Switzerland

Swiss Ordnance Enterprise Pz 61 Series Switzerland

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All Pz 61 MBTs are expected to be withdrawn from service in the midnineties.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 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.

First prototype: 1960-61 First production: 1965-1966 (150 built) Current user: Switzerland

Crew: 4

Combat weight: 38 000 kg Ground pressure: 0.85 kg/cm2

Length, gun forwards: 9.43 m Width: 3 . 1m Height (without AA gun): 2.72 m Ground clearance: 0.42 m

Max. road speed: 55 km/h Maximum range: 300 km Fording: unprepared l . lm Gradient: 60% Side slope: 40%

Vertical obstacle: 0.8 m

Trench: 2.6m Powerpack: MTU MB 837 Ba-500 V-8 supercharged liquid-cooled diesel developing 630 hp and coupled to ah SLM semi-automatic transmission Armament: (main) 1 x 105 mm gun (52 rounds); (coaxial) 1 x 20 mm cannon (Pz 61), 1. 7.5 mmMG (Pz 61 modelAA9); (anti-aircraft) 1 x 7.5 mmMG; (smoke dischargers) 2 x 3; (illumination) 2 x 71 mm Bofors Lyran

Right: Swiss Army Pz 61 MBTAA9 variant.

Below: Swiss Army Pz 65 ARV helping to lift an armoured vehicle transmission pack.