Rheinmetall publicly unveiled the command version of its LYNX KF41 tracked combat vehicles

Rheinmetall literally overwhelmed the international audience again on 13 June with the unveiling of the command post version of its LYNX KF41 tracked combat vehicles.

With its launching, the manufacturer will be able to attract any customer who could potentially select a robust successor of existing models or entire fleets of combat vehicles that lack many of the latest features, including: protection against the variety of modern threats, vehicle electronic information systems, and growth margin.

One important common feature shared by the command post vehicle will be its Information Warfare capability, as next-generation platforms of this type will form part of a more complex digital battlefield, requiring the rapid exchange of digitised data between the vehicle and other levels of command. The command post vehicle presented to the international audience in Villepinte can be outfitted, like the other models of the LYNX KF41 series, with ballistic steel armour, protecting the crew from effects of medium-calibre ammunition, artillery shrapnells, roadside bombs, anti-tank warheads, and bomblets. In addition to a RWS, defensive systems can include Rheinmetall’s ROSY smoke grenade launcher and a ‘hard kill’ Active Defence System (ADS), both of which can significantly improve the vehicle’s survivability.

Looking at the vehicle’s interior, the protection package can incorporate a spall liner to improve crew and platform survivability through the mitigation of behind armour effects, delivering enhanced protection to the entire crew against the effects of blast. Another key feature is decoupled seats to protect personnel mounted in the vehicle against the effects of varying threats, including: IEDs, landmines (blast and fragmentation), ballistic projectiles, and shaped charges.

 Stefan Nitschke