Many years ago I remember reading and seeing an article about a West German SPAAG system then in development (1980’s I think?).
I think it was called the ‘Wildcat’ (?)
I looked as if it used the chassis of the TPz Fuchs 6x6 APC, with a turret that was armed with 2x30mm cannon and radar
Does anyone have any information and drawings/pictures of this design?
And why did it not go into service?
Krauss-Maffei project- initally based on Transport Panzer-1: 5 differrent fire control options available from V1 clear weather to V5 all-weather-fire-control & auto tracking. Fitted with 2x30mm Nauser Mk30-F cannons each with 250 rounds - fires 800 rounds per minute. range approx 3000m - S.Korea's Flying Tiger K-30 was based on the Wildcat.
That’s the baby I was looking for!
Looks like a good and cost-effective kit (?), what with German quality engineering.
I am some what surprised that it never got more customers!
The Australian Army could do with something of this capability – say mounted on the chassis of an ASLAV 8x8 - a poor mans Gepard
There was a 8X8 variant of Wildcat SPAAG. The prototype is or was a marriage between Wildcat turret and Mowag Shark Weapons Carrier chassis. The vehicle was market throughout the 1980's and 1990's.
Krauss-Maffei project- initally based on Transport Panzer-1: 5 differrent fire control options available from V1 clear weather to V5 all-weather-fire-control & auto tracking. Fitted with 2x30mm Nauser Mk30-F cannons each with 250 rounds - fires 800 rounds per minute. range approx 3000m - S.Korea's Flying Tiger K-30 was based on the Wildcat.
Hello dear tank friends, first of all thank you very much for the positive feedback! When it came to the Jadgpanzer prototype, I had also thought of the Strv 103, but I sent these pictures to companies like Henschel, MAK and Rheinmetall and nobody knows what this vehicle is. I tend in the direction of Mowag, Mowag helped develop the medium-sized tracked vehicle family with Henschel and Ruhrstahl as an example, such as the Marder, Kanonenjagdpanzer, Roland ... on the German side and the Tornado on the Swiss side. I think the drive arrangement alone gives my assumption right. What is also an indication of this is the autonomous weapon mount. A few more pictures attached, I hope you like them
Here are a few more pictures of the unknown tank destroyer
Here the Leopard 2 prototype with PT11 turret
Here in comparison to the Leopard 1 of the 0 series
What is it with Western Army's and their seeming fobia about complementing missiles with guns and guns with missiles.
I know, I know and Appriciate that many perceive the 'missile' as more effective, longer ranged, supposedly more cost-effective...
But seriously how hard is it, how much additional $$$ does it really take to incorporate the likes of at least one 20mm cannon into this configuration depicted by this model? I would have thought the Bundeswehr of all army's would have appreciated the importance of a cannon completing a missile, to say nothing of the guns value in a ground-to-ground role, whilst in combat.
Two Wildcat variants i found picture of: Wildcat on Leopard (1) and Wildcat with 2x4 Stinger missiles offered to Canada in the competition that would later choose ADATS
The 30mm Mauser autocannon used by the Wildcat SPAAG was also one of several anti-aircraft weapons considered by the United States Army for its cancelled Division Air Defense (DIVAD) during the mid-1970s ( https://aw.my.games/en/news/general/divad ).
La empresa Krauss-Maffei construyó todos los SPAAG Gepard de dos cañones de 35 mm sobre chasis modificado del Leopard I, que sirvieron en los ejércitos belga, neerlandés y alemán federal. Así pues, la misma conclusión que si bien el sistema era muy eficaz, también era muy sencillo, pesado y caro para muchos clientes potenciales.
En base a estudios de mercado, se decide desarrollar una familia completa de SPAAG para cumplir con los requisitos de futuros interesados. Al tener Krauss-Maffei experiencia con el vehículo blindado todoterreno 6x6 Transportpanzer I Fuchs (en producción para el ejército de Alemania Federal) se tomaron los componentes automotrices del citado vehículo e integrados en un nuevo casco, que soportara la dotación de una torre con un afuste doble de 30 mm.
Estaban disponibles cinco opciones de control de tiro, iniciando desde la versión V1 para tiempo despejado con seguimiento óptico, V2 para el combate diurno, pero presentaba un identificador de amigo o enemigo óptico o de enlace de datos, adquisición de objetivos ópticos o línea de datos y seguimiento de objetivos con telémetro láser, pero sin soporte de radar e infrarrojos (IR), el V3 tenía un dispositivo integrado de identificación de amigos o enemigos, adquisición de objetivos por radar/óptica y seguimiento automático de objetivos con un telémetro láser, el V4 con sistema de control de tiro todotiempo con seguimiento automático del objetivo y el V6, que reemplaza los cañones de 30 mm por misiles MANPADS (General Dynamics Stinger o Shorts Blowpipe/Javelin).
La configuración básica del sistema de armas Wildcat es igual en todas las versiones, con el conductor y el operador de radio/tirador en la parte frontal, la torre en el centro y el motor y las transmisiones en la sección trasera. La suspensión está compuesta con tres puentes con resortes helicoidales y amortiguadores hidráulicos, necesita al vehículo de excelentes prestaciones todoterreno. La dirección es servoasistida en las cuatro ruedas delanteras, pudiendo ser dotado con neumáticos distintos.
La torre presenta en sus laterales dos cañones Mauser Mk 30F de 30 mm, cada cañón tiene una cadencia de tiro cíclico de 800 disparos por minuto. Listos para disparar hay 340 proyectiles antiaéreos y 40 proyectiles para combate terrestre. Se lleva más munición en el casco. La distancia de combate contra objetivos aéreos es de un máximo de 3700 m. Se disparan proyectiles HEI (alto explosivo incendiario) c on tra oobjetivos aereos; proyectiles API (incendiario explosivo perforante) y proyectiles APDS-T (de penetración con casquillo desechable/trazador) contra objetivos terrestres.
'The Krauss-Maffei company built all Gepard twin 35mm SPAAGs on modified Leopard I chassis, which served in the Belgian, Dutch and Federal German armies. However, it was concluded that while the system was very effective, it was also too simple, cumbersome and yet expensive for many potential customers.
Based on market studies, it was decided to develop a complete family of SPAAG to meet the requirements of future interested parties. As Krauss-Maffei had experience with the Transportpanzer I Fuchs 6x6 all-terrain armored vehicle (in production for the Federal German Army), the automotive components of the aforementioned vehicle were taken and integrated into a new hull, which would support the provision of a turret with mounting twin 30mm guns.
Five fire control options were available, starting from version V1 for clear weather with optical tracking, V2 for daytime combat, this featured optical or data link friend or foe identification, optical target acquisition, or data link. and laser rangefinder target tracking, but without radar and infrared (IR) support, the V3 had a built-in friend or foe identification device, radar/optical target acquisition, and automatic target tracking with a laser rangefinder, the V4 with all-weather fire control system with automatic target tracking and the V5, which replaced the 30mm cannons with MANPADS (General Dynamics Stinger or Shorts Blowpipe/Javelin) missiles.
The basic configuration of the Wildcat weapons system is the same on all versions, with the driver and radio operator/gunner in the front, the turret in the center, and the engine and transmission in the rear section. The suspension was made up of three axles with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers, it allowed the vehicle to have excellent off-road performance. The steering was servo-assisted on the four front wheels, and could be equipped with different tyres.
The turret had two 30 mm Mauser Mk 30F cannons on its sides, each cannon has a cyclical rate of fire of 800 shots per minute. Ready to fire are 340 anti-aircraft shells and 40 shells for ground combat. it takes more ammunition in the hull. The combat distance against air targets is a maximum of 3700 m. HEI (high explosive incendiary) projectiles are fired at aerial targets; API (armor-piercing explosive incendiary) and APDS-T (disposable casing/tracer penetrating) rounds against ground targets.'
Kurganmmashzavod Heads West
Kurganmashzavod, the manufacturer (amongst many other products) of the BMP-3 IFV, announced two cooperation agreements with Western companies for derivative versions of their vehicle. The first. agreement, with Patria Vammas of Finland covers a mortar carrier variant fitted with a specially designed turret that accommodates the AMOS automatic twin-barrel 120mm mortar system. The vehicle will undergo arctic trials in Finland during this winter, and in the next summer will then be subjected to tropical testing in unspecified Middle East countries (most probably the UAE and/or Kuwait, both of which already operate the BMP-3 in the basic IA/ version). At the same time, an agreement with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has resulted in the well-designed, but commercially not very successful WILDCAT anti-aircraft turret being sort of "resurrected" and integrated with a slightly modified BMP-3 chassis. Even this system is mainly intended for countries that already use the BMP-3 - so, interestingly, also for South Korea which has an ongoing requirement for some BI HO systems (WILDCAT-clone turret on modified KIFV chassis), although the status of this programme is highly uncertain. The WILDCAT turret as adopted for the Russian/German system is armed with two 30mm automatic cannons (offering a cumulative rate of fire of 2x800 rounds/min) plus four IGLA IR-guided missiles (two launchers on each side), and is equipped with a panoramic X-band search radar, with a max. range of 18km, and a fully-passive, day/night opto-electronic system (FUR plus laser rangefinder). The vehicle, which has a combat weight of 18t and a crew of three (driver, commander, gunner), will be tested in desert conditions in mid-2000.
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