3D Model of Wiesel 2 Ozelot Anti-Air Unit By PerspectX (Browse This Publisher's Products) (View Profile)

Description

This is a detailed, light poly count model of the Wiesel 2 Ozelot Anti-Air Unit.

Textures

Color maps are provided with the model.

History

The Wiesel AWC is a German light air-transportable armoured fighting vehicle, more specifically a lightly-armoured weapons carrier. It is similar to historical scouting tankettes in size and form.

During the Cold War, NATO feared the huge tank army of the Warsaw pact. The infantry of the German Bundeswehr, especially airborne infantry, was considered rather unprepared to successfully fight enemy tanks in the 1970s.

So the light, unarmoured combat support vehicle KRAKA was introduced to support the troops. It could be armed with an automatic cannon and antitank missiles, but lacked armour. Consequently a design for a new armoured infantry fighting vehicle was begun. The requirements were that the vehicle should fit in common NATO transport planes and could eventually be air-dropped. It should be able to fight infantry as well as enemy MBTs or aircraft. Porsche produced some prototypes of the future fighting vehicle for the Bundeswehr in 1975, but the Bundeswehr stopped the project in 1978 because of the lack of funds. Nevertheless Porsche did not stop development because of interest from other countries.

So the fighting vehicle was finally introduced as new weapon system for the Bundeswehr in 1990 and named Wiesel ("weasel") because of its small size and agility.