Belgium to replace its fleet of IVECO LMV Lynx armored vehicles.

On November 22, the Belgian government announced its decision - which has been pending for some time - concerning the replacement of the 437 Light Multipurpose Vehicles IVECO Lynx 4 × 4 currently in service in the armed forces by 322 new Command and Liaison Vehicles (CLV).

IVECO LMV Lynx fitted with an RWS, one of the two versions suffering chassis cracks because of the overweight (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The Belgian Ministry of Defense will launch the procedure for the purchase of 322 CLVs with a multi-year maintenance contract, as will happen with the Griffon and Jaguar from the CaMo program shared with France. They will replace the 437 Lynx currently in service, which will be retired by 2026, when they were built in 2005 and entered service in 2007 (data published on the Belgian Defense website). This exceptionally short life span for vehicles in the Belgian army is explained by cracks in the chassis and then in the roof armor of 120 SPS and RPK vehicles equipped with a RWS and additional armor, a significant extra weight not foreseen by the manufacturer (4.855 kg for the basic Lynx, 6.212 kg for the RPK version and up to 6.383 kg for the RPK and SPS versions). In external operations even more than during their use in Belgium and maneuvers in NATO countries, mechanics have long complained about this vehicle because of the heavy and expensive maintenance it requires as operated by the Belgian army, a problem nevertheless by far inferior to the tremendous maintenance cost and consequent immobilization problems faced with the Piranha IIIC.

The strategic vision for the Belgian Defense (2016-2030) is the guiding thread until 2030 in terms of defense policy, associated investments, the evolution of operation, Defense organization as well as personnel management. It translates the government agreement and was developed by defense specialists, supported by the Defense Staff and inspired by ideas developed by Parliament and the academic world. The Defense Strategic Vision was released on June 29, 2016 along with the Introductory Preamble adopted by the Government. In particular, it plans to allocate M€ 125.05 for Lynx operated by the Land Component and M€ 16.24 for vehicles in service within the Air and Medical Components.