Flakpanzer Gepard

*Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard*
Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard
	Gepard 1A2 of the German Army
Type	Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
Place of origin	West Germany
Service history
In service	1976–present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Russo-Ukrainian War;
Specifications
Mass	47.5 t (46.7 long tons; 52.4 short tons)
Length	Overall: 7.68 m (25 ft 2 in)
Width	3.71 m (12 ft 2 in)
Height	Radar retracted: 3.29 m (10 ft 10 in)
Crew	3 (driver, gunner, commander)
Armor	conventional steel
Main; armament	2 × 35 mm Oerlikon GDF autocannon, each with 320 rounds anti-air ammunition and 20 rounds anti-tank
Secondary; armament	2 × quad 76 mm smoke grenade dischargers
Engine	10-cylinder, 37,400 cc (2,280 cu in) MTU multi-fuel engine; 830 PS (819 hp, 610 kW)
Power/weight	17.5 PS/t
Suspension	Torsion bar suspension
Operational; range	550 km (340 mi)
Maximum speed	65 km/h (40 mph)

The Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard ("anti-aircraft-gun tank 'Cheetah'", better known as the Flakpanzer Gepard) is an all-weather-capable West German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) based on the hull of the Leopard 1.^[1] It was developed in the 1960s, fielded in the 1970s, and has been upgraded several times with the latest electronics. It has been a cornerstone of the air defence of the German Army (Bundeswehr) and a number of other NATO countries.

In Germany, the Gepard was phased out in late 2010 and replaced by the Wiesel 2 Ozelot Leichtes Flugabwehrsystem (LeFlaSys) with four FIM-92 Stinger or LFK NG missile launchers. A variant with the MANTIS gun system and LFK NG missiles, based on the GTK Boxer, was also considered.^[2]

The Gepard has been widely used in combat in the Russo-Ukrainian War, mostly to shoot down drones.^[3]^[4]^[5]

^ Tanks and armored fighting vehicles: visual encyclopedia. New York: Chartwell Books. 2012. p. 298. ISBN 9780785829263. OCLC 785874088.
^ "Der 'Gepard' hat ausgedient" [The 'Cheetah' has served its purpose]. KN (in German). 9 March 2010. Archived from the original on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
^ "Putin is Angry: Gepard 'Flakpanzers' Heading to Ukraine to Kill Russian Planes". 1945. 3 December 2022.
^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:0-1] Tanks and armored fighting vehicles: visual encyclopedia. New York: Chartwell Books. 2012. p. 298. ISBN 9780785829263. OCLC 785874088.

[2] "Der 'Gepard' hat ausgedient" [The 'Cheetah' has served its purpose]. KN (in German). 9 March 2010. Archived from the original on 31 March 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2010.

[3] "Putin is Angry: Gepard 'Flakpanzers' Heading to Ukraine to Kill Russian Planes". 1945. 3 December 2022.

[:2-4] Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:3-5] Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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