The German armaments group Rheinmetall has inaugurated a new plant for the production of the Lynx infantry fighting vehicle in the south-west Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger attended the opening ceremony, Hungarian media reported.
The company produces the Lynx armored personnel carriers and other tracked and wheeled vehicles for the Hungarian armed forces, as Rheinmetall announced. Among other things, 209 Lynx armored personnel carriers are to roll off the assembly line at the Zalaegerszeg plant. Rheinmetall also takes care of the supply of spare parts and the training of the tank drivers.
Hungary’s goal: Two percent for defense
Hungary has been a NATO member since 1999. The Orban government wants to spend more money on military defense in order to reach the target of two percent of the gross domestic product envisaged by the NATO member countries.
In Zalaegerszeg, Rheinmetall is building a new development, production and test center for the manufacture of tracked and wheeled military vehicles on an area of 33 hectares. It also has its own shooting range. 350 jobs are to be created at the site over the next few years.
