Armored car LMV was developed by the Italian company Iveco and was put to the test at the beginning of the last decade. In the future, this machine has successfully passed all the checks and was adopted by the Italian army. In addition, the military of other countries became interested in this technique, resulting in the appearance of several export contracts. For obvious reasons, the contract for the supply of vehicles to the Russian armed forces has become the most famous in our country.
The LMV / Lynx armored vehicle is a special protected vehicle designed to solve a wide range of tasks, primarily related to the transportation of personnel and small loads. In addition, such a technique can be used to patrol specified areas, to escort convoy, reconnaissance, etc. operations. The range of tasks performed significantly expands the possibility of installing special types of equipment or weapons of various types on the machines.
The machine has a complex of ballistic and mine protection. Taking into account the peculiarities of military conflicts of the last decades, the “Lynx” is equipped with armor that protects against small arms. weapons various types, and also has a number of features aimed at protecting against explosive devices. In particular, a special hull frame and crew seats are used, which absorb part of the explosion energy. The design of the armored car provides for the possibility of installing additional protection modules.
The armored car is equipped with a Italian-made Iveco F1 C diesel engine, which develops power up to 190 hp. An automatic gearbox is connected to the engine. With a total mass at the level of 7 T, this powerplant allows the machine to reach speeds of up to 130 km / h. The armored car can carry five people, including the driver or 2,3 tons of various goods. The weight of the towed trailer exceeds 4 t. For the carriage of goods in the rear part of the hull there is a special compartment with access through its own rear and side doors.
The crew and troops are placed in a common cabin on special "anti-mine" chairs. The crew seats have a special design that absorbs part of the energy of the blast wave when driving an explosive device. In addition, the seats are equipped with five-point straps with quick release locks. An interesting feature of the seats is the specific shape of the back, through which the weight of the fighter's gear is transferred to the seat, reducing the load.
The “Lynx” armored car can be equipped with various weapons and special equipment. For the installation of weapons proposed to use the sunroof, above the rear seats. Foreign operators of Italian-made armored vehicles actively use this opportunity.
The first information about the possible purchases of Iveco LMV armored cars for the Russian armed forces appeared in 2009. Then several of these machines were purchased for testing at Russian landfills. In 2010, two more finished machines were purchased, as well as several assembly kits. The assembly of these armored cars was carried out at the KamAZ plant. In the middle of the same year, the armored car “Lynx” was adopted by the Russian army, after which the production of this vehicle was launched.
It was originally planned that by 2016, the armed forces would receive 1775 armored cars. Later it was mentioned that the army needed about 3 thousand such machines. At the end of 2011, an agreement was reached on the production of armored cars at a joint venture in Voronezh. Over time, it was planned to increase the localization of production - about half of the components had to be produced in Russia.
In January, 2013, the leadership of the armed forces announced that in the future the assembly and purchase of “Rysy” would be discontinued. The troops will continue to operate the received machines, but additional contracts for the supply of equipment will not be signed. The further production of licensed armored cars was decided to be abandoned in favor of the construction of own-developed equipment.
Armored vehicles of the type LMV / Lynx entered service with various units of all military districts. One of the vehicles operating in the Southern Military District recently arrived at the exhibition “Innovation Day of the Southern Military District”, where it became one of the exhibits available for inspection.
The armored car has a recognizable appearance and a characteristic grille with a relief name.
Winch located in front of the grille
Large windshield provides good visibility.
The machine has two pairs of side doors for embarkation and disembarkation.
Door handles have an unusual design
Despite the small height of the armored car, there are footboards under the doors.
Behind the doors are hatches for access to the cargo compartment
In the roof there is a hatch for installing weapons
The back of the case from different angles
Driver's door
Driver's seat
Interior partition with fixtures for equipment installation
The Lynx armored car can have various weapons, but the showpiece was equipped only with a Pecheneg machine gun, simply mounted on the roof.
Chassis elements
