German Anti-tank Aircraft

[Aircav]

Just be wondering why considering the number of anti-tank aircraft they had during the second world war and the fact of the Russian tank numbers in the cold war they don't really have any now other than their new Tiger helicopters and the older MBB Bo-105 with strap-on HOT missile.

[gunfighter]

In fact, they had several squadrons of Alpha Jet As, single-seaters armed with 27mm canon pods and rockets to perform the close support role. An don´t forget the Tornado IDS force, there was a dedicated weapon system called MW-1 or something alike, a submunition dispenser to attack armoured formations.
I have an overall sight of the 80´s Luftwaffe as an air-to ground force, and so was the vast majority of the NATO units in Germany at the time ( Jaguars, Harriers, Buccaneers, Thunderbolts, etc).

[Family Guy]

In fact the Luftwaffe's main reason to build the Alphajet in such large numbers was that the majority of this birds were only tasked with anti-tank ops. As far as i know they were also developing a tube launched anti-tank missile called wasp especially for this bird.

And as Aircav already mentioned the Luftwaffe Tornados were fitted with the French "belouga" cluster bomb and the German MW-1 ( Mehrzweck Waffe-1) a container bigger than the English JP233 pods containing a mix of bomblets like small mines, anti-tank mines, retarded bomblets, anti-runway bombs and contact bomblets.  So the strategy was

1) Fly with a bunch of Tornados (equipped with MW-1) over tank groups

2) Take the BO-105 to spot and destroy some and mark others for the Alpha Jets

3) The rest will be done by platoons equipped with Milan ATGM, and HOT ATGM equipped Jaguar Anti-tank tanks

hope i could help you

[Family Guy]

so finally found a picture showing the MW-1 in action

http://www.coretech.de/mw1_3.jpg

[Hobbes]

Looks like a sweaty-palms moment for the poor pilot. Not only is he right on top of his target, but his own weapon is denting his rear fuselage. Those bomblets better have delayed activation.  

[nev]

* dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-clunkdunk-dunk-dunk-boink-dunk-dunk-dunk- *

 

On a more serious note, don't forget Mike Wrens gorgeous Luftwaffe A-10 on the main page.

Germany were also an original partner in the Kestrel, so Luftwaffe harriers with SNEB pods and splinter camo....    

[PanzerWulff]

* dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-dunk-clunkdunk-dunk-dunk-boink-dunk-dunk-dunk- *

 

On a more serious note, don't forget Mike Wrens gorgeous Luftwaffe A-10 on the main page.

Germany were also an original partner in the Kestrel, so Luftwaffe harriers with SNEB pods and splinter camo....  

I made one of those myself a while back the A-10G"Warzenschwein"






BTW wheres Mikes A-10 I would love to see it??

[B777LR]

Now an A-10 would look good with 2 or 4 junkers jumo`s  

[GTX]

There was also the Vertikalbordwaffe (VBW) that was planned to be used on the Alpha Jets:



I'll see if I can find a picture of it on the Alpha Jet (I have one somewhere.

Regards,

Greg

[Archibald]

of Alpha Jet As, single-seaters

Never heard of a single seat Alpha Jet before! Thanks for the info... so there was a kind of equivalent of the Hawk 200 ?  

[Jschmus]

of Alpha Jet As, single-seaters

Never heard of a single seat Alpha Jet before! Thanks for the info... so there was a kind of equivalent of the Hawk 200 ?  

From Greg Goebel's Air Vectors:

The Luftwaffe decided to use the Alpha Jet in the light strike role, preferring to continue flight training in the sunny US southwest on American trainer types instead of performing training in cloudy Germany. The first production German Alpha Jet performed its initial flight on 12 April 1978. It was designated the "Alpha Jet A" (where "A" stood for "Appui Tactique / Tactical Strike") or "Alpha Jet Close Support" variant. The Luftwaffe obtained 175 machines up to 1983, with the type replacing the Fiat G91R/3. Although Alpha Jets were built in both France and Germany, manufacture of subassemblies was partitioned between the two countries, with plants in each country performing final assembly and checkout. The four prototypes remained in service as testbeds, for example evaluating a composite graphite-epoxy wing and improved Larzac engine variants.

These appear to have been standard two-seat Alpha Jets

[MAD]

Hay PanzerWulff, I love the A-10G"Warzenschwein"!
The 50mm (?) gun looks like a nightmare for any tanki!
But then I noticed the massive firepower of the four gun pods!
Wooow this would light up you night idf they were firing all at once
20mm are they?


M.A.D

[Mike Wren]

BTW wheres Mikes A-10 I would love to see it??

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/air/mwren/a10luft.htm

[Alvis 3.1]

so finally found a picture showing the MW-1 in action

http://www.coretech.de/mw1_3.jpg

I always thought the MW-1 was derived from a letter dispersal device...


MAIL CALL!


Alvis 3.1

[Sentinel Chicken]

Looks like a sweaty-palms moment for the poor pilot. Not only is he right on top of his target, but his own weapon is denting his rear fuselage. Those bomblets better have delayed activation.

There's no harm to the aircraft. The MW-1 dispenser is firing out the submunitions laterally and they easily clear the aircraft.