PanzerKampfwagen X

PzKpfw X
Type	Escort Tank
Place of origin	Ostlichtor
Service history
Used by	Ostlichtor
Production history
Designer	Siegel AG
Designed	1970-1975
Manufacturer	Siegel AG
Produced	1977-Present
Specifications
Weight	28.5 tonnes (31.4 short tons; 28.0 long tons)
Length	7.48 metres (24 ft 6 in) gun forward 6.41 metres (21 ft 0 in) hull length
Width	3.3 metres (10 ft 10 in)
Height	2.51 metres (8 ft 3 in)
Crew	3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Armor	Welded steel
Main armament	1x A+Z 57mm L/70 cannon (96 rounds) 1x Karlsbranchen Panzerschreck 70
Secondary armament	1x Biltz & Keckler MG 60
Engine	V6 liquid cooled diesel 590 PS @ 2200 rpm
Power/weight	20.7 PS/t
Transmission	Automatic (4 forward gears, 4 reverse)
Suspension	Torsion bar
Ground clearance	450 millimetres (1 ft 6 in)
Fuel capacity	652 L (172 US gal)
Operational range	600 km (370 mi)
Speed	75 km/h (47 mph)

The Panzerkampfwagen X (PzKpfw X) is an escort tank designed by Siegel AG as a private venture to fill a perceived capability gap between conventional MBTs like the Panzerkampfwagen IX and armed IFVs such as the Schützenpanzer II.

Design

Armament

The primary armament of the PzKpfw X is the Alter+Zweig 57mm L/70 dual-feed automatic cannon. Originally a dual-purpose naval gun, the cannon has had only minute modifications made to it in order to make it a functional weapon for mounting on an armored fighting vehicle. The weapon system is mounted in an open, asymmetric turret. While this mounting system provides minimal protection from hostile fire or environmental conditions, it does allow the weapon to attain an elevation arc of -8/45 degrees by allowing the breech of the weapon to elevate and depress beyond the normal confines of a fully enclosed low-profile turret. It is capable of firing in semi-automatic or automatic fire modes, with a rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute. The vehicle carries 96 rounds of ammunition for this cannon which is packaged in clips of 24 rounds each. Two of these clips are loaded into the weapon's feed system, while an additional two clips are kept the magazine underneath the turret. Initially, only APCBC and high explosive ammunition were available for this weapon, with the APCBC ammunition being capable of penetrating 100mm of RHA steel at a distance of over a kilometer. In the late 1980s, a hardened steel APFSDS round was developed specifically for this vehicle, which provided an approximately 50% increase in penetration over the APCBC round at any combat distance. In 2008, the PzKpfw X's fire control software was updated to allow it to fire new programmable high-explosive ammunition. These new ammunition types have largely replaced the original ammunition. The cannon is fitted with a hydraulic recoil damper to mitigate the effect of firing the weapon at its maximum rate of fire on such a light platform, however the cannon still has notable accuracy issues when used in this manner.

To supplement the main cannon, the turret also has a mounting point for a Karlsbranchen Panzerschreck 70 anti-tank guided missile launcher. The Panzerschreck 70 is intended to defeat heavily armored targets, such as main battle tanks, that the 57mm cannon would be incapable of destroying. Initially, this missile system was capable of penetrating 430mm of RHA steel at ranges of nearly 4 kilometers. Improved missiles for the Panzerschreck 70 would continue to be developed throughout the vehicle's service life, adding advanced capabilities such as tandem HEAT and overfly top attack warheads that continue to make this system a viable threat to modern armored vehicles. The vehicle carries 6 missiles for its Panzerschreck 70, including one ready-to-fire within the launcher. When empty, the launcher will tilt to a near vertical position in which it is aligned with a small loading hatch. Through this hatch, the launcher can be reloaded by the gunner without leaving the vehicle.

Lastly, the PzKpfw X carries a coaxial Biltz & Keckler MG 60 for use against soft targets. This machine gun is mounted along the cannon on the exterior of the turret and fed from 250 round ammunition cans. Due to the location of the gun, it has to be reloaded from outside the vehicle. Space for a spare ammunition can is available behind the gun mount with the option to carry an additional ammunition can in the hull, for a total of up to 750 rounds of ammunition.

Protection

As per its parent vehicle, the PzKpfw X has a welded steel hull and turret. The well sloped frontal profile provides protection against 20mm APDS ammunition at any range and protection against common 25mm APFSDS projectiles at ranges greater than 500 meters, with all aspect protection against 13mm AP ammunition. The vehicle's magazine is situated low in the hull, in order to reduce the likelihood of being struck. Fire extinguishers are provided to the crew of the vehicle for firefighting purposes. The PzKpfw X retains the over-pressure NBC defense system from the SPz II. The turret has two mounting points for a bank of 4 grenade dischargers in order to provide visual and IR obscurant.

Operators

• Ostlichtor
  • Bodentruppen