Tank destroyer missile 2

Tank destroyer missile 2
Raketenjagdpanzer 2 in the Munster tank museum (2010)
General properties
crew	4 (driver, gunner, missile gunner, commander)
length	6.24 m (tub)
width	2.98 m
height	1.98 m (upper edge of tub) 2.60 m (with starters for SS 11)
Dimensions	23 tons
Armor and armament
Armor	Armor steel (12–50 mm)
Main armament	2 × launch systems for SS-11-PzAbwLRak
Secondary armament	2 x 7.62mm MG3
agility
drive	Multi-fuel engine MB 837 Aa 386 kW (500 PS)
suspension	Torsion bar
Top speed	70 km / h (road)
Power / weight	16.8 kW / t
Range	approx. 385 km

The Raketenjagdpanzer 2 (RakJPz 2) was a tank destroyer or rocket tank destroyer used by the Bundeswehr between 1967 and 1982 . The prototype development lasted from 1963 to 1965, the series production took place from 1966 to 1967.

Basic data

It was created by Henschel and Hanomag on the same chassis as the Kanonenjagdpanzer . The crew consisted of four soldiers. The driver, gunner and commander sat in a row from left to right, the rocket gunner in the opposite direction of travel behind the gunner. After six pre-production vehicles were tested in 1965, Rheinstahl-Hanomag and Henschel built a total of 316 rocket destroyer 2 tanks in 1967/68.

Armament

The armament consisted of two launch systems for the wire-guided anti-tank guided missile SS 11 , an anti-aircraft gun and a bow machine gun of the MG1 type , later MG3 and MG3A1. The rocket tank destroyer had 14 anti-tank missiles, twelve of which were stored in special mounts, while the remaining two were carried on the launch ramps to the right and left behind the driver or commander. The missile tank destroyer was primarily intended to fight tanks in the range between 1500 and 4000 m, since the range or accuracy of the cannons of tank destroyers and battle tanks at these distances were not given or inferior to the guided missile. The range of the anti-tank guided missile SS 11 was dependent on the burning time of the engine and was 4000 m for the type SS 11 A 1 and 3800 m for the type SS 11 B 1. Depending on the distance, two to a maximum of three guided missiles could be fired per minute.

Use in the Bundeswehr

In 1967 the first tanks were delivered to the Bundeswehr. From 1968, the tank destroyer companies of the Panzer Grenadier Brigades were equipped with eight tanks. At the same time, tank destroyer companies were reorganized in the tank brigades, which received 13 rocket tank destroyers 2. A total of 316 missile tank destroyers 2 were manufactured. From 1978 to 1982 they were converted to the Jaguar 1 tank destroyer with the HOT weapon system.

See also

• List of tank models after 1945
• Bundeswehr Classix: Rocket Hunting Tank (1969) ( YouTube video)