Pz.68

The Panzer 68 is a Swiss main battle tank developed by Eidgenoessische Konstruktionswerkstaette in the late 1960s. It was designed as an evolution of the Panzer 61, with development beginning immediately after the earlier vehicle entered service. The Swiss parliament authorized the initial purchase in 1968, and deliveries to the Swiss Army commenced in 1971. Production continued through four distinct batches until 1983.

The vehicle is operated by a crew of four and utilizes rolled homogeneous armor. Primary armament consists of a 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 rifled gun with a stabilized fire control system. Secondary armament includes two 7.5 mm machine guns and smoke dischargers. The Panzer 68 is powered by a V-8 diesel engine and features a suspension system utilizing plate springs and hydraulic dampers. Design changes from the preceding Panzer 61 included the implementation of wider tracks and the replacement of a coaxial 20mm gun with a machine gun.

Technical evaluations in the late 1970s identified several design deficiencies in the original production models. The nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protection system was found to be insufficient, necessitating that crews wear protective masks during operation. The gearbox design required the vehicle to come to a complete stop before the driver could shift into reverse. Additionally, the radio equipment caused electrical interference with the turret control system, leading to unintended turret movement when transmitting at high power. A shared electrical circuit also created a risk of the main gun discharging when the internal heating system was activated.

Modernization efforts led to the Panzer 68/75, which featured a larger turret, and the Panzer 68/88. The 68/88 variant introduced a fire control system and laser guidance technology derived from the Panzer 87, and addressed the primary technical faults of earlier series. The chassis was also adapted for specialized roles, including the Entpannungspanzer 65 recovery vehicle, the Brückenpanzer 68 bridge-layer, and the Zielfahrzeug 68, which served as a mobile target for anti-tank missile training.

The Panzer 68 was operated exclusively by Switzerland. While the Austrian Army expressed interest in the late 1970s, they declined to purchase the vehicle following reports of its technical issues. The tank remained the main armored platform of the Swiss Army until the late 1990s, when it was moved to secondary roles following the acquisition of the Panzer 87. The fleet was retired in the early 2000s. An attempted sale of the surplus inventory to Thailand did not materialize, and the remaining vehicles were demilitarized and scrapped in 2005.