German Rheinmetall presents the Lynx 120 medium tank, a new high-performance medium tank

In August 2021, we published on Meta-Defense an analysis highlighting the relevance, for armies like the French defense industry, of develop medium tracked armored platform and medium battle tank high performance, allowing, among other things, to fill a significant deficit in the Army's capabilities in terms of high-intensity combat from here to the arrival of heavy armored vehicles from the Franco-German MGCS program at the end of the next decade.

Indeed, with only 200 economically modernized Leclerc tanks and 650 VBCI infantry combat vehicles now more suitable for low and medium intensity than for engagement against an adversary heavily armed with modern and well-equipped means trained, the Army runs the risk of lacking the firepower and resilience in the event of a conflict, or the credibility to sustain a deterrent posture.

Obviously, the German land armament giant, Rheinmetall, has come to the same conclusion with regard to its domestic market, as well as the needs for this type of armor in the coming years on the international scene. This is how he has just presented its Lynx 120, a medium tank based on the KF-41 platform Lynx (in main illustration), and meeting almost entirely the needs expressed in the August article.

Indeed, the Lynx 120 is a heavily armed medium tank, having a 120 mm smoothbore cannon derived from that which equips the Leopard 2 today, as well as an automatic loading system, and a set of sights and vision of the latest generation of engagement terrain.

To this vetronics is added, as for the Hungarian KF-41 Lynx, an ADS active protection system developed by this same Rheinmetall to protect the armored vehicle from rockets and anti-tank missiles, as well as modular composite armor to adapt the protection of the armored vehicle to operational needs.

It must be said that the KF-41 platform, already selected by Hungary, and competing in Australia et in the USA to replace the infantry fighting vehicles of the two armies, offers many advantages to evolve into such a medium tank, in particular a powerful Liebherr turbo-diesel engine capable of reaching 850 KW, or 1.140 hp, offering an excellent power-to-weight ratio of almost 30 hp per ton if the new tank were to reach 40 tons.

In fact, the Lynx-120's greatest asset would undoubtedly be its mobility, and significant fire avoidance capabilities once this mobility is coupled with the tank's advanced Vetronics.

Finally, it will benefit from the modularity and scalability of the Lynx platform, making it possible to simply add additional equipment as needed, especially since it has a large reserve of motor and electrical power. In all likelihood, the Lynx 120 will most certainly be one of the stars of the upcoming Eurosatory 2022 show to be held in Paris from June 13-17.

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