Swiss Ordnance Enterprise Pz 61 Series The Pz 61 was the first Swiss indigenously designed MET to be placed into operational service. The vehicle has an NBC system and is fitted with the locally produced and modified Panzer Kanone 61 (Pz Kan 61) version of the Royal Ordnance 105 mm L7 series rifled gun. This fires HE, HESH, APDS, smoke and APFSDS-T rounds and uses a gunner's coincidence rangefinder. The coaxial armament originally fitted is the 20 mm Oerlikon cannon model 5TGK with 240 rounds of mixed round types such as AP-T, SAPHEI, SAPHEIT, HEI and HEI-T, A 7.5 mm Model 51
machine gun is fitted to the loader's hatch for anti-aircraft use. All Pz 61 MBTs are expected to be withdrawn from service in the midnineties. Over the years the Pz 61 has been modified several times. The following are the identified sub-variants: Pz 61 models AA7/AA8 - the basic Pz 61 fitted in 1976/7 period with improved maintenance access facilities, a new radio and a dry air filter to improve the reliability of the installed electronics. Pz 61 model AA9 - this is the latest modification standard with all the features of the AA7/8 models and the 20 mm
Switzerland
coaxial cannon replaced by a 7.5 mm machine gun which is being phased out. AVLB and ARV prototypes using the Pz 61 MET chassis were developed in the late sixties but were eventually produced on the later Pz 68 chassis. These variants are respectively designated the Bruckenlegepanzer 68 (Bru Pz 68) - 30 vehicles produced between 1974-77 - and the Entpannungspanzer 65 (Entp Pz 65) - 69 vehicles produced between 1970-78.
