Combat Report: Ukraine is testing a powerful new weapon in the field

Ukraine is testing a powerful new armored vehicle against Russian forces on the battlefield. The highly advanced German-made KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle was recently added to Kyiv's arsenal of Western weapons.

German defense firm Rheinmetall delivered the first KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) to Ukraine in December 2024 according to remarks from the company’s CEO Armin Papperger. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Lukas1325, Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Papperger told the German news outlet 'Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung' that the delivery occurred in December 2024 and he also revealed Ukraine was testing the Lynx in the field.  

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“It is now being tested by the armed forces so that a mass order may be placed as soon as possible,” Papperger stated according to a report from the Ukrainian military news website Militarnyi. 

In June 2024, Rheinmetall announced that it signed an agreement with Ukraine to produce and supply several hundred KF41 Lynx IFVs to the embattled country. 

The company also announced plans to produce its new high-tech infantry fighting vehicles in Ukraine in the future. But what can this IVF actually do for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in battle?

Rheinmetall’s KF41 Lynx was first unveiled in June 2018 in two configurations according to Army Recognition—an infantry fighting vehicle and command post model. 

The Lynx was improved upon its earlier KF31 model and offers operators more firepower in a new design that was specifically engineered to make the Lynx KF41 more modular. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Rheinmetall Defence, CC BY-SA 4.0

“Specific variants can be built around a common hull and common mobility assemblies and protection components,” Army Recognition explained about the KF41 Lynx. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Lukas1325, Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Mission-specific equipment can be added to the Lynx based on customer needs, giving the weapon more functionality while making it quite cost-effective. 

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“The Lynx KF41 is more than just a new, highly advanced vehicle: it is the ultimate future-proof platform, blending unsurpassed protection with massive firepower and unbeatable mobility in a uniquely modular concept,” Rheinmetall explained on its website. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Rheinmetall Defence, CC BY-SA 4.0,

A few examples of selectable mission pods include a Rafael Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missiles, unmanned aerial vehicle or electronic warfare packages, and even non-line-of-sight loitering munitions according to Rheinmetall. 

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“The tracked vehicle comes with ballistic steel armor for protection against anti-tank weapons, medium-caliber ammunition, artillery shrapnel, and bomblets,” Defense Post reported about the advanced IFV. 

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The Lynx may look a bit odd but the angular nature of its design has been configured to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield. It also packs quite a punch with an upgraded weapons module. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Boevaya Mashina, Own Work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Featuring a Lance 2,0 gun turret equipped with the new Wotan 35 eclectic cannon, the Lynx KF41 can fire Rheinmetall’s “proven and in-service 35x228mm ammunition family” according to the defense firm, more than enough to take on equivalent armored systems and infantry. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Admiralis-generalis-Aladeen, Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Rheinmetall claims that its Lynx system is the “most advanced infantry fighting vehicle available to global defense customers.” However, whether or not the vehicle will prove to be effective on the battlefield of Ukraine has yet to be seen. 

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Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Admiralis-generalis-Aladeen, Own Work, CC BY-SA 4.0