Lynx reconnaissance vehicle

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Lynx (Canadian version)

General characteristics
Crew	3 (commander, driver, observer)
Length	4.60 m
Width	2.41 m
Height	2.18 m
Weight	8.77 tonnes
Armour and armament
Armour	31.8 mm
Main armament	.50-caliber M2 Machine Gun
Secondary armament	7.62mm GPMG C1
Mobility
Power plant	6-cyl. diesel GMC Detroit Diesel 6V-53 215 hp (160 kW)
Suspension	torsion-bar
Road speed	71 km/h, 6 km/h swimming
Power/weight	25 hp/tonne
Range	523 km

The Lynx reconnaissance vehicle (manufacturer's name: M113-1/2 Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle, abbr. M113 C&R) is a United States-built tracked armoured fighting vehicle, which was employed by the armed forces of the Netherlands and Canada.

The Lynx is a smaller command and reconnaissance vehicle built as a private venture in 1963 by FMC Corp., the manufacturer of the M113 armoured personnel carrier. The Lynx uses M113A1 components, including aluminum armour, but with only four road wheels on each side and engine in the rear instead of the front. The U.S. Army adopted the M114 in favour of the M113-1/2, but it was employed in the reconnaissance role by the Netherlands and Canada (where it was officially designated the Lynx).

The Lynx is amphibious, propelled in the water by its tracks. Before swimming, a trim vane is erected at front, bilge pumps started, and covers mounted on the air intake and exhaust. In practice, crews would close hatches and ford shallow streams at high speed.

[edit] Service history

The Royal Netherlands Army accepted 250 vehicles, beginning in 1966. The Dutch version of the Lynx has the driver front-left, radio operator/7.62mm machine gunner front-right, and a .50-calibre machine gun cupola centre. In the 1970s, the heavy machine gun was replaced by an Oerlikon-Bührle GBD-ADA turret mounting a 25mm KBA cannon.

Lynx of the Royal Canadian Hussars, installed in front of the Côte-des-Neiges Armoury, Montréal

The Canadian Forces accepted 174 vehicles from 1968, replacing the Ferret armoured car. Lynxes were issued to the reconnaissance squadron of an armoured regiment (D Sqn). The squadron consisted of three troops, each equipped with seven Lynxes—three two-vehicle patrols plus the troop leader's vehicle (Militia [reserve] armoured reconnaissance units trained for the role with Jeeps or Iltis 4×4 trucks). Nine Lynxes also equipped the reconnaissance platoon of an infantry battalion's combat support company.

In the Canadian Lynx, the crew commander's cupola is located middle-right, observer's hatch rear-left. The commander operates the manually-traversed M26 heavy machine gun cupola from inside the vehicle, but reloads it with hatch open. The rear-facing observer operates the radio and fires the pintle-mounted 7.62mm machine gun.

The Canadian Lynx was withdrawn from service in 1993, and replaced by 203 Coyote eight-wheeled reconnaissance vehicles by the end of 1996.