Raketenjagdpanzer 2
Encyclopedia
The Raketenjagdpanzer 2 or Raketenjagdpanzer SS-11 was a German
tank destroyer
employed from 1967 to 1982 and equipped with Nord SS.11 guided anti tank missiles. It was developed at the same time as the Kanonenjagdpanzer
and the Marder
and shares a similar chassis with them.
built 318 Raketenjagdpanzer 2 for the Bundeswehr
. Starting around 1978, 316 of them were upgraded with additional armour
and a new missile system, and redesignated as Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar 1
.
first operationally deployed the Raketenjagdpanzer 2 in 1967. From 1968 forward, the tank destroyer companies of the Panzergrenadier
(armored infantry) brigades were equipped with eight of these vehicles. At the same time, tank destroyer companies of the Panzer brigades received thirteen Raketenjagdpanzer 2. Between 1978 and 1982, the Raketenjagdpanzer 2 vehicles were upgraded to Euromissile HOT
-carrying Jaguar 1 tank destroyers.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
tank destroyer
Tank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
employed from 1967 to 1982 and equipped with Nord SS.11 guided anti tank missiles. It was developed at the same time as the Kanonenjagdpanzer
Kanonenjagdpanzer
The Kanonenjagdpanzer 4 - 5 was a German Cold War tank destroyer equipped with a 90mm anti-tank gun, which remained from the outphased M47 Patton tanks...
and the Marder
Marder (IFV)
The Marder is a German infantry fighting vehicle operated by the German Army as the main weapon of the Panzergrenadiere from the 1970s through the present day. Developed as part of the rebuilding of Germany's armoured fighting vehicle industry, the Marder has proven to be a successful and solid...
and shares a similar chassis with them.
Overview
The vehicle prototypes were developed between 1963 and 1965 and between 1967 and 1968, Henschel and HanomagHanomag
Hanomag was a German producer of steam locomotives, tractors, trucks and military vehicles. Hanomag first achieved international fame by delivering a large number of steam locomotives to Romania and Bulgaria before World War I....
built 318 Raketenjagdpanzer 2 for the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
. Starting around 1978, 316 of them were upgraded with additional armour
Vehicle armour
Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles, or shells, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include tanks, aircraft, and ships....
and a new missile system, and redesignated as Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar 1
Jaguar 1
The Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar 1 was a German tank destroyer equipped with anti-tank guided missiles. From 1978 and 1982 obsolete Raketenjagdpanzer 2 units were converted into 316 Jaguar 1s by replacing the SS.11 missile system with a HOT launcher and upgrading the armour. During the period 1993 to...
.
Armament
The vehicle was armed with two launch rails for the Nord SS.11 antitank guided missile, and two MG3 machine guns. The machine guns were mounted in the bow and as an anti-aircraft weapon on top of the vehicle. The Raketenjagdpanzer 2 carried fourteen missiles, twelve of which were mounted in containers inside the vehicle while the other two were attached to the launch rails. The combined traverse of both launch rails covered 180 degrees. The vehicle's mission was to engage enemy tanks at ranges between 1.5 and 3 kilometers where the range and accuracy of tank cannon were inferior to that of the SS.11 missile. The maximum effective range of the SS.11 was around 3,000 meters. The SS.11 missile could penetrate 60 centimeters of rolled homogeneous armour.Service in the Bundeswehr
The BundeswehrBundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
first operationally deployed the Raketenjagdpanzer 2 in 1967. From 1968 forward, the tank destroyer companies of the Panzergrenadier
Panzergrenadier
is a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
(armored infantry) brigades were equipped with eight of these vehicles. At the same time, tank destroyer companies of the Panzer brigades received thirteen Raketenjagdpanzer 2. Between 1978 and 1982, the Raketenjagdpanzer 2 vehicles were upgraded to Euromissile HOT
Euromissile HOT
The HOT is a second-generation long-range anti-tank missile system developed originally as an effort to meet a joint German-French Army requirement, by the then German firm Bolkow and the French firm Nord, to replace the older SS.11 wire guided...
-carrying Jaguar 1 tank destroyers.