Panzerfaust 3

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Panzerfaust 3 EX , spacer tube extended

The Panzerfaust 3 is the recoilless anti-tank weapon of the Bundeswehr and the Swiss Army , the producer is Dynamit Nobel Defense GmbH . It is used by all types of troops fighting infantry ( anti-tank defense for all troops ).

history

At the beginning of the 1970s, due to the constantly advancing development in tank technology, demands arose for a new anti-tank hand weapon for the infantry in order to replace the weapons that had been introduced and used by the Bundeswehr, such as the light bazooka 44 mm "Lance" and the heavy bazooka 84 mm " Carl Gustaf ” . As part of the conceptual considerations, the following requirement profile was specified in the tactical requirement for military equipment of January 23, 1973:

  • Disposable weapon
  • effective against all known types of tanks
  • safe and easy handling
  • low training costs
  • Shooting from cover is possible, desirable from closed spaces with shallow depths

In 1978 the then Dynamit-Nobel AG received the development order, in 1986 the first troop trials began, and in 1992 the Panzerfaust 3 was officially introduced.

Structure and mode of operation

The Panzerfaust 3 consists of the reusable handle and the cartridge. The cartridge, in turn, is divided into a launch tube and a projectile. The projectile head lies outside the barrel, so that the dimensions of the head can be selected independently of the caliber of the launch barrel. It consists of two parts - the spacer tube and the active charge. The spacer tube is pulled out against armored targets such as tanks, while it remains pushed in against soft targets such as trucks and buildings. The handle is equipped with a sight and launch device.

Thanks to a new type of damming, the Panzerfaust 3 can also be used in closed rooms. The security area is 10 m, but is larger in the Bundeswehr training company. The damming consists of plastic balls and is ejected backwards when fired. The recoil is also reduced by the ejection, the effect is like a recoilless gun . Contrary to the original definition as a single-use weapon, this concept was abandoned in the first years of use by the Bundeswehr. Thus, after the shot, the firing device is removed from the launch tube and can be used together with a new cartridge.

The standard version of the Panzerfaust 3 is not capable of night combat and is therefore dependent on battlefield lighting . However, with the night vision attachment 80 (NSA 80), a residual light amplifier can be attached using a mounting plate .

Technical specifications

  • Bullet head caliber: 110 mm
  • Caliber launch tube: 60 mm
  • Weight: 12.9 kg (Pzf 3), 13.3 kg (Pzf 3-T, Bunkerfaust), 15.1 kg (Pzf 3-IT-600) - all data with handle
  • Combat distance: 300 m against moving targets, 400 m against stationary targets, bunker fist from 11 m
  • Penetration performance: different depending on the version
  • : 165 m / s (Pzf 3)
  • : 248 m / s (post-acceleration of the projectile)

Versions

Panzerfaust 3 in caliber 124 mm. The larger warhead was introduced to the Swiss Army in 1995.

Several types of cartridges with different modes of action have been introduced. However, all variants have the option of firing from closed spaces, use as a "bunker breaker" and use as an armor-piercing weapon.

  • Panzerfaust 3: The standard cartridge works according to the shaped charge principle (700 mm armored steel).
  • Panzerfaust 3-T: The double shaped charge ( tandem shaped charge ) is also effective against reactive armor (800 mm armor steel).
  • Panzerfaust 3-IT-600: The DYNARANGE firing device with Simrad IS2000 computer vision measures the distance to the target using a laser rangefinder. A fire control computer determines after a short optical tracking of the target by means of the angular speed and target distance a stop point, which is then displayed to the shooter. In this way, targets can be fought up to a distance of 600 m. No other unguided anti-tank weapon offers a range and precision even remotely comparable. This configuration has been introduced in the Bundeswehr as Pzf 3-IT-600.
  • Panzerfaust 3 "Bunkerfaust": A delayed fragmentation explosive device , the so-called supplementary charge, flies through the hole created by the shaped charge and explodes inside the target. This cartridge is intended for use against hardened structures such as reinforced concrete or field fortifications. The penetration rate is a maximum of 30 cm for reinforced concrete and multi-layer brick walls and 130 cm for sandbag positions or underground bunkers.
  • Panzerfaust RGW 60: RGW stands for English. Recoilless Grenade Weapon (recoilless grenade weapon) and is a further development based on the Panzerfaust 3 in caliber 60 mm instead of 110 mm. The smaller caliber reduces the weight enormously and enables it to be used in local and house wars as well as in situations in which penetration is less important. This system was introduced in the Bundeswehr in 2004 together with the Infantryman of the Future program . A version with 90 mm and anti-structure warhead (AS) was delivered to the Bundeswehr in March 2012. Another variant with wall-breaking warhead (WB), which makes it possible to punch man-sized holes in walls and walls, is offered by the manufacturer.

There are four systems for exercises in handling the bazooka:

  • Panzerfaust 3 EX: Corresponds to the standard cartridge in terms of weight and appearance, but contains no propellant or explosives and is only used for training in handling the Panzerfaust. In maneuvers without AGDUS, this also serves as a representation of the anti-tank defense.
Sub-caliber training bullet UEB-T after firing
  • Panzerfaust 3 AGDUS : AGDUS stands for training device duel simulator and simulates the use of weapons by means of laser and enables training close to the weapon. The software also takes target and operating errors into account.
  • Panzerfaust 3 UEB-T: This type corresponds to the correct Panzerfaust 3, but fires 18 mm caliber ammunition ( see picture ).
  • Panzerfaust 3 UEB 60 mm: This variant is also the same as the live cartridge in terms of weight and appearance, but differs in that it has a blue projectile head that contains plaster of paris as a body. In terms of recoil and behavior of the weapon when fired, this version corresponds most closely to the sharp warhead.

Users

German soldiers of the Bundeswehr train Peshmerga on the Panzerfaust 3.

In addition to Germany and Switzerland , the Netherlands , Japan , Italy , Peru and South Korea also use the Panzerfaust 3. The exact designation of ammunition in Germany can be found in the list of Bundeswehr ammunition . As part of the training support provided by the Bundeswehr in Iraq , the Kurdish Peshmerga also received the Panzerfaust 3 in Iraq .

literature

  • R. Abresch, R. Wilhelm (ed.): Modern hand weapons of the Bundeswehr. Frankfurt am Main, Bonn 2001, ISBN 3-932385-10-1 .
  • The friction . The manual for the German soldier. Hamburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-8132-0878-8 .
  • Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun, Wilfried Copenhagen : small arms . (1945-1985). In: Illustrated encyclopedia of rifles from around the world . 5th edition. tape 1 + 2 . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1988, ISBN 3-89488-057-0 , weapons, p. 165 .

Web links

Commons : Panzerfaust 3  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ YouTube.de RGW 90 AS - Die Produktion , YouTube channel of the Bundeswehr , video, accessed on May 18, 2012
  2. ↑ Hardthöhenkurier shoulder-supported handguns for urban combat , accessed on May 18, 2012
  3. ↑ Peru - Weapon holdings (page 2)