In 1949, a new republic was formed, and it encompassed the western two-thirds
of the failed Third Empire. But once Germany was divided into two,
technological advancements occurred at an unprecedented pace.
Upon reviving the Federal Armed Forces, West Germany acquired a new generation
of weaponry to counter the Warsaw Pact, including one extraordinarily
powerful anti-aircraft artillery system: the Flakpanzer Gepard.
An all-weather-capable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, the vehicle was
based on the hull of the iconic Leopard 1 tank, with a sizable,
fully rotating turret carrying a pair of 35-millimeter Oerlikon autocannons.
Although it was developed in the 1960s, the Gepard is still considered the strongest weapon of its
kind, enough to be a surprising key component in one of the most controversial wars of our time…
A New Conflict
In May of 1955, almost a decade after the end of World War 2,
West Germany joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO.
In response to this decision, the Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact,
which included East Germany and other Eastern Bloc countries.
With the world's superpowers taking sides in a newly formed conflict known as the Cold War,
there was a massive push to create both offensive and defensive military weapons.
One of the most effective weapons to come out of this increased technological development was
the Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard anti-aircraft gun.
In 1970, after seven years of development, one of four
available prototypes with 35-millimeter guns was chosen for mass production.
The West German government subsequently decided to place an order for the anti-aircraft gun.
The development and production of the Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer, or Flakpanzer,
Gepard would eventually represent a significant milestone in the Cold War arms race. It was just
one of many weapons developed during the period, but its impact on the battlefield was undeniable…
The Cheetah
The Flakpanzer Gepard, German for Cheetah,
is an all-weather-capable self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.
Based on the Leopard I tank chassis, the design features a rotating turret capable of turning
360 degrees. In addition, the system requires two soldiers to properly work the turret and drive.
The Flakpanzer Gepard is known for its muscular mobility,
allowing it to traverse even the roughest terrains easily.
To protect its crew, the Gepard system's hull and turret are covered in steel materials,
and smoke grenades can be deployed all around the anti-aircraft gun, creating a protective screen.
The system also features a nuclear, biological,
and chemical system to filter air and a fire suppression system.
Before the development of the West German system, jet technology had rapidly advanced,
and the missiles and machine guns tasked to shoot them down also had to evolve.
To ensure maximum potency and unmatched accuracy, the West German engineers installed the Oerlikon
35-millimeter twin cannon on the anti-aircraft gun. These two .90-caliber guns have an effective
range of around 3.4 miles and can fire 550 rounds per minutes for a combined total of 1,100.
The Flakpanzer Gepard features two radars, a general search radar toward the rear,
a tracking radar, and a laser rangefinder mounted between the guns.
All these features combined allow operators to track enemy aircraft and fire accurately at its
target, making the weapon a remarkable achievement in military technology,
and demonstrating the ingenuity and skill of the engineers who developed it.
The Cheetah In The Battlefield
In the early 1980s, West Germany introduced the Flakpanzer Gepard, which has since
become a cornerstone of the air defense of the German Army and several other NATO countries.
To take advantage of its long-range scanning capacity,
Stinger teams have been accompanying the Flakpanzer Gepard units since that decade.
The FIM-92 Stinger is an American man-portable air-defense system or MANPADS that operates as
an infrared-homing surface-to-air missile. And to combine this capacity in one single unit,
a missile system upgrade was developed that mounts the Stinger to the autocannons.
Throughout the decade, the German Army equipped the anti-aircraft artillery regiments of all
eleven German mechanized divisions with six batteries each and one additional
corps-level battalion with three batteries, totaling 69 batteries of six guns each.
The constant and safe increase in capabilities since the system was
introduced makes it possible to react appropriately to current threats.
After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the Gepard system was upgraded to the A2 version.
This model had a new cooling system added to the turret’s rear, and a new muzzle brake and
tracking radar were also installed to replace the old ones to meet the new era's operational needs.
About 220 of the older models were later modernized to Gepard A2. They equipped five
active and five reserve battalions of three batteries with seven Gepards each. However,
this number was further reduced with the change in military strategy to out-of-area missions.
The last 94 of these guns remained in service until
2010 when they were gradually phased out due to high maintenance costs.
Moreover, they were replaced by the more modern Wiesel 2 Ozelot Leichtes Flugabwehrsystem system.
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, a German arms industry company, produced a total of 570 Flakpanzer
Gepard systems as the main contractor for both the technical and logistical support of the system.
Ultimately, the Gepard is the world's number one self-propelled anti-aircraft
gun when it comes to production quantity and service quality.
Beyond Germany
In addition to Germany, several NATO-friendly nations have also
used the Flakpanzer Gepard anti-aircraft gun system.
The most prominent nation outside of West Germany to equip the Flakpanzer Gepard was
the Netherlands. The Dutch version of the system, known as the Cheetah,
is identical to the West German Gepard except for a different radar.
It was used at the same time as the Flakpanzer Gepard, with 95 constructed.
The Netherlands Armed Forces discontinued using the anti-aircraft gun in 2006,
while the Belgian forces also retired the 55 they had initially acquired.
Chile originally ordered four Flakpanzer Gepards,
which were delivered in 2008. However, its government canceled a second order for 30
more when it realized how expensive it was to upgrade and maintain them.
Today, only three nations operate the Flakpanzer Gepard. Romania purchased 43
from the already existing German stock, while Brazil received 36. And Jordan has
60 that its government bought for 21 million dollars from the Netherlands.
Modern Combat Demands
Although the German and Dutch armies have stopped using the Flakpanzer Gepard system,
regular upgrades continue to be made to the anti-aircraft gun.
The current version of the Flakpanzer Gepard meets all the demands of modern combat, including
defense against combat aircraft, remote-controlled missiles, rockets, and even drones.
The gun's ballistic projectiles cannot be disrupted by electronic countermeasures,
and their shrapnel clouds reliably lead to the destruction of the target.
As such, Qatar ordered 15 Flakpanzer Gepards, along with spare parts,
to protect against potential drone threats during the 2022 World Cup.
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine,
Krauss-Maffei Wegman offered to send 50 anti-aircraft guns to the Ukrainian military.
After government approval, the first anti-aircraft gun system arrived in July of that same year.
Although issues regarding the system recognizing
Norwegian-produced ammunition arose, the problem has since been resolved,
and by the end of September, 30 Gepards and over 6,000 rounds had been delivered.
According to the
Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Gepards in Ukraine are proving to be very effective against Shahed-136
pusher-prop drones, as its radar can detect them up to ten miles away, and it takes as
little as six rounds to shoot them down, a similar number needed to destroy an entire cruise missile.
In one particular incident, one of the Gepards downed ten Shaheds in a single engagement, proving
that the system, first introduced almost 60 years ago, continues to be relevant and reliable.
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