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The armored personnel carriers introduced in many land forces are getting old. Efficient and future-proof solutions are being sought worldwide that meet the required new capabilities, particularly in terms of effectiveness, survivability, mobility and versatility.

The Lynx family from Rheinmetall offers a sustainable, cost-effective and – thanks to its extremely modular design – innovative solution for the current and future capability needs of modern armed forces in medium-heavy tracked vehicles.

The variants

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Lynx medium infantry fighting vehicle at Eurosatory 2016 (Photo: Horst)

A variant of the Lynx vehicle family - the Lynx KF infantry fighting vehicle (tracked vehicle in the 30-ton class) - was presented by Rheinmetall for the first time at the Eurosatory trade fair on June 14, 2016. When you first looked at the hull, this vehicle variant was clearly reminiscent of the Marder armored personnel carrier. In contrast, the new Lynx KF41 combat vehicle is a completely new development; It was presented as a world first at Eurosatory 2018.

Lynx vehicles are currently available in two weight classes. The Lynx KF31 weighs up to 38 tons and offers space for 3+6 soldiers. The Lynx KF41 is slightly larger and can carry 3+9 soldiers. With a configurable mass of 15 tons, variants with combat weights between 36 and 50 tons can be realized.

Lynx 31 infantry fighting vehicle (Photo: Rheinmetall)

Versatile, modular and flexible medium tracked vehicle family

Tracked vehicles in the Lynx series contribute to superiority on the battlefield and are suitable for all types of operations - from peacekeeping missions to high-intensity combat in national and alliance defense. They are highly protected, adaptable to different operational environments, extremely agile, extremely powerful and have high payload reserves.

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The Lynx 41 at Eurosatory 2018 (Photo: Horst)

The special modularity of this vehicle family was impressively presented to an international audience of experts at the Eurosatory trade fair in 2018. The Lynx was converted from an armored personnel carrier into a command vehicle within a few hours. This is made possible by the mission modules developed by Rheinmetall. These mission modules can be installed in the roof cutout of the Lynx or used as a stand-alone solution (in standard ISO containers) and used for training, for example.

Lynx 41 infantry fighting vehicle (Photo: Rheinmetall)

One vehicle family – one logistics – one provider

The entire Lynx family is characterized by a high level of similarity in parts. This has a positive impact not only in logistics, but also in training. Of course, Rheinmetall also offers tailor-made services worldwide, from training, supply and repair (even in the areas of operation) to technology transfer.

Core skills

Lynx vehicles are characterized by a compelling combination of effectiveness, survivability, mobility, leadership and versatility. On the one hand, we rely on future-oriented technology and concepts, but on the other hand we also rely on proven technologies in order to significantly reduce the technical risk, among other things.

blankA special feature of the Lynx KF41 is the removable cover for the roof cutout of the tub. This means that the combat area can be e.g. within a few hours. B. be provided with a high roof in order to create more volume for more extensive mission equipment or to achieve greater headroom. Which equipment should be accommodated in the different versions is implemented based on customer and user requests.

effectiveness

The standard Lance turret can be equipped with a 30mm or a 35mm autocannon (MK).

It can be reloaded under armor protection and is prepared to fire airburst ammunition against aircraft or lightly protected land targets. Targets up to 3,000 meters or 3,500 meters can be attacked with high precision - even while moving.

Lance 2.0 with MK30-2 on an acceleration and simulation test frame at the Rheinmetallwerk Unterlüß (Photo: Horst)

The Lance 2.0 turret is the next generation of the Lance family already in use. Depending on customer requirements, it can be equipped with various weapon systems up to the 50 mm MK. It was developed specifically for use in armored personnel carriers and can be delivered crewless or in a two-man crew version, depending on customer requirements. In the combat value-enhanced tower, mission-important subsystems are better protected against kinetic threats and splinters. This increases the survivability of the subsystems in duel situations, especially in urban situations. A further improvement is the new, electrically powered Wotan 35 machine cannon from Rheinmetall. It fires Rheinmetall's tried and tested 35 mm x 228 medium caliber ammunition family at a rate of 200 rounds per minute.

Wotan 35: Caliber 35 mm x 228, cadence 200 rounds/min, ABM technology (airburst), ITAR-free (Photo: Rheinmetall)

The Lance 2.0 turret also has a flexible mission pod on both sides of the turret. These pods allow various subsystems to be equipped to give the tower additional special abilities. Custom Mission Pods include: B. a double launcher for the Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missile (over 5,000 meters) from Rafael, a launcher for loiter-capable ammunition, a launcher for reconnaissance drones or equipment for electronic warfare.

The fire control of the anti-tank guided missile is fully integrated into the gunner's sights and fire control. The commander can observe and act independently of the gunner via a weapon station connected to the main optics. This gives the Lynx not only a hunter-killer ability, but also killer-killer properties.

Lynx Tower: Right side of the tower (viewed in the direction of travel) with exemplary armament and equipment. The right weapon pod is open and has a launcher equipped with two Spike anti-tank guided missiles. Then comes the smoke bomb launch system, sensors of the situational awareness system and, as secondary armament, an RMG 7.62 (Photo: Weisswange)

Survivability

The entire protection system is modular and expandable. The hull and tower are already manufactured with a high level of basic protection and can be raised to higher protection levels as required; Various protection kits are available for this purpose. The Lynx's modular protection systems offer a high level of flexibility to master the diverse threats across the entire conflict spectrum. The ballistic protection elements and mine protection packages can be easily replaced, even under field conditions if necessary. Roof protection and mine-protected seating were also taken into account.

The Lance 2.0 turret of the Lynx KF41 is designed to accommodate passive and reactive protection elements. Upon customer request, it can also accommodate a distance-active protection system to defend against rocket-propelled grenade projectiles and anti-tank guided missiles. There is also a combined air conditioning and NBC protective ventilation system with NBC protective filters from Beth El.

Vehicle design also helps reduce visible, thermal, acoustic and radar signatures. For example, the exhaust gases are expelled from the rear of the vehicle together with the cool exhaust air from the air conditioning system. Optionally, Rheinmetall's Solar Sigma Shield mobile camouflage system can also mitigate visual, thermal and radar signatures.

Modularity

The Lynx vehicle family can be configured for numerous purposes and consists of a driving module and flexible mission equipment. This allows each base vehicle to be configured for a variety of desired capabilities. The configuration change can be accomplished within a few hours. Because the base vehicles are identical, this system significantly reduces life cycle costs. The subsystems of the Lynx KF41 are also highly modular and customizable, which further increases the flexibility of the vehicle.

Interchangeability of the driving and mission modules (Photo: Rheinmetall)

A total of 17 different versions of mission modules (including armored personnel carriers, command vehicles, reconnaissance vehicles, combat damage repair vehicles, medical vehicles, personnel carriers and recovery vehicles) have currently been designed by the company, of which ten variants and one driving school variant are currently available as prototypes.

agility

The Lynx KF41 offers the latest drive technology with an 850 kW (1,140 hp) diesel in-line engine from Liebherr and a proven automatic Renk HSWL 256C superposition steering gear. This transmission is also installed in the Bundeswehr's Puma armored personnel carrier. When the vehicle is stationary, the engine can continuously provide electrical energy with reduced power - and thus also reduced noise level.

The lead vehicle variant at the Rheinmetallwerk Unterlüß (Photo: Horst)

The flexible undercarriage system allows the Lynx KF41 to remain highly maneuverable even when configured differently with mission equipment and protection kits. Shock absorbers from Supashock are installed in the torsion bar suspension with six rollers. A weight-reduced system chain made of special steel from Defense Service Tracks (DST) is used as the track chain. In the armored personnel carrier version, the Lynx KF41 weighs around 44 tons. In this configuration, it offers high mobility in this class due to its power-to-weight ratio of 19.3 kW/t, with a reserve of six tons of usable weight still available for further growth.

leadership ability

The Lynx KF41 features a “digital backbone” with a generic, open architecture. This enables the easy integration of new mission systems and is an essential requirement for future uses on a digital battlefield. The electronic architecture based on 24 volts is GVA-compliant (NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture) and consists of an integrated computer system with WinBMS battle management system. This - as well as the entire equipment with electronic/electrical devices - is supplied with electrical energy by two generators with a total of 600 A.

International activities

As an armored platform, the Lynx KF41 has been the only new design to take part in three international competitions since its initial presentation in 2018: in Australia, the Czech Republic and the USA. The tank, which was designed as a vehicle family, can be flexibly adapted to the requirements of military customers thanks to its modular design. There are 17 different variants in customers' competition books: from infantry fighting vehicles with a turret and up to the 50 mm MK, to command and reconnaissance tanks (with a turret) and engineer, recovery and medical tanks (without a turret).

The modularity particularly allows for the participation of national industrial partners in order to be able to meet the demands for technology and know-how transfer as well as value creation in one's own (recipient) country. With numbers of 400 (Australia), 210 (Czech Republic) and up to 4,000 (USA), the programs have considerable financial weight. The first decisions about the selection of competitors were made last year.

Australia

The Land 400 Phase 3 program in Australia will, among other things, replace the M113 armored personnel carriers and provide the armed forces with advanced vehicle equipment. The Australian Army is looking for a powerful and highly protected infantry fighting vehicle. The planned investment of 8.5 billion euros took another important step forward in 2019.

The AS21 Redback armored personnel carrier from Hanwha (Photo: Hanwha)

In the competition for the new infantry fighting vehicle as part of the Land 400 Phase 3 armament program, the Australian Ministry of Defense has selected the two competitors Rheinmetall (with the Lynx KF41) and the South Korean Hanwha (with the AS21 Redback) for the test phase (Risk Mitigation Activity, RMA). Accordingly, GDLS (Ascod 2) and BAE Systems (CV90 Mk IV) are no longer in the running. Both competitors' vehicles weigh around 42 tons, are designed for a crew of 3+8 soldiers and are equipped with a 30 mm cannon as their main weapon. The AS-21 Redback goes back to the K21, which has been produced since 2009, while the Lynx KF41 is a completely new design.

Rheinmetall has been commissioned by the Commonwealth of Australia to take part in the testing phase of the Land 400 Phase 3 armament project with the Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle. A corresponding contract was signed in mid-October 2019. The contract also includes the delivery of three Lynx KF41 test samples. The armored personnel carrier version has the digital Lance turret with electronic architecture, which is also used in the Boxer 8×8 CRV. This gives crews access to sensor systems, advanced automatic location and targeting capabilities, and weapon-integrated warfare in a network-enabled platform.

The new Military Vehicle Center of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Australia is already involved in the development, integration and testing of the Lynx KF41 vehicles to support upcoming RMA testing. If Rheinmetall receives the order for series production, it is planned to also produce the Lynx KF41 fleet at MILVEHCOE in Redbank Plains, southwest of Brisbane. Key vehicle elements of the Lynx KF41 are developed and manufactured in Australia by companies based there. These include the alternator (Milspec in Albury), the chassis (Supashock in Adelaide) and cables (Cablex in Melbourne).

Lynx KF41 – air transport to Australia (Photo: Rheinmetall)

Under the Land 400 Phase 3 RMA contract, Australia will undertake a comprehensive technical and programmatic assessment of the two remaining bidders over a period of 24 months. The vehicles will be operated by members of the Australian Defense Force and tested in Australian terrain under extreme conditions. The effectiveness, transportability, mobility and suitability of troops are assessed and explosion and ballistic tests are carried out. At the same time, we will work with the bidders in a structured evaluation phase to optimize technical performance, growth potential, price-performance ratio and national economic viability.

According to current planning, a proposed decision on the preferred bidder to provide the Land 400 Phase 3 capability will be submitted to the government for consideration in 2022. Initial operational capability with the new vehicle is expected to be achieved between 2024 and 2025. The equipment with the new vehicles should be completed by 2031.

Czechia

Lynx KF41 for the Czech Republic (Photo: Rheinmetall)

The Lynx was exhibited in the version suitable for competition in the Czech Republic at the International Defense and Security Technologies Fair (IDET) in Brno (Czech Republic) at the end of May 2019, with a total of four companies showing possible solutions. The equipment with weapons, observation, aiming and fire control equipment as well as means of communication and other electronic equipment was to be seen as a configuration suggestion, as the customer's final demands are confidential. Due to the required participation of Czech industry, the selection of industrial partners will impact the selection of systems and components. BAE Hägglunds, General Dynamics and Rheinmetall are currently involved in the selection process. A decision is expected soon.

USA

The Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), which is scheduled to be commissioned into series production by the US Army from 2026, is intended to replace the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle there. The new vehicle will be optimized to meet U.S. Army requirements for both urban and severe terrain combat, with Project OMFV given the highest modernization priority.

In the competition for the OMFV, Rheinmetall and the US group Raytheon founded a US joint venture in 2019. The company, based in Detroit (Michigan/USA), operates as Raytheon Rheinmetall Land Systems LLC. The Raytheon technology intended for the Lynx primarily includes the company's future-ready weapon systems, such as the TOW missile, an active protection system, third-generation vision systems, the Coyote unmanned aerial system and cyber threat defense systems.

After heavy criticism over the conduct of the competition with only one participant, the US Army stopped the OMFV program in mid-January 2020 and restarted it with a market study almost a month later. For the new approach, the Army Futures Command operates with problem descriptions (capability requirements) and expects solutions from industry. In the next step, the vehicle characteristics will be described in detail based on this and supplemented by digital design competitions and feedback from the soldiers. Digital prototypes should enable an assessment of the overall systems. In the end, two main contractors will each build a physical prototype, which will be able to demonstrate its practical suitability in tests.

Development potential

Lynx on the digitized battlefield

The active systems of the future are on the threshold of remote-controlled and, if necessary, autonomous use worldwide. It is hoped that significant progress will be made in the coming years with the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) and the Common Indirect Fire System (CIFS), which are to be implemented in French and German cooperation, and will support this intention with significant R&T funds. The first unmanned armored personnel carriers will appear on the battlefield. This is the next logical and necessary step in order to fully utilize the capabilities of the systems and protect the lives of soldiers when easily executable actions can be left to the machines and do not require the direct presence of a human.

In terms of the existing electrical architecture and the available, protected volume as well as the weight reserves, the Lynx family offers good opportunities to accommodate the variety of technical devices (information transmission, processing and display, battle management, energy storage) in order to be able to operate on the digitalized battlefield of the future to be able to exist. This is also the basis for the growth in digitalization. There is currently no fully digitalized armored personnel carrier. However, some of the possible solutions are available or are in development and only need to be integrated into the system.

New active ingredients

The volume reserve available in Lynx vehicles also offers the option of integrating laser weapons if the customer so desires. In particular, the space required for the energy storage required by these systems is not a particular challenge with the Lynx.

Graphics: Rheinmetall

New protection technologies

The reserve of payload available in the Lynx also allows the implementation of an improved protection system without significant losses in mobility and agility. New Russian main battle and infantry fighting vehicles represent a developmental leap in terms of threat, which will not only influence a possible new generation of Western combat vehicle developments, but also require the development of new protection technologies of all kinds. The multitude of possible threats to combat vehicles in the future - in operations but also in national and alliance defense - from incendiary devices to IED effects to medium and large-caliber KE projectiles requires the optimal coordination of the individual protection components to form a protection system. Possible technical solutions, e.g. B. soft kill systems and distance-active hard kill systems are already available and the significant reduction in the effect of modern KE bullets is being worked on - e.g. B. by combining passive and explosive reactive protective armor – has already been worked on. An optimal protection system not only costs volume, but also weight: the Lynx family could - if the customer requests - meet these requirements.

Optional hybrid protection for the Lynx

The hybrid protection solution Strikeshield is optionally available for the Lynx vehicle family. This combines passive protection against kinetic projectiles and splinters in accordance with the AEP 55 standard and active protection against anti-tank hand weapons in accordance with AEP 62 in one protection module.

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Protective element for the Lynx (Photo: Rheinmetall)

In particular, the residual effects of combating anti-tank weapons were systematically recorded in the RPS and are taken into account when designing passive protection. This goes well beyond the evidence that is valid today. This breaks down the distinction between passive and active/reactive protection that still exists in the AEP and TL.

Summary/Outlook

In a very short space of time, Rheinmetall has succeeded in producing the prototypes of a new family of tracked vehicles in such a way that the core capabilities required in the international competitions are essentially met.

The Lynx family offers a good alternative to the current offers from competitors, particularly in terms of modularity, performance, growth capability and price. The possible and partially already realized participation of the future user states in the integration of subsystems as well as the globally available service and training services of a large corporation in the later use of the system are also good procurement arguments.

Of course, the Lynx family can also participate in all of the Rheinmetall Group's military activities, e.g. B. in protection, weapons and ammunition development and especially developments in the digitalization of the battlefield.

It is now important to do well in the ongoing competitions. This essentially requires stable prototypes (company tests have already been carried out) and close company monitoring of the tests. Success in competition and the associated introduction of the Lynx family also opens up further national and international procurement potential.

Michael Horst