Hungary has agreed to join the German land systems manufacturer, Rheinmetallin the development of the Panther KF51 main battle tank (MBT), a concept the company presented at last year’s Eurosatory trade show.
Both parties signed the €288 million ($315.6 million) contract in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, under a contract dated December 15, 2023 Press release.
A demonstration vehicle will be built and certified, paving the way for full-scale production. Rheinmetall is working on the project with state-owned Hungarian holding company N7, which also owns 49% of the joint venture (JV) Rheinmetall Hungary.
“The Panther KF51 is the most advanced MBT in the world,” asserted Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger. “It sets a new standard for the combat effectiveness of mechanized formations while providing a high degree of future adaptability.
“At the same time, in our usual way, we will strengthen our local JV Rheinmetall Hungary and further strengthen the industrial capabilities of our partners’ national defense industry.”
The Panther KF51 complements the existing Hungarian fleet
Rheinmetall plans to integrate the L55A1 120 millimeter (mm) smoothbore gun on the new Panther, which also features the latest versions of the Leopard 2. This will ensure logistical homogeneity with Hungary’s existing fleet of four Leopard 2A4HU units.
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From GlobalData
However, the Panther KF51 will already be equipped with an automatic charger. In addition, the turret architecture will allow for the retrofit of the company’s new 130 mm gun, which allows for a 50% longer kill range (than 120 mm) with an unmatched rate of fire due to the performance of the autoloader.
Leading intelligence consultancy GlobalData tells us that the Hungarian government is simultaneously in the process of procuring Leopard 2A7+ and more 2A4 units (four of which will be used for training purposes), both from the German JV KNDS.
In conjunction with this procurement plan, the country is also acquiring Rheinmetall’s Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and Buffalo armored recovery vehicles, in addition to the country’s indigenous Gidran armored vehicles to support its MBT fleets.
Hungary’s military land vehicle sector, the highest value segment in its defense market. GlobalData estimates there is a compound annual growth rate of 2% through 2028, to a total value of $838 million.
Read the original at Defence247.gr
