Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar

     Notes:  This is the original version of the Jaguar, and is itself based on the Jagdpanzer Rakete vehicle (which was armed with SS-11 ATGMs), and 316 of the Jaguar 1s are actually rebuilds of the Jagdpanzer Rakete.  This vehicle is virtually identical to the Jaguar 2 and 3, but is armed with a HOT ATGM launcher.  Most of these vehicles were phased out of front-line service in the mid-to-late 1980s in favor of the cheaper missile and better night vision on the Jaguar 2.

     The Jaguar is powered by a Daimler-Benz DB-838 500-horsepower supercharged diesel which can also run on JP4 jet fuel.  The engine and transmission are combined into one powerpack that can be removed as a unit.  The suspension is optimized for some of the roughest terrain around. The tracks are US-designed, but can be replaced with German-designed anti-skid tracks.  In either case, the tracks have rubber track pads.  The Jaguar has a vehicular collective NBC system.

     The Jaguar 2 was adopted in the mid-1980s to take advantage of the TOW IIs lesser cost per missile and better sighting system.  Better night vision was also added.  162 of these conversions were made, all from Jagdpanzer 90 vehicles.

     The Jaguar 3 is a version of the Jaguar with an MCT (Milan Compact Turret) installed on the roof instead of the open mount of the HOT or TOW versions of the Jaguar 1 or 2.  It was not put into service.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: As Notes, except that the Jaguar 3 exists only in the Twilight 2000 World.  Only about 40 of these conversions were made before air strikes finally put the conversions of these vehicles to an end.  All of these vehicles were converted from Jagdpanzer 90 vehicles. 

M-113A1G HOT Vehicle

     Notes:  This is a German ATGM carrier featuring twin HOT launchers on an M-113A1 hull. The HOT launchers are raised through an enlarged version of the standard M-113A1 rear deck hatch.  The gunner aims and fires via a downlinked sight and firing mechanism.  The M113A1G base has a 6V53T diesel engine with 275 horsepower, a semiautomatic transmission and a torsion bar suspension with a shock absorber on each rear roadwheel.

Panther

     Notes:  This is a tank destroyer based on the hull of the Leopard 1 chassis.  They were converted by removing the turret and fitting an elevating arm with a 3-round pod firing Trigat ATGM.  The arm can be raised to a height of 5 meters and contains all the sensors needed to target and guide the missiles.  The sight is downlinked to a gunner's position in the hull, which guides the missiles via a TV monitor.  There is a hatch on the center front deck for the driver, one on the right deck behind the driver for the commander, and a large hatch behind the elevating arm for reloading of missiles.  This program was cancelled in the early 1990s after only one prototype was built.

     The Leopard 1 chassis is powered by a Daimler-Benz DB-838 500-horsepower supercharged diesel which can also run on JP4 jet fuel, and has a manual transmission and a torsion bar suspension.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: A few of these conversions were done before the war, but the program was actually cancelled for a short time; more were done after the war commenced.

     Merc 2000 Notes: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy use this vehicle.

Wiesel Antitank Vehicles

     Notes:  This version of the Wiesel 1 was developed for the needs of German Army Airborne and Airmobile units.  It is a small, lightweight, quick vehicle that is easy to produce and maintain; in fact, many of the automotive components are common to European automobiles, motorcycles, and farm vehicles.  The TOW-carrying variant was built to provide light, mobile antitank capability to light infantry forces of various types. The TOW carrier has a hatch on the front right deck for the driver, and hatches on either side of the TOW launcher for the commander and gunner.

     The Wiesel HOT/ATM is a Wiesel fitted with the Euromissile HOT/ATM turret, in which two HOT launchers are mounted on a turret with an elevating sensor pod.  The pod contains night vision, a laser rangefinder, and a TV camera.  The pod may elevate to 1.5 meters over the roof of the Wiesel, and is unmanned, the missiles being guided by a gunner inside the hull of the vehicle via a downlinked TV monitor.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This cheap, fast, and effective tank destroyer was built by the hundreds by the Germans before the Twilight War and employed in a large amount of successful “shoot and scoot” antiarmor ambushes.  They were employed not only by Germany, but also in smaller numbers by the US 82^nd Airborne Division and 75^th Ranger Regiment during the Twilight War, where their small size made them very suitable for airdropping or carrying in or slinging from helicopters.  In addition, 7 of them were converted by TACOM in the US to robotic assault vehicles, and field/combat-tested in the Middle East.   

     Merc 2000 Notes: Like much of the Wiesel line, sales of these vehicles multiplied in the Merc 2000 World.