Leonardo Rheinmetall JV Delivers First Lynx Infantry Vehicles to Italian Army

Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV), the joint venture between Italy’s Leonardo and Germany’s Rheinmetall, has delivered the first four Lynx infantry fighting vehicles to the Italian Army, formally launching the Army Armoured Combat Systems (A2CS) programme.

The handover took place on January 27 at the Italian Army’s Multifunctional Experimentation Center (Ce.Poli.Spe) in Montelibretti and follows the signing late last year of an initial contract for 21 A2CS Combat vehicles. The programme was previously known as the Armoured Infantry Combat System.

The Lynx platform is designed for multiple roles, including infantry fighting vehicle, troop transport, mobile command post and ambulance. The four vehicles delivered are fitted with Rheinmetall’s Lance 30mm turret, which will later be replaced by Leonardo’s Hitfist 30mm turret. All remaining vehicles under the contract are planned to be equipped with the Hitfist system.

Italy’s A2CS programme, together with a separate new main battle tank programme, is intended to renew the Italian Army’s heavy vehicle fleet, with an emphasis on digitalisation, connectivity and operations in complex multidomain environments. The programme is also positioned to support future cooperation with international partners.