The Brückenpanzer 68 (Bridge Tank 68) is an
armoured vehicle-launched bridge
An armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of military engineering vehicle, designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles across gap-t ...
manufactured by the
Eidgenoessische Konstruktionswerkstaette
''Eidgenössische Konstruktionswerkstätte'' English: "Federal Constructions Works", short K+W, was a Swiss state-owned enterprise, with the aim of making the Swiss military independent of foreign sources for its equipment needs. It was establishe ...
, which was used by the
Swiss Army
The Swiss Armed Forces (german: Schweizer Armee, french: Armée suisse, it, Esercito svizzero, rm, Armada svizra; ) operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Switzerland. Under the country's militia system, re ...
. It is the bridge-laying version of the
Panzer 68
The Panzer 68 was a Swiss main battle tank developed by the Eidgenoessische Konstruktionswerkstaette in Thun in the late 1960s, and was the main tank of the Swiss Army until the late 1990s.
History
The Panzer 68 was based on the Panzer 61, ...
tank.
History
A prototype was built by modifying a
Panzer 61
The Panzer 61 was a Swiss Cold War era medium tank later reclassified as a second-generation main battle tank. The tank had a weight of 36.5 tons and was powered by a 630 hp diesel engine, which gave it a top road speed of . The primary ar ...
and was announced in 1967. In 1972 the
Federal Council approved production of a version based on the
Panzer 68
The Panzer 68 was a Swiss main battle tank developed by the Eidgenoessische Konstruktionswerkstaette in Thun in the late 1960s, and was the main tank of the Swiss Army until the late 1990s.
History
The Panzer 68 was based on the Panzer 61, ...
. The Panzer 68 hull was unchanged, with the gun turret replaced by the bridge-laying mechanism. A total of 30 vehicles were manufactured between 1974 and 1977 and were assigned Swiss Military identification numbers (M codes) M77882 - M77911.
In 2005, 16 vehicles were taken out of service, the remaining vehicles were placed out of service in 2011. In 2012 a Brückenpanzer 68 was given at the Military Historical Foundation of the Canton Zug in
Neuheim Neuheim ZG
Neuheim is a municipality in the canton of Zug in Switzerland.
History
Neuheim is first mentioned in 1080 as ''Niuheim''. In 1173 the parish church of St. Blasien was built and Neuheim became the center of the parish of Neuheim. The parish wa ...
.
Specifications
The bridge consists of two track carriers of aluminum alloy. Each track support consists of two end portions and two intermediate portions. It is not a scissors bridge, it is transported in its entire length. The storage beam is mounted between the two tracking beams, which is connected to a hydraulic ram. The laying of the bridge is carried out by the hydraulically operated bar with which the whole bridge is moved over the guide frame (support bar). For laying, the storage beam is first extended and placed with the tip on the ground (thus, no support shield is necessary). Then the bridge is moved along the storage beam. After laying down the bridge, the storage beam is detached and is retracted.
Further technical data
* Power to weight ratio: 14.79 hp / t
* Ground pressure: 12.80 kg / cm ²
* Chain Edition: 4430 mm
* Track width: 520 mm
*
Track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
: Padded rubber hinge chain
* Usable bridge length: 18.20 m
* Grave-border capacity: 2.00 mm
* Fording: 1.10 mm
* Electrical system: 24 volt, 4 batteries, 6 volt 189 Ah, minus pole to ground
* Radio: SE 412 / A + C
* Engine: Bore: 165 mm : Stroke: 175 mm :
Capacity: 29900 cm ³
* Fuel: Diesel
From 1989, all bridge tanks were converted to analog 68 Pz 68/88 on the Rüststand AA6.
* Pick-up device has been improved
* The vehicle has a camouflage (the bridge was not repainted)
* One of the two radios were removed
* Back on the arm of the bridge launcher mechanism was a radio antenna removed
References
* Urs Heller: ''Die Panzer der schweizer Armee von 1920 bis 2008'
* Military Museum Full AG Switzerland
External links
Picture of a Brückenpanzer 68 at the Museum Neuheim in Canton Zug
armeemuseum.ch
Action shots from privately owned Panzer 68 and 61
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruckenpanzer68
Military vehicles of Switzerland
Armoured vehicle-launched bridges
Military vehicles introduced in the 1970s