The Army Accelerates: The Lynx Changes the Way the Land Force Operates

Montelibretti (Rome), January 27, 2026 – At the Army's Multifunctional Experimentation Center (CEPOLISPE), the ceremony for the delivery of the armored vehicle Lynx to the Italian Army took place, intended – in perspective – to support the Units of the heavy component of the Armed Force.

The event, held in the presence of the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto, the Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Luciano Portolano, the Chief of Army Staff Gen. C.A. Carmine Masiello, the CEO of Leonardo Roberto Cingolani, the head of Rheinmetall's Vehicle System Europe division Björn Bernhard, the CEO of the Joint Venture Laurent Sissmann, and the Executive President David Hoeder, represented a significant step in the capability modernization path of the land component. CEPOLISPE, in fact, is the hub where vehicles and weapon systems of interest to the Armed Force are tested and validated, with technical tests and evaluations in an operational key.

From Lynx to the “system of systems” A2CS

The Lynx will form the technological basis for the development of the “system of systems” A2CS (Army Armoured Combat System). The program's framework revolves around a fleet of Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV) and a series of derived platforms, designed to express capabilities consistent with modern operational scenarios and to implement the concept of cooperative combat.

The setup aims at platforms characterized by next-generation solutions, technologically mature, based on a system design capable of ensuring a continuous growth potential and promoting integration, interoperability, and interconnection with Command and Control (C2) systems and field activities, in a network and cooperation perspective among sensors, effectors, and decision nodes.

Institutional and industrial statements

The Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto emphasized how the current international scenario requires a constantly evolving, modern, flexible, and credible Defense, based on operational readiness, qualified personnel, and advanced technological capabilities. In this context, the delivery of the Lynx – the result of Italian-German industrial collaboration – is seen as a strengthening of land systems through the introduction of next-generation platforms, with CEPOLISPE playing the role of guarantor of experimentation and technical evaluation for operational use.

On the sidelines of the event, Roberto Cingolani highlighted that the start of deliveries represents an important milestone of the program and emphasized the value of the collaboration between Leonardo and Rheinmetall for strengthening national defense and for the development of an integrated and competitive European industrial base, considered essential for security and strategic autonomy.

On the German side, Armin Papperger (Rheinmetall) described the start of deliveries as a new chapter in the “Lynx family,” highlighting versatility, protection, effectiveness, scalability, and “future-proofing,” as well as the value of European cooperation in the armaments sector.

Finally, Gen. C.A. Carmine Masiello emphasized the direction taken by the Army to accelerate the mechanization of the Armed Force, stressing that technology must be up to future challenges and that the introduction of these vehicles is destined to profoundly impact the way of operating and fighting.

Essential technical sheet: Lynx KF41 capabilities (reference configuration)

Below are the main technical characteristics and capabilities commonly associated with the Lynx KF41, based on the manufacturer's public specifications and reference configurations:

• Role: next-generation, modular, and scalable infantry fighting vehicle (IFV)
• Mass: up to about 50 t (variable depending on configuration and protection levels)
• Payload: over 7 t (depending on fittings)
• Crew and transported: typically 3 + 8 (crew + riflemen)
• Engine: inline 6-cylinder diesel with declared power in the order of 850 kW
• Mobility: road speed >65 km/h; obstacle overcoming capability (indicative reference values): slope >60%, lateral inclination >30%, step ~1 m, trench ~2.5 m, ford ~1.5 m
• Protection: modular architecture with high levels of ballistic and mine/IED protection, scalable based on threat and mission profile
• Active protection systems: possible predisposition/integration of soft-kill and hard-kill solutions (depending on configuration)
• Digital architecture: “digital backbone” and open architecture setup to integrate sensors, mission systems, and C2 components over time
• Armament: integration with medium-caliber turrets (typically 30 mm cannon in the most common configurations), with system modularity and predisposition for future integrations

A program destined to grow

On the occasion, the Joint Venture LRMV presented the Lynx as the technological base of a family of platforms articulated in numerous variants and operational roles. The declared goal is to build over time an ecosystem of vehicles and subsystems capable of evolving with scenarios, increasing connectivity, cooperation between platforms, and integration with command and control systems, to make the heavy component of the Italian Army more effective.