Leonardo, Rheinmetall book first Lynx combat vehicle order for Italy

ROME — The team-up between Leonardo and Rheinmetall to fulfill a huge vehicle order for the Italian army has received its first contract, the manufacturers said on Wednesday.

The 50-50 joint venture between the Italian and German firms has signed to supply 21 Rheinmetall Lynx tracked fighting vehicles, part of an eventual planned order of 1,050 vehicles by the Italian army.

David Hoeder, the executive chairman of Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles, said the deal “brings the two companies, as well as two of Europe’s largest countries, closer together. Cooperation is not optional anymore – it is the very essence of our European strategic sovereignty.”

Last year the companies agreed to team up to build the Lynxs and 272 copies of Rheinmetall’s Panther tanks – a €23 billion deal to renew the Italian army’s near-obsolete tracked vehicle inventory.

Both programs will involve assembly in Italy and the use of Leonardo components.

The firms said the first five of the Lynx’s would feature the Lance turret while the remaining 16 would be equipped with Leonardo’s Hitfist 30mm turret.

In January this year, the firms said the first five vehicles would be delivered by the end of 2025, adding that Leonardo’s new 30mm X-Gun would also be mounted. The Italian company is also expected to install its own C4I system, electro optic sensor and radar as well as radio.

The Lynx will be produced for Italy in five variants which will in turn carry out 16 roles between them. The variants are: 120mm, 30mm, Mortar, Air Defense and Non-Turreted.

Formerly known as the AICS program by the Italian army, the Lynx purchase is now known as the A2CS – Army Armored Combat System program.

Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.

罗马——制造商周三表示，莱昂纳多和莱茵金属公司为满足意大利军队的一项大型车辆订单而合作的首份合同已经签订。

意大利和德国公司各占50%股份的合资企业已签署协议，将向意大利陆军供应21辆莱茵金属“山猫”履带式战车，这是意大利陆军最终计划订购1050辆战车的一部分。

莱昂纳多莱茵金属军用车辆公司执行董事长大卫·霍德尔表示，这项交易“拉近了两家公司以及欧洲两个最大国家的距离。合作不再是可选项，而是我们欧洲战略主权的本质所在。”

去年，这两家公司同意合作生产 Lynx 装甲车和 272 辆莱茵金属公司的 Panther 坦克——这是一笔价值 230 亿欧元的交易，旨在更新意大利军队近乎过时的履带式车辆库存。

这两个项目都将在意大利进行组装，并使用 Leonardo 的组件。

这些公司表示，首批五架 Lynx 将配备 Lance 炮塔，其余 16 架将配备 Leonardo 的 Hitfist 30 毫米炮塔。

今年1月，两家公司表示，首批五辆战车将于2025年底交付，并补充说，战车还将配备莱昂纳多公司新型30毫米X型火炮。这家意大利公司预计还将安装其自主研发的C4I系统、光电传感器、雷达和无线电设备。

Lynx自行火炮将为意大利生产五种型号，这五种型号共可执行16种任务。这五种型号分别是：120毫米炮型、30毫米炮型、迫击炮型、防空型和无炮塔型。

意大利陆军以前称之为 AICS 计划的 Lynx 采购项目，现在被称为 A2CS – 陆军装甲作战系统计划。

汤姆·金顿是《防务新闻》驻意大利记者。