Raketenjagdpanzer 3 (RakJPz 3) / Jaguar 1

History of Rocket Destroyer 3 (RakJPz 3) / Jaguar 1

The West German Army during the Cold War (1947-1991) put considerable effort into anti-tank capabilities against the potential threat of Soviet tanks in response to the "cold war" becoming "hot". One of the key developments in the final phase of the conflict was the "Jaguar 1" or Rocket Tank (RakJPz 3), a compact tracked armoured vehicle equipped with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) as its primary weapon.

The Jaguar 1 is made up of the West German Army's existing Rocket Tank Destroyer 2 (SS-11) vehicles (described elsewhere on this page) that play the same tank destroyer role, albeit using the older SS . 11 ATGM missile launcher series. Once rendered obsolete by changing needs and battlefield hazards, 316 SS-11 vehicles were converted to Jaguar 1 standard between 1978 and 1982.

Major changes to the vehicle include the installation of a single Euromissile HOT ATGM launcher with 8 missiles and 12 reloads. Armor protection is also more balanced than the original SS-11, maxed out to around 50mm at key points.

Secondary armament includes 2 medium 7.62mm machine guns for local infantry defense and 8 smoke grenade launchers to give the tank self-defense capabilities.

An MTU MB837 Aa V8 water-cooled multi-fuel diesel engine with an output of 500 hp provides the drive. The road speed reaches 70 km/h and the range is 380 km. The chassis is suspended on a torsion bar system for proper off-road performance.

Structurally, the vehicle weighs 25.7 tons, has a total length of 6.6 meters, a width of 3.12 meters and a height of 2.55 meters. The crew of four includes the driver, commander, gunner and loader.

Beginning in 1993, the optics of the series were better upgraded, and additional work led to the introduction of a thermal imager to improve the vehicle's night combat/low light capabilities. This modernization in turn produced the standard Jaguar 1A3 model.

The Cold War never developed into another war in Europe, but vehicles like the Jaguar 1 would be a tool to defend West German territory. The Jaguar 1 series was eventually replaced in due course by more powerful tank destruction systems and weapons.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

20 x HOT ATGM missiles.

2,000 x 7.62mm ammo

8 x Smoke Grenade

Changes