Marand Precision Engineering has announced it has started local production of a major subassembly for the Rheinmetall KF41 Lynx under consideration for the Australian Army’s Project LAND 400 Phase 3 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) requirement.

Announced in January 2021, the partnership will see Marand undertake design, engineering, and manufacture of subassemblies for the Lynx should the vehicle be selected for LAND 400 Phase 3.

“This major production partnership is an exciting development for Marand and for the City of Geelong,” Marand CEO Rohan Stocker said in a June 2 release. “Marand’s decades of experience, our reach across multiple industries, our manufacturing expertise and business systems truly set us apart from our competitors.”

The company has operations in Melbourne and at the former Ford factory in Geelong, and supplies engineering solutions to the defence, aerospace, rail, automotive, and mining sectors. It also designs and manufactures solutions for its customer base including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE Systems, BHP, and Rio Tinto.

“We look forward to continuing to grow and expand our presence in Australia’s Defence industry,” Stocker said. “We are particularly proud to be able to carry out this work in the former Ford Geelong facility, and to support employment in the defence industry supply chain.”

Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia, Gary Stewart added, “Lynx is the best vehicle in its class and sets a new standard in protection and the lethality needed to survive and defeat any adversary. “Marand is a proven partner with a global presence in Defence and its design, development and manufacturing work will be critical to the successful delivery of our vehicles to the Australian customer.”

Three Lynx vehicles are currently taking part in the project’s Risk Mitigation Activity (RMA) which will continue throughout 2021, and will include a range of trials including lethality, mobility, and blast tests.