Wiesel1 IFV
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| Wiesel 1 | |
| Country Of Origin: | Germany |
| Designation: | Infantry Fighting Vehicle |
| Configuration: | Tracked |
| Manufacturer: | RheinMetall |
| Length: | 2.55 m |
| Width: | 1.82 m |
| Height: | 1.82 m |
| Weight: | 2.75 t |
| Ford: | 500 mm |
| Trench: | 1.2 m |
| Speed: | 70 km/h |
| Power plant: | 64 kW Volkswagen Diesel engine with 2100 ccm |
| Crew: | 2 - 3 |
Wiesel1MK.jpg
The Wiesel IFV is a light airtransportable infantry fighting vehicle, or more accurately a lightly-armoured weapons carrier. Depending on the exact configuration, the length is about 2.55 meters, the height 1.82 meters, and the width 1.82 meters. The weight is only 2.75 tons, that means it weighs less than the US Hummer light truck. The engine is a 64 kW Volkswagen 2.1 litre [Diesel]] engine giving a top speed of 70 km/h (45 mph).
The chassis is made of armour steel and can resist the common 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm assault rifle ammunition. Air dropping the vehicle from a plane with parachutes was tested, but was not successful; four test-vehicles were destroyed. Nevertheless the Wiesel can easily be flown in by transport helicopters, a single CH53 helicopter can fly in two at once, and common transport planes can carry four or more Wiesel vehicles.
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Production History
In the cold war, NATO feared the huge tank army of the Warsaw pact. The infantry, especially the airborne infantry, was considered being rather unprepared to successfully fight enemy tanks by the German Bundeswehr in the 1970's.
So the light, non-armoured combat support vehicle KRAKA was introduced to support the troops. It could be armed with an automatic cannon and anti-air missiles, but lacked armour. consequently a design for a new armoured infantry fighting vehicle was begun. The requirements were that the vehicle should fit in common NATO transport planes and could eventually be air-dropped. It should be able to fight infantry as well as enemy MBTs or aircraft. The Porsche produced some prototypes of the future fighting vehicle for the Bundeswehr in 1975, but the Bundeswehr stopped the project in 1978 because of the lack of funds. Nevertheless Porsche did not stop development because of interest from other countries.
So the fighting vehicle was finally introduced as new weapon system for the Bundeswehr in 1990 and named "Wiesel" (weasel) because of its small size and agility.
Variants
Various versions of the Wiesel IFV exist, there are different weapon configurations which can be mounted on the top. Among these options are Machine guns, anti-tank-missile, anti-air-missiles.
Wiesel 1
- Ozelot Command - air defence unit command post
- Ozelot Radar - fitted with air defence radar
- Ozelot SRAD - fitted with air defence missile launcher
- Ozelot SRAD Variant 1 - retrofitted with box-type launchers
- Wiesel 1 Aufklaerung - reconnaissance
- Wiesel 1 ATM HOT - anti-tank vehicle fitted with HOT missiles
- Wiesel 1 ATM HOT Variant 1 - fitted with UTM-800 turret
- Wiesel 1 Radar - fitted with RATAC-S multi-purpose radar
- Wiesel 1 ATM TOW - anti-tank vehicle fitted with TOW missiles
- Wiesel 1 ATM TOW Resupply - cargo carrier fitted with racks for TOW missiles
- Wiesel 1 BTM208 - fitted with a SAMM BTM208 turret
- Wiesel 1 MK20 - fire support version with 20 mm cannon
- Wiesel 1 MK20 Variant 1 - Uprated with new sight
- Wiesel 1 MK25 - 25 mm armed version
Wiesel 2
Engine is an Audi TDI four-cylinder diesel giving 109 hp coupled to a ZF automatic transmission. Generally bigger, faster and stronger and has advanced features for the protection of the crew such as enhanced armour, and an air conditioning system which protects the crew from biological and chemical weapons.
- Wiesel 2 Ambulance
- Wiesel 2 APC - 2 + 4 crew armoured personnel carrier
- Wiesel 2 Command - battalion command post
- Wiesel 2 Mortar - 120mm mortar
- Wiesel 2 Mortar Variant 1 - mortar version with external supports
- Wiesel 2 Argus - reconnaissance
- Wiesel 2 Carrier - ammunition resupply
- Weisel 2 Pionier - combat engineer reconnaissance
- Wiesel 2 Primus - reconnaissance and fire control
- Wiesel 2 UF/BF - Ozelot air defence unit command post
- Wiesel 2 ATM HOT - anti-tank vehicle fitted with HOT missiles