PanzerKampfwagen IX - Jaguar

The PanzerKampfwagen IX, abbreviated as Pz.IX or its nickname of Jaguar, is a main battle tank fielded by the National Volksarmee. It shares a number of similarities with the Soviet T-80 and is the premier battle tank used by elite East German formations.

## **Development**

The Pz.IX Jaguar is the first fully indigenous tank design to come out of East Germany since the end of the Second World War, a fact that is lampshaded in its designation following the 1945 numerals. It was part of the Alscher government's sweeping armed force reforms began in 1991 and was first introduced in 1999. The Jaguar features an eclectic mix of older and cutting edge technologies and methods that make it rather curious. This was likely caused by the influence of a mixture of older and modern schools of thought created by the gap in development between well-documented archives and contemporary designs and analyses. Fundamentally, it was designed with the primary intent of long-range engagements but without compromising speed nor survivability. It is a fairly heavy and costly design that some analysts have tentatively likened to 'an Eastern Abram'. The nickname has caused serious displeasure among East German engineers.

## **Design**

### **Mobility**

The Jaguar is a main battle tank immediately recognizable for its use of an iconic WWII-era design of overlapping wheels, of which it features nine. A simplified form of Schachtellaufwerk, it provides the tank with more uniform weight distribution across its tracks -and thus cross-country agility - at the cost of more complex maintenance and slight vulnerability to mud and ice. The drive and transmission as well as the engine are placed at the back for reasons of weight distribution, with the suspension making use of nine high strength torsion bars on each side.

The Jaguar is powered by an EFW-B-100 multifuel turboshaft gas turbine engine produced by the aviation giant Elbe Flugzeugwerke, which is adapted from the L-200 aviation turbine. It is a particularly powerful turbine clocking in at 1'750 horsepower of torque. This element combined with the Jaguar's weight distribution and suspension features grant it excellent cross-country speed and performance for its weight category, though at the expense of fuel usage, and thus strategic range. The B-100 serie was designed from the get-go with the idea of optimizing performance on low-grade ubiquitous fuels such as kerosene, so while it requires frequent refueling, it can do so at a manageable cost, as long as logistics are smooth.

### **Protection**

The Pz.IX features a chassis of OM-S803 steel alloy of classified thickness, backed up by all-around composites of boron-carbide-aggregated fiberglass. RHA equivalent values have not been made public and no foreign nation was able to acquire a Jaguar to make their own tests as the East German government has kept a tight security on their use and procurement. ERA bricks are featured stock, which cover the front and sides. ERA is also used on top of the turret, as well as above the forward and rear compartment, indicating the tank was designed to withstand some degree of top-attack weapon systems. The inside of the vehicle is fitted with a Stahlseide spall liner to catch fragments from non-penetrating impacts as well as a fire suppression system, while the ammunition stowage features blow-out panels to avoid catastrophic destruction in case of ammunition detonation. Finally, it also features smoke dispersers to block line of sight and obscure thermal detection as well as a Shtora electro-jammer to dazzle SACLOS laser guidance systems.

### **Armament**

The main weapon of the Jaguar is the 12.5cm KwK 58 smoothbore tank cannon. Loosely based on the Soviet 2A46 and capable of making use of the same ammunition and gun-launcher anti-tank guided missiles, the KwK 58 is a very distinctive gun. At a length of 7.25m, it is particularly sizable and makes maneuvering in urban close-quarters somewhat awkward, as well as putting weight on the front of the turret. These drawbacks are seen as acceptable compromises for the amounts of chamber pressure and velocity thus gained. Featuring an autoloader, stabilizer and laser rangefinder, a significant portion of the cannon is stored within the distinctively long turret of the Jaguar. Unlike Soviet tanks which store their autoloader ammunition in two-part shells in a carousel under the turret ring, the Jaguar features single-part ammunition in a rotating magazine in the back the turret, which is protected by blow-out panels. This is considered far safer for the crew as well as more efficient and allows for a better weight balance of the turret. Additionally, a vehicle-based variant of the MG97 machinegun is mounted-coaxially. Finally, a flammenwerfer is mounted in the hull, intended for anti-Xeno operations as well as psychological warfare and flushing out entrenched infantry.

### **Other Characteristics**

The Pz.IX is fully capable of night operations with an array of low-light cameras and sensors. Communications are handled by a FuG-KK-3 Frequency Hopping radio system to reduce possibility of interception. Each platoon of Jaguar also features an interlinked tactical display where each tank crew is aware of elements spotted by all other tanks at any given time. Finally, the Jaguar is NBC-protected and features a crew of 3.

## **Variants**

### **Ausf.B**

A defensive upgrade to the Jaguar introduced in 2001, the Ausf.B further compounds its defense systems with an Arena active protection system covering a nearly 360° field. A pair of 9K38 Igla Surface-to-air launchers has also been added in the back of the turret, allowing the Jaguar some measure of air-defense capacity. The Ausf.B variant is often used as a command unit.

### **Ausf.C**

Further defensive upgrade introduced in 2003, the Ausf.C replaces its ERA bricks by a new form of NxRA protection which shows some similarity to the Kontakt serie used on Soviet main battle tanks. Nicknamed "Zusammengesetzt Panzerung 1", or ZP-1, It is similar to the shift to NxRA also featured on IFVs, but sees greater performance. Additionally, the 9K38 Igla launchers have been linked to the Arena's Pulse-Doppler radar, drastically increasing its air defense potential against incoming, short-range air targets.

## **Service History**

* The Jaguar is the premier main battle tank of the NVA in use with veteran formations and has seen some use in the Charlie Site quarantine zone against particularly rowdy Xeno excursions.
* A small number of Jaguars were sent to Congo as part of the East German intervention in the wake of the Pygmy Massacre where Congolese rebels exterminated over 60'000 civilians in death camps during the Second Congo War in 2002. Due to their engines' quietness, their main gun's extreme range and their off-road capacities, the Jaguars were feared for their ability to eliminate armored vehicles without ever being detected, earning them the nickname of 'Sniper of the Armored Cavalry'.