The Italian Army has received its first four Lynx infantry fighting vehicles, officially launching the A2CS armored combat systems program led by the Leonardo-Rheinmetall joint venture.
According to Leonardothe first four Lynx vehicles were delivered to the Italian Army on January 27 at the Multifunctional Experimentation Center (Ce.Poli.Spe) in Montelibretti by the Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles joint venture.
The handover ceremony was attended by the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosettothe Chief of Defense Staff, General Luciano Portolanothe Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, Carmine Masiellothe CEO of Leonardo, Roberto Cingolaniand the head of Rheinmetall Vehicle Systems Europe, Björn Bernhard.
The delivery officially launched the Army Armoured Combat Systems (A2CS) program, under which Italy plans to acquire a new generation of armored combat vehicles for its ground forces.
The initial contract, signed at the end of 2025, covers 21 A2CS combat vehicles, with further acquisition phases expected as the Italian Army modernizes its heavy mechanized fleet.
The Italian Ministry of Defense stated that the program aims to modernize land combat capabilities through the introduction of a digitally integrated armored platform developed through Italian-German industrial cooperation.
“The international environment requires a constantly evolving defense, capable of ensuring the country’s security and safeguarding national interests,” Crosetto said during the ceremony.
“Within this framework comes the delivery of the Lynx armored vehicle, the result of Italian-German industrial cooperation, to the Italian Army, aimed at strengthening land systems through the introduction of next-generation platforms.”
The Lynx vehicles delivered last week will now undergo testing and evaluation at Ce.Poli.Spe before entering operational service with the Italian Army.
The four delivered vehicles are equipped with the Rheinmetall Lance 30mm turret, which will later be replaced by the Leonardo Hitfist 30mm turret on all subsequent production vehicles, reflecting Italy’s intent to integrate domestic subsystems into the fleet.
Photo: Leonardo. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
