Armored vehicles with “handed down” weapons: ATGMs on a wheeled chassis are better suited for conducting military operations in urban environments, models based on a tank chassis are less comfortable in the limited space of a city, but they are not obstructed in open areas. Both types of armored vehicles resemble a giraffe only with a barbell with a launcher. The lower part of the body suggests that we face much more dangerous "animals"Classic single-tower layout tank, formed over 60 years ago, tested by the six-year-old Second World War and subsequent wars, led to the creation of a modern combat vehicle. But immediately after the Second World War, it became clear that the classic layout of the tank is already fully squeezed.
However, other layouts turned out to be even worse, so all such projects never left the stage of experimental tests. Analysis of the development of the world tank building shows that in this industry there is a stagnation, gradually turning into a crisis. Internal reserves have been exhausted to improve the classic tank model. Freshly needed fresh ideas.
The international corporation Euromissile Dynamics developed in the 90-ies of the last century ATGM of the extended range of the third generation TRIGAT-LK. It is designed to destroy armored targets, helicopters and engineering structures. You can immediately say that now neither trees, nor houses, nor anything else will prevent this “giraffe” from finding its goal. You can easily peep into the windows of the second floor, and even the third. Electron-optical sight allows you to fire on the principle of "shot and forget." The launcher with eight rockets and aiming devices is located on a folding hydraulic lift mounted on the chassis of the Leopard-1 tank. Thanks to the rising platform, shooting from closed positions is possible. After testing, it is planned to begin mass production.
And here is another, more modern, representative of the “long-necked family”. The Croats proposed to create a tank destroyer with a launcher mounted on the boom using minimal costs based on a tank chassis. It can reach the height of a three-story building. In 2000, in Croatia, on the basis of the Yugoslav tank M84 (in turn, created on the basis of the Soviet T-72), its own "giraffe" was created - the destroyer MXXUMX Cobra. Reservation of the car remained the same as that of the tank, the hull and chassis were left unchanged, only instead of a turret a rotary platform with a lift was installed, at the end of which a sight, a control system and a Russian-made Kontakt anti-tank launcher were mounted, which allows firing from - due to obstacles. The firing range of the rocket from 95 to 75 meters, guidance - semi-automatic by wire. Crew 4000 – 2 person. On the turntable, smoke grenade launchers are installed to create a smoke curtain. This prototype is unlikely to be adopted.
Apparently, fascinated by unusual fashion projects, the German companies Krauss-Maffei, Messerschmitt-Belkov-Blom and MAN created their own anti-tank systems with a launcher. Unlike other developers, the Germans used a wheeled chassis, probably assuming to wage war against Soviet tanks in cities. In Germany, the Panther self-propelled anti-tank missile system was developed in a pilot order. This ATGM is mounted on the basis of a MAN all-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle (8x8). On the mast rising on the 12,5-meter height, an operator's cab with six ATGT “HOT”, as well as aiming devices and a guidance system, is equipped. While shooting and lifting the mast, the machine is hung out on sliding supports for stability. In the stowed position, the lift lowers onto the platform behind the cab. However, so far this “miracle of technology” has not been put into service, however, like all similar samples.