Raketenjagdpanzer 1

Raketenjagdpanzer 1
Type	Tank destroyer
Place of origin	West Germany
Production history
No. built	95
Specifications
Mass	13,000 kg (28,665 lb)
Length	5.56 m
Width	2.25 m
Height	1.70 m
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Armor	Steel 30 mm
Main armament	2 x SS.11 missile launchers, 10 missiles
Secondary armament	1 x MG3, 2000 rounds
Engine	1 x Rolls Royce B81 Mk 80F, 8-cylinder petrol engine 235 hp (175 kW)
Suspension	Bogie
Operational range	270 km (170 miles)
Maximum speed	51 km/h

The Raketenjagdpanzer 1 was an anti-tank guided missile-armed tank destroyer and was the first such vehicle in service with the West German Armed Forces and began service with them in 1961. It was built on the chassis of the Hispano-Suiza HS-30 which was also used on the Schützenpanzer SPz 12-3, and armed with twin French SS.11 antitank guided missile launchers. Only one of the missile launchers are visible from the outside at a time however, as the other launcher is retracted into the hull to be reloaded when the first is ready to fire.

Armament

The twin mounted launchers for the SS.11 anti-tank guided weapons were the primary armament for the Raketenjagdpanzer 1. With ten missiles per vehicle the crew had the theoretical ability to destroy ten enemy vehicles, although this was doubtful in practice. The weapon was wire-guided and the crew continued to control the missile via a small periscope after launch. The SS.11 missile could penetrate 600 mm of rolled homogeneous armor.

Powerplant

The Rolls Royce B81 Mk 80F engine was chosen to power the Raketenjagdpanzer 1, which could develop 235 hp @ 3,800 rpm. The engine was capable of pushing the vehicle to speeds of 51 km/h, and was able to ford 0.70 metres of water, climb 60° gradients and clear vertical obstacles of 0.60 metres in height or cross trenches 1.60 metres wide.