Versuchsträger 1-2
The GVT 04 tank
Type	Tank destroyer, Medium tank
Place of origin	West Germany
Production history
Designer	MaK[1]
Designed	1970s
Manufacturer	MaK
Produced	1974 and 1975 (VT 1-1 and VT 1-2)
No. built	2 VTs and 5 GVTs
Variants	VT 1-1, VT 1-2, GVTs
Specifications
Mass	43.5 tonnes (42.8 long tons; 48.0 short tons)
Length	9.06 m
Width	3.54 m
Height	2.04 m
Crew	3 (commander, driver, gunner)
Main armament	2 x 105 mm guns or 2 x Rh 120 guns
Engine	MTU MB803 Ra-500 1,500 PS (sustained )(1,100 kW) 2,400 PS (short time)(1765 kW)[2]
Power/weight	34.5 PS/t(sustained)(25.3 kW/t) 55 PS/t (short time)(40.5 kW/t)
Suspension	hydropneumatic
Maximum speed	70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph) offroad

 

VT 1-2 front

 

GVT 04

The Versuchsträger 1-2 (abbreviated: VT, meaning 'test-beds' or 'experiment carrier') were two German prototype twin gun turretless main battle tanks. Since the early 1970s a number of West German companies have been working on conceptual designs for a successor to the Leopard 1. This project had the name Kampfpanzer 3 (KPz 3). The KPz 3 project was temporarily a British-German joint project, until the UK withdrew because they wanted a turreted tank.^[3] The Germans had already developed the Leopard 2 and therefore didn't see the need for another conventional tank.^[3] One of the companies involved was MaK, developing the VT 1-1 and VT 1-2. The test programme ended proving that a twin-gunned turretless tank could be created with enough technical effort, but had drawbacks in both practical and tactical use.^[4]