Radschützenpanzer 93

Radschützenpanzer 93
Radschützenpanzer 93 of the Swiss Army
General properties
crew	3 (commander, rifleman, driver) + 7–9 additional soldiers depending on the version
length	6.97 m
width	2.63 m
height	2.78 m
Dimensions	13.7 tons
Armor and armament
Armor	Armored steel / kevlar plates
Main armament	12.7 mm machine gun
Secondary armament	8 fog throwers
agility
drive	Detroit V6 diesel 283 hp
Top speed	approx. 140 km / h (road)
Power / weight	20.65 hp / t
Range	400 km of road

As Radschützenpanzer 93 is Mowag piranha 8 × 8 in the Swiss Army called. The armored personnel carrier has four axles. The drive normally runs on the two rear axles, whereby the two front axles can also be switched on if necessary. The special wheels make it possible for the armored personnel carrier 93 to still be able to drive when the tires no longer contain air. The vehicle has an anti-lock braking system that can be switched into two different modes. The street mode represents the normal ABS, as it can also be found in a car. In off-road mode, the anti-lock braking system only works at speeds of 15 km / h or more. This allows the driver sliding maneuvers in the field in order to be able to make quick changes of direction. It is controlled via the two front axes.

Executions

Three different versions of the Radschützenpanzer 93 are used in the Swiss Army:

Spz execution

Offers space for nine people (fusiliers) in the hold.

PAL version

Instead of nine people, there is only space for seven in the cargo area. Additional brackets for anti-tank guided weapons PAL BB 77 Dragon are integrated for this purpose.

Kdo version

Offers a table and extended communication utensils in the hold.

Each battalion staff of a combat formation has a wheeled armored personnel carrier with INTAFF (Integrated Artillery Command and Fire Control System ) with which artillery support can be requested.

Armament

The Radschützenpanzer 93 is armed with a one-man gun turret of the type 606 A1-CH from the German company Kuka . A 12.7 mm machine gun 64/93 is mounted on a top mount on the weapon turret . The gun turret can be controlled by the gunner inside the tank by manually operating two wheels. The shooter must open his hatch to change the ammunition box and to load the machine gun. The ammunition supply is six boxes with 200 rounds each. All hatches of the tank must be closed so that the shooter can fire, otherwise firing is impossible for safety reasons. The shot is fired via an electronic launch switch on the left crank. If the electronics fail, the trigger can also be operated with the legs.

There are also eight 7.6 cm smoke throwers attached to the gun tower. These can be fired by the shooter in two different salvos . In the first volley, the smoke bodies 1, 3, 5, 7 are fired. In the second volley, fog bodies 2, 4, 6, 8.

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  Gun turret

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  ammunition

communication

Each armored personnel carrier is equipped with at least one SE-235 radio for communication. It also has an internal communication system that allows drivers, commanders, riflemen and the squad leader to talk to each other in the tank. The three occupiers wear a so-called Racal helmet. This is equipped with a larynx microphone. In the Spz and PAL versions, two additional helmets are available for the group leader and a platoon soldier. The Kdo version has four other such helmets.

So that the group leader does not always have to swap his helmet for the Racal helmet in battle, there is a loudspeaker in its position, via which he is connected to the tank's internal communication system.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Kdo Radschützenpanzer 93/99 incl. INTAFF - Federal Department of Defense ( Memento of the original from July 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Swiss military vehicles: Radschützenpanzer 93 (German)