Panzer 68 (Pz 68)

1971 COLD WAR MAIN BATTLE TANK

• 1 Panzer 68 (Pz 68) History
• 2 Panzer 68 (Pz 68) Specification
  • 2.1 Basic
  • 2.2 Roles
  • 2.3 Dimensions
  • 2.4 Performance
  • 2.5 Performance
  • 2.6 Armor
  • 2.7 Changes

Panzer 68 (Pz 68) History

The Korean War (1950-1953) brought together the major Western powers logistically and politically, forcing countries like Switzerland to find alternative ways to modernize their tank forces. Thus began an often-overlooked homegrown Cold War-era tank program that produced the short-lived 38-ton Panzer 58 (Pz 58), which appeared in 10 pre-production forms and two early prototypes. The series entered service in 1958 and was discontinued in 1964 as ideas for a more refined form gave way to the Panzer 61 in 1965.

A total of 150 prototypes were produced for the Pz 61, which were in use until 1994. The 43-ton Pz 61 has improved range and speed on the basis of the original Pz 58, and uses the excellent British 105mm Royal Ordnance L7 main gun and rifled main gun, content with the latest Soviet armor.

All tanks are locally built by the Federal Engineering Plant in Thun and powered by Mercedes-Benz diesel engines.

It was only natural that the series was further refined and improved, which led to the Panzer 68, which was designed in the 1960s and produced the first pilot vehicle in 1968. Production then began in 1971 and continued deliveries of 390 to 1983. These served the Swiss Army until 2003 when they were officially replaced by the German Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The 45-ton Pz 68 retains the 105mm L7 and rifled guns and is now powered by an MTU 8-cylinder diesel engine. Performance includes a top highway speed of 34 mph and a range of up to 120 miles.

Armor protection is still Rolling Homogeneous Armor (RHA), approximately 120mm thick on key panels. The Pz 68 model directly follows the Pz 61 line.

Between the Pz 61 and Pz 68 products, the latter led to the use of a new main gun stabilization system designed to improve first/kill probability and firing while moving. The track layout has been redesigned to allow for more ground contact with increased track length and wider track plates.

Chassis changes include an all-new, more powerful engine mount, as well as a revised drivetrain. Some aspects of the design remain, such as the 2 x 7.5mm machine guns for self-defense (one coaxial), torsion bar mounts for off-road travel, and a crew of four (driver, commander, gunner and loader) .

The barrel of the Pz 68 is 9.5 meters long, 3.1 meters wide and 2.7 meters high. Overall, it has a very traditional layout and shape, with the crew compartment front and center and the engine at the rear. The turret is concentrated on top of the hull.

The forward-leaning plate is well sloping and the turret is tapered to provide good ballistic protection at all ranges. The main gun is mounted in a 360-degree swinging turret position, towering high above the hull in considerable proportions.

The track system includes six twin-tire wheels on one side of the hull, a drive sprocket at the rear, a chain idler at the front, and three chain return rollers to manage upper chain tension in its channel.

The Swiss government committed to the first order of 170 units, which were delivered between 1971 and 1974. A second batch of 50 vehicles with thermowells on the main guns was ordered in 1977.

For differentiation, the initial block model is designated Mk I, and subsequent forms are designated Mk II. The two versions were followed by the Mk III, which installed a larger turret assembly while incorporating all the standardization of the Mk II production model.

The last production Mk IV was delivered between 1983 and 1984.

In practice, the Panzer 68 was not a completely successful design, as it was ultimately deemed "unsuitable" for modern combat - especially against the intended Soviet enemy. No fewer than 50 detailed faults were identified, including a limited drivetrain that required the vehicle to come to a complete stop before reverse gearing. The main guns were prone to involuntary firing when the heating elements of the nacelle were activated, and the fuel reservoirs were found to be prone to rupture over time. The NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) suite did not provide the listed levels of crew protection, and the radio also interfered with the signals used in the tower crossing, causing the tower to move involuntarily when the radio was used.

Track life proves to be an issue for many as they wear out before regular maintenance. The construction flaws of Tank 68 are said to have eventually led to the resignation of the then Minister of Defense (Rudolf Gnaghi).

Many of the bugs associated with the original Pz 68 model were allegedly fixed in a late 1988 program to provide a more complete tank product. This effort then spawned the "Pz 68/88" designation, from which 195 of the final 390 were upgraded.

Despite the obvious shortcomings of the Pz 68, this chassis was used in other battlefield configurations. The Entpannungspanzer 65 is an Armored Rescue Vehicle (ARV) variant without a turret with a main gun, while the Bruckenpaner 68 is a bridge with a 60-foot integral span mounted on the Pz 68's hull. The Fliegerabwehrpanzer 68 was a proposed self-propelled anti-aircraft platform fitted with the German Flakpanzer Gepard artillery system (2 x 35mm Oerlikon automatic cannons), although it never entered mass production. The Zielpanzer 68 consisted of 10 Pz 68 hulls, stripped of practicality and used in testing as a mobile missile target.

Panzerkanone 68 - a planned self-propelled artillery carrier - was produced in four prototypes on the chassis of the Pz 68. These, like the drafted AA, were not accepted for mass production (the American M109 was used instead).

Panzer 68 (Pz 68) Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

52x105mm bullet

4,000 x 7.5mm ammo

Changes