Italian Army’s A2CS programme kicks off with delivery of first Lynx IFVs

Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV) has delivered the first four Lynx KF-41 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to the Italian Army. They were delivered on 27 January 2026 at the Italian Army’s Multifuncional Experimentation Centre in Montelibretti, just northeast of Rome.

This first delivery marks the official launch of the Army Armoured Combat Systems (A2CS) programme, for which an initial contract for the acquisition of 21 new ‘A2CS Combat’ vehicles was signed at the end of last year.

The ceremony was held in the presence of the Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, General Carmine Masiello, the Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani, and Dr Björn Bernhard, head of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle System Division Europe. Also present were the CEO and executive chairman of the LRMV joint venture, Laurent Sissmann and David Hoeder respectively.

The four Lynx IFVs delivered on 27 January featured Rheinmetall’s Lance 30 mm turret, but these will later be replaced by Leonardo’s Hitfist 30 mm turret. The latter will equip all the other 16 IFVs under the contract.

“The international scenario requires a constantly evolving defence, capable of ensuring the security of the country and safeguarding national interests,” stated Crosetto. “This calls for a modern, flexible and credible model, based on high levels of operational readiness, qualified personnel and advanced technological capabilities. Within this framework comes the delivery of the Lynx armoured vehicle, the result of Italian-German industrial co-operation, to the Italian Army, aimed at strengthening land systems through the introduction of state-of-the-art platforms. In this process, the Army’s Multifunctional Testing Center plays a central role, ensuring the testing and technical evaluation of vehicles, equipment and weapon systems to determine their suitability for operational use.”

“The army has a clear direction and well-defined requirements for the new vehicles to accelerate the ‘mechanisation’ path of the Armed Force, which concretely begins today,” added Gen Masiello. “After 30 years in which the Italian soldier has demonstrated courage, commitment, determination and professionalism in peace support operations — to the point of coining the ‘Italian Way’ of peacekeeping — we have no doubts about their capabilities. They will be able to operate at their best if equipped with technology that meets the challenges ahead: this vehicle will radically change the way the army fights.”

The A2CS programme (originally named the Armoured Infantry Combat System (AICS) programme), together with a new main battle tank programme, will renew the Italian Army’s heavy armour formations, “providing cutting-edge technology characterised by high levels of digitalisation and connectivity, and capable of operating within the most complex multidomain contexts” according to LRMV.