For the training of infantry personnel, shooting ranges with various targets are needed, imitating a variety of enemy targets and objects. So, to train operators of anti-tank missile systems, targets in the form of tanks are needed, incl. movable. In the past, the Swiss army decided not to skimp on the training of fighters, and the result was the emergence of a real target tank called the Zielfahrzeug 68.
Special Requirements
Switzerland was one of the first countries to develop early anti-tank systems. The development of such a weapon was delayed, but the desired results were nevertheless obtained, after which the process of training operators began. For effective training of fighters, appropriate shooting ranges and targets were required. At first, the army made do with simple plywood targets in stationary or mobile equipment. However, such products looked little like real armored vehicles.
In the early seventies, there was a proposal to create a specialized armored target vehicle capable of simulating as accurately as possible a real tank of a conventional enemy. By this time, the Swiss army had managed to master the MOWAG Panzerattrappe target armored vehicles, and against this background, the new proposal looked viable.
The development of an unusual armored vehicle was entrusted to the company Eidgenoessische Konstruktionswerkstaette (K + W Thun), which was engaged in the construction of tanks. A new special machine should have been created on the basis of the existing units. Outwardly, it was supposed to resemble modern tanks, and also have similar mobility. She also had special requirements in terms of protection. The armor was supposed to protect the crew from anti-tank missiles with an inert warhead.
Based on the tank
The production tank Panzer 68 was taken as the basis for the special target vehicle. In this regard, the new sample was named Zielfahrzeug 68 ("Target tank mod. 68"). During serial production, it was planned to use decommissioned battle tanks.
The Zielfahrzeug 68 project provided for the dismantling of the tank turret along with the fighting compartment and all its equipment. Weapons, ammunition racks, fire control devices, etc. were no longer required. Also, for reasons of economy, the standard undercarriage was disassembled for the installation of other units.
The standard cast armored hull with anti-cannon armor of the frontal projection was preserved. In the stern, the MTU MB 837 Ba-500 diesel engine with 600 hp remained. and an auxiliary power unit in the form of a 38-horsepower Mercedes Benz OM 636 engine. The transmission has not been altered.
The chassis retained an independent suspension on disk springs, but it was equipped with rollers and tracks from the outdated Pz 61 tank. Army warehouses had a significant stock of such parts, which made it possible to save money on the production and operation of the new armored vehicle.
Instead of a tower on the roof of the hull, a fixed welded superstructure with a cannon model in the form of a simple pipe was mounted. There was a light aluminum floor at the level of the hull roof, and a hatch in the turret roof. The latter was unified with the driver's hatch.
Measures were taken to improve the safety of the driver. An additional conical flap with vertical slots was placed above its hatch. Similar protection was present on the turret hatch. Shields covered the periscopes and protected them from being hit by an incoming missile or its debris.
The standard protection of the side projections was insufficient for the safe firing of training missiles. For this reason, the Zielfahrzeug 68 was equipped with new side screens. Armor plates of various shapes were attached to the fenders with bolts. If damaged, they could be quickly replaced. The protruding parts of the MTO roof received a similar protection. Protection of the forehead of the hull, with the exception of the flap on the hatch, remained the same.
The crew of the Target Tank consisted of two people. The driver was located in the corps, the commander was in the tower. The compartments were connected to each other, which made it possible to leave the car if one of the hatches was damaged. The crew had at their disposal an intercom; the commander used the SE-412 radio set to communicate with the leaders of the training event. There were no weapons of any kind, for obvious reasons.
The dimensions of the Zielfahrzeug 68 were similar to the base Pz 68. The weight was reduced to 36 tons. The running characteristics remained the same. The speed on the highway reached 55 km / h, on the ground - 35 km / h. Due to this, the behavior of a real tank was simulated as accurately as possible.
10 units
The development of the Zielfahrzeug 68 project took minimal time, and already in 1972 the K + W Thun plant received an order for the serial production of new equipment. Special vehicles were not required in large numbers, and the army ordered only 10 units. For their production, the required number of decommissioned Pz 68 tanks were sent to the plant.
The first sample Zielfahrzeug 68 left the assembly shop in the same 1972. The tenth was made in 1974. All cars built were numbered from M77870 to M77879. They were transferred to several training grounds, where infantry training was carried out, incl. ATGM operators.
The operation of this unusual technique was quite simple. In the course of various exercises or firing, the crews moved along the target field and imitated the tanks of a conventional enemy. ATGM calculations performed target detection and fired.
The crew of the target tank included up to two people, but often only the driver was in the car. The management of Zielfahrzeug 68 was trusted by both military tankers and civilian personnel. The requirements for the driver were lower than in the case of tanks, which simplified the organization of firing without loss in their quality.
Preparing calculations using self-propelled guided targets was more efficient. Unlike other targets, a specialized tank could move along any route, in different directions, etc. Shooting at such a target was not easy, but the operators received the necessary experience and gained skills.
In firing practice, only missiles with an inert warhead were used. Thus, a missile hit threatened the target tank only with the deformation of certain parts. In the event of serious damage, an element of armor or chassis could be replaced with an affordable and cheap new one. Also, the operation became cheaper due to the maximum unification with the tanks available in the army.
35 years in the ranks
10 target tanks Zielfahrzeug 68 entered service in 1972-74. and became an important element of the training system for the personnel of the ground forces. Often, tanks were used together with MOWAG Panzerattrappe armored cars and helped ATGM operators improve their skills.
Such operation of special tanks continued until 2007. For 35 years of use, these machines have exhausted their resource, and also accumulated a lot of minor breakdowns. In addition, by this time, the Pz 68 tanks were removed from service, which led to the de-unification of the fleet of military and special equipment. As a result, it was decided to withdraw the Zielfahrzeug 68 target tanks from supply. No direct replacement was created for them. It was now proposed to prepare calculations using other means.
After the write-off, the equipment went to storage or disposal. Tanks numbered M77876 and M77878 were handed over to museums. For example, the M77876 is on display at the Schweizerisches Militärmuseum Full (Ful-Royenthal) along with other interesting examples of Swiss armored vehicles.
The special target armored vehicle Zielfahrzeug 68 was created as a solution to a specific, but important task. This decision was unusual and unexpected, but at the same time effective. With the help of a special machine based on the Pz 68, it was possible to provide training for several generations of ATGM operators. Only ten unsightly armored vehicles on a finished chassis made a significant contribution to the defense capability of Switzerland.
