be configured as an IFV
an armored personnel carrier, a command vehicle, a recovery vehicle or an ambulance
The driver position is located at the front left side of the hull
It has three large vision blocks offering excellent front and side vision
The infantrymen enter and leave the vehicle through A large power-operated ramp mounted at the rear of the common drive module
positioned between the cooling systems
The ballistic and mine protection packages can be easily exchanged, even in the field if needed
while the full spectrum of threats has been taken into account, including roof protection against cluster munitions
The Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle is armed with the next generation Lance 2.0 turret
which offers enhanced survivability for critical subsystems against kinetic and fragmentation threats during close combat
The turret is integrated with the new Wotan 35 electrically driven cannon, which is designed to fire Rheinmetall’s 35 mm ammunition family
It is also fitted with two flexible mission pods on either side to allow for the installation of a variety of sub-systems
The mission pod options include dual Rafael Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missiles, non-line of sight strike loitering munitions
an electronic warfare package or unmanned aerial vehicle
The KF41 Lynx has a powerpack in the front of the hull including an 1,140hp Liebherr engine and a proven Renk transmission
The final drives are mounted in the front and the idler sprockets with track tensioners are mounted at the rear
The engine cooling system consists of two coolers on the left and right rear sponsons
This provides the lowest possible infra-red signature, optimal ballistic protection, and a well-balanced center-of-gravity
The KF41 Lynx can run at a maximum road speed of 70 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 500 km
It can cross a trench of 2.5m, climb a vertical obstacle of 1 m and has a fording depth of 1.5m without preparation