German border forces and police armored personnel carrier
| MOWAG MR 8-01 WOTAN |
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 MOWAG WOTAN prototype at the Swiss Military Museum |
| Place of origin | Switzerland |
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| Used by | Germany |
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| Designer | MOWAG Motorwagenfabrik AG Kreuzlingen |
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| Manufacturer | Büssing (Germany)
Henschel (Germany) |
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| Produced | 1963 |
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| No. built | 600–700 |
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| Variants | SW1, SW2 |
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| Mass | 8,200 kg (18,100 lb) |
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| Crew | SW1: 7 (driver, commander, and five passengers in the rear)
SW2: 4 (driver, commander, and two passengers in the rear) |
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Main
armament | SW2a 20mm autocannon
SW2b MG 3 machine gun |
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| Engine | 6-cylinder diesel engine Büssing / Henschel / Daimler Benz
118 kW / 161 PS |
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| Transmission | ZF transmission, 5 forward gears, 1 reverse |
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| Suspension | 4x4 wheeled |
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Operational
range | 300 km (190 mi) |
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| 85 km/h (53 mph) on road
42 km/h (26 mph) off-road
12 km/h (7 mph) through water |
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The MOWAG MR 8 (WOTAN) is a border force and police armoured personnel carrier.[1] It was developed by Mowag in Switzerland and built under licence in West Germany.[2][3][4]
History
The WOTAN was introduced in 1963 in West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) as a Special Vehicle (Sonderwagen) in versions SW1 and SW2 for the Federal Border Guard (Bundesgrenzschutz) and the Readiness (Riot) Police (Bereitschaftspolizei) of the German states.[1][2][3]
The special vehicle SW1 had no armament of its own and featured an unusual split-open observation turret-hatch (cupola), whereas the special vehicle SW2 came in two versions featuring a one-man 360° rotating turret: SW2a with a Hispano-Suiza HS.820 autocannon, later upgraded to a Rheinmetall Mk 20 Rh-202 300-round autocannon (carrying 200 HE and 100 AP rounds), and SW2b with a 500-round dismountable MG 3 machine gun.[1][2][3][4] Additionally, the SW2 had three smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret.[1] Both the SW1 and SW2 versions featured roof-mounted Bosch RKLE 90 or Hella KLJ 60 blue police light beacons.[2][3]
The Federal Border Guard referred to the SW1 and SW2, also as Kfz 91 and Kfz 92, respectively Kfz stands for Kraftfahrzeug, meaning motor vehicle.[1] MOWAG delivered the first 20 special vehicles, and around 600–700 were built under license by Büssing and Henschel in West Germany,[1] with the armoured chassis supplied by Blohm+Voss.
Other variants were built, such as a mortar launching vehicle,[1] but these found no buyers. A WOTAN prototype, which was tested by the German Federal Border Guard, is now in the Swiss Military Museum.[5][6] An amphibious version was marketed as the Mowag Grenadier.
The MOWAG MR 8 was replaced from 1983 by the Thyssen-Henschel TM-170 armoured personnel carrier.[7]
Design
The four-wheel drive (4×4) vehicle had a small turning radius and was equipped with 2-axle steering. The arrangement of the engine installed in the rear left allowed the crew to park the vehicle and exit from the side and rear.
Variants
- MR 8 "SW1": also known as Kfz91. Armoured personnel carrier with a small observation turret-hatch (cupola) and no integral weapon. The turret hatch is split down the centre, allowing it to open vertically, in each half there are three vision blocks.[1] Crew: 7; commander (right-hand side), driver (left-hand side), and five equipped infantry personnel in the rear compartment.[1]
- MR 8 "SW2a": also known as Kfz92. Armoured personnel carrier with a one-man 360° rotating turret, initially equipped with a Hispano-Suiza HS.820 autocannon,[1] later upgraded to a Rheinmetall Mk 20 Rh-202 300-round autocannon, and three smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret. Crew: 4; commander (right-hand side), driver (left-hand side), and two equipped infantry personnel in the rear compartment.
- MR 8 "SW2b": also known as Kfz92. Armoured personnel carrier equipped with a 500-round dismountable MG 3 machine gun and three smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret.[1] Crew: 4; commander (right-hand side), driver (left-hand side), and two equipped infantry personnel in the rear compartment.
- MR 8-09: 20 mm Rheinmetall Mk 20 Rh-202 autocannon upgrade.[1]
- MR 8-20: unguided rocket and ATGM variant, with provision for twin 8 cm unguided missile launchers.
- MR 8-23: heavy fire support and tank hunter vehicle with 90 mm medium-pressure gun and 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and two-man turret.[1]
- MR 9-32: 120 mm mortar carrier.[1]
Gallery
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10th anniversary of the Federal Border Guard (BGS,
Bundesgrenzschutz) in SW1 armoured personnel carries; parade in the presence of Federal Minister of the Interior
Gerhard Schröder and BGS Brigadier General Alfred Samlowski,
Lübeck, May 1961.
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SW1 armoured personnel carrier of the Federal Border Guard (BGS,
Bundesgrenzschutz) guarding the Federal Chancellery ("
Palais Schaumburg"),
Bonn, May 1975.
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SW1 armoured personnel carriers of the Federal Border Guard (BGS,
Bundesgrenzschutz) taking part in
Exercise Reforger, West Germany, 1986.
References
