Hungary and Rheinmetall have signed a contract to develop the Panther KF51 EVO main battle tank.
Valued at 288 million euros ($314.2 million), the agreement supports the Hungarian government’s strategic cooperation with the German defense giant to construct and prepare the system for full-scale production.
Part of the contract includes the construction and qualification of a KF51 EVO prototype. Work will take place in partnership with state-owned company N7, which owns a 48 percent stake in the Zalaegerszeg-based Rheinmetall Hungary joint venture.
“We’re delighted to have reached another important milestone on the path to producing next-generation fighting vehicles in Hungary,” Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger stated.
“The Panther KF51 is the world’s most advanced main battle tank. It sets a new standard for the combat effectiveness of mechanized formations, while delivering a high degree of future adaptability.”
“At the same time, in our accustomed manner, we’ll be empowering our local Joint Venture Rheinmetall Hungary and further strengthen the national defence industrial capabilities of our partners.”
The Panther KF51
Rheinmetall unveiled the KF51 as part of the firm’s Kettenfahrzeug (tracked vehicle) product line at a defense and security convention in France last year.
Developed for modern warfare, the KF51 features interconnected command/gunner optics and a fire control computer and is digitally designed with NATO’s generic vehicle architecture or NGVA standard.
The system uses Rheinmetall’s proprietary 130-millimeter Future Gun System as the main armament and a 12.7-millimeter coaxial machine gun to deliver consistent defense against existing and future mechanized threats,
Integrations of concentrated firepower, remotely controlled weapon stations, and loitering munitions are available to address customers’ long-range and multiple-target strike requirements.
Meanwhile, the Panther’s EVO variant will be armed with Rheinmetall’s L55A1 120-millimeter smoothbore gun found in the latest Leopard 2 main battle tank variants.
EVO will feature a StrikeShield standoff protection system and a new chassis based on the Bergepanzer 3 Buffalo armored recovery vehicle to support lightweight capability.
Rheinmetall said the EVO configuration will complement Hungary’s existing Leopard fleet and enable subsequent employment of the new Future Gun System.
