The Spähpanzer 2 Luchs is a German wheeled reconnaissance vehicle developed in the late 1960s, set to replace the aging American and French light tanks serving the same role at the time.
Luchs A2: A Light Tank for Germany at Rank V
At a glance:
- Excellent mobility!
- Light protection overall.
- Powerful autocannon with great gun depression!
- Thermal imager.
- Amphibious.
Vehicle History
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In the 1960s, the Bundeswehr sought to develop a new wheeled reconnaissance vehicle, intended to replace the dated American M41 Walker Bulldog and French SP1A. The German Ministry of Defence outlined the need for a reconnaissance vehicle that featured exceptional mobility, a long cruising range, day and night scouting capability as well being logistically and economically efficient to produce and maintain. By 1968, two leading designs were put forward for evaluation. One from a conglomerate of companies including Thyssen-Henschel, MAN and Krupp among others, while the second design was presented by Daimler-Benz. Rigorous testing of these designs took place throughout the early 1970s, leading to improvements to both designs along the way.
Ultimately the Daimler-Benz design ended up winning, it was picked by the Bundeswehr for production in 1973 under the name “Spähpanzer 2 Luchs”. The first production models rolled off the assembly line in 1975, with the last of the 408 Luchs models ordered being completed in 1977. The Luchs served with the Bundeswehr well into the early 2000s, receiving several upgrades and modernizations throughout its server life. By 2009 however, it was recognized that the Luchs had fallen into obsolescence, and the 68 vehicles that remained were finally retired.
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Meet the Luchs A2!
The Luchs will soon be joining rank V of the German ground forces tree in the Firebirds major update, adding a versatile light support vehicle for the cold war lineups. Ready to take a look at what this beast can do? Then join us for the details below!
Being a unique wheeled reconnaissance vehicle, the Luchs will complement the German lineup of post-war machines nicely. Being even lighter and far more agile than the Marder IFV, the Luchs is poised to become the new vehicle of choice for those who prefer the flanks. Weighing in at just under 20 tons, the Luchs can get to 90 km/h on roads and can cruise around 50 km/h off-road with ease. In addition, the Luchs is also completely amphibious and can reach speeds of 10 km/h on water, which expands its tactical options further.
On the other hand however, the Luchs is only able to boast mobility of this degree by limiting its armor protection. The Luchs is able to withstand shrapnel and small-arms fire but anything else will spell trouble, even heavy machine guns can pose a threat from the sides. Luckily though, the great mobility of the Luchs can keep it out of danger for the most part, it can quickly hit the flanks and reach strong positions before the enemy even notices!
Once engaged in combat, the Luchs can rely on its Rh 202 20 mm autocannon to shred through lightly armored vehicles or low flying aircraft thanks to its high elevation. Due to only having autocannon armament however, the Luchs will struggle to get through MBTs and stronger targets from the front. To deal with tougher opponents, the Luchs will need to get up close and personal! The autocannon is stronger at close range, but this puts the Luchs in a more vulnerable position, so you’ll have to pick your moment to strike! Sticking with friendly tanks will be important here, as the autocannon can easily tear off tracks and damage barrels, which will make combating them much easier for your teammates.
Get ready to give the Luchs A2 a warm welcome as it arrives in the higher ranks of the German ground forces tree in the Firebirds major update! In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news and keep up to date on all the latest developments regarding the next major update, until then, happy hunting!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
