The Wiesel Tankette - Overview

The Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier (AWC) is a German light air-transportable armoured fighting vehicle, more specifically a lightly armoured weapons carrier. It is quite similar to historical scouting tankettes in size, form and function, and is the only true modern tankette in use in Western Europe.
The Wiesel was developed for the German Army to meet a requirement for an air-transportable light armored vehicle for use by its airborne troops, as the infantry of the German Bundeswehr, especially airborne infantry, were considered unprepared to successfully fight enemy main battle tanks (MBT) in the 1970s. 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 tanks or aircraft. Porsche produced some prototypes of the future fighting vehicle for the Bundeswehr in 1975, but the Bundeswehr stopped the project in 1978 due to lack of funds. Nevertheless, Porsche continued development, because of interest from other countries.
The Bundeswehr eventually ordered 343 of the vehicles in 1985. The Wiesel was introduced as new weapon system for the Bundeswehr with deliveries beginning in the late 1980s. The vehicle was named Wiesel ("weasel") because of its small size and agility, which make it very difficult to detect on the battlefield. Production of the Wiesel 1 ended in 1993. Of 343 Wiesel 1 vehicles, 210 were armed with Raytheon Company's TOW anti-tank guided missile system and 133 have the one-man KUKA turret E6-II-A1 armed with the dual-feed Rheinmetall 20 mm autocannon. Germany deployed both types to Somalia in 1993 as part of the United Nations forces.
The Wiesel 2 is an enlarged and extended version of the Wiesel 1 with five road wheels instead of four, and a more powerful engine. The Bundeswehr ordered 178 of the new vehicle in various types, including air defense, radar, and anti-aircraft missile launcher, 120 mm mortar carrier, command and fire control, and ambulance variants. The Wiesel 2 entered service in 2001.
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Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier

[@_Matsimus_]

Wish to support my channel?? Please feel free to check out my Donation Patreon page :-D www.patreon.com/user?u=3081754&u=3081754&ty=h

[@zach8269]

Matsimus Gaming Is it suppose to say Weisel at 0:05? :D

[@kristof1291994]

I have a question though, why did they chose an engine with only 86 bhp? I'm sure Volkswagen has way better 2.1L Diesel engines in it's roadcars right now... I know BHP isn't everything and torque is also very important but with the backing of an automotive giant like VW, it's a bit weird that they've gone with such a low BHP configuration engine. Hope you can answer my question! Cheers :)

[@kristof1291994]

Whelp scratch my question! Weasel 2 has an up to date engine ^^

[@brandonm1881]

Matsimus Gaming Hey Matsimus, can you do a vid on the USMC EFV, the AAV's Replacement?

[@timonbergmann4602]

The Wiesel 1 was developed in 1979. i don't think they had more powerful Diesel engines back then.

[@piothomsek]

Served in the Bundeswehr for 10 years and this was the vehicle i feared most in exercises. They are so tiny and silent you never notice them coming and 4 of them can wipe out entire companies of mechanized infantry. They reduced a battalion strength attack on a town to a crawl. People get fooled by its comical look but hope you are never on the wrog side of their tubes

[@chabjax6280]

Modern pz1c (wot reference)

[@zhoradao7035]

Do you get chocolate?

[@GunmanPunisher]

Bundeswehr can't afford premium chocolate, don't even have a premium account.

[@paulleornas4514]

they can still be crippled by a MOLOTOV

[@Nighthawke70]

Imagine 12 of these little brats, TOWs mixed with 20mm, holding a town. You might as well call it quits. Toss in a pair of Abrams. They might as well nuke the town.

[@nathag4490]

Reminds me of a german tank officer answering questions of recruits. Q: What do you fear the most? A: Helicopters and their long-range missiles...and THAT DAMN THING (points at ATGM-Wiesel)

[@invertedv12powerhouse77]

Sneaky tube boy

[@deanfirnatine7814]

That is awesome

[@cedriceric9730]

Lol yes I get it now the weasels would be an absolute nightmare and kill lots of infantry while effectively hiding from tanks

[@andrej4519]

Somewhere on the battlefield: - Hey what a cute little tank ^^ *(Shoots ATGM on you) - Fucking little bugger (-.-)

[@andreasvogler1875]

They usually operate in platoons of 4 and as tank crews who have seen them in exercises know, if you see one, there are usually three more you don't see.

[@Ezpazmic]

Wow! I'm in love! These little buggers are really a light infantryman's wet dream. I could definitely see these being used for a modernized version of the Finnish "motti" tactics. Hide a battalion of these in some rough terrain and you could wreak havoc on pretty much anything that tries to pass through!

[@HasturTheTankWhisperer]

Nice of you to cover the Wiesel. Back in the days I served in a light infantry battalion of the Bundeswehr and the unit's "heavy company" also used these. Fun fact: We employed Wiesels during our battalion's foreign assignment in Kunduz, Afghanistan back in 2004 for night time observation post duty. You should have seen the faces of the population when they first saw those fast, little rascals.

[@thecanadiankiwibirb4512]

Hastur the Tank Whisperer Wheeled APCs just don’t have the same psychological impact as tracks

[@derauditor5748]

@@thecanadiankiwibirb4512 only until it hits you in the nuts and buggers off with 70 km/h

[@axl1197]

Where you by any Chance in the 5./292? It might have been called something else back then

[@HasturTheTankWhisperer]

No. My unit was the 3./JgBtl 371 "Marienberger Jäger". But 292 rings a bell.

[@tlhuerth]

@@HasturTheTankWhisperer Greetings from a former member of the Gebirgsaufklärungsbatallion 230

[@didiothe]

funfact: Due to it's weight of under 3.5 tons, you are allowed to drive this tank in german roads

[@venator4838]

didiothe with standard B licence XD...

[@sebi_the_snek6663]

@@venator4838 WARTE, kann ich n Wiesel mit meinem Vater als B17-Fahrzeug hernehmen? Darf eine Fahrschule B-Klasse Führerscheine aufm Wiesel machen? ICH WILL

[@venator4838]

@@sebi_the_snek6663 ich glaube allerdings nicht, dass es so viele Fahrschulen gibt, die das anbieten xD

[@sebi_the_snek6663]

@@venator4838 , im UK gibts ne Flugschule, die für Ratings Supermarine Spitfires anbieten. Kostet dann n Vermögen, ist aber rechtens!

[@rippspeck]

Wenn man im Lambo den Lappen machen kann, sollte doch auch wer ein Wiesel bereitstellen können.

[@ileftmybody]

His plastic tank track has been so quiet my captain once asked me to step aside because there is someone who wants to go through (during an technical exercise on our Standortübungsplatz). The Wiesel was already 2m behind me (on sandy soil), I had not heard him.

[@Sturminfantrist]

The Luchs was also quiet you cant hear them approaching you from behind

[@baul997]

And the Luchs can be dropped from a plane

[@CrusherBKC1]

@@baul997 no

[@axl1197]

Ich war MK-Richtschütze und hab in hammelburg mal muntrupp gedient, mein Zugführer hat uns angefunkt und mun befohlen also laufen ich mit nem 50er gurt in Richtung Stellung wo man noch motorgeräusche gehört hat, dann stand ich plötzlich in ner kleinen Schneise im Wald und drehe mich dreimal im Kreis weil ich dass Ding dank guter Tarnung einfach nicht gesehen hab, stand dann genau 5 Meter neben mir. Das traurige ist, ich wusste ja grob wo das Teil steht

[@Enkrod]

@@Sturminfantrist In maneuvers the Luchs takes part in, soldiers are only allowed to sleep on the ground in specified regions that the Luchs may not enter. Because it's so quiet, it wouldn't even wake up a soldier it was about to run over.

[@Samsa000]

Given the whole ATGM mess thats happening in certain regions of the world right now, a small hard to spot ATGM carrier that works in groups might be just the right tool for dealing with modern tanks. The guy we talked to at a Bundeswehr open day seemed quite fond of his little Wiesel too :D

[@bogomir67]

That is exactly the point. One of the cold war doctrines was to use small cars, such as jeeps, but also civilian vehicles to move around small ATGM teams - sort of like guerrilla tactics. Hit and run. The Wiesel is just that but taken to the next level.

[@pteppig]

that also involved a direct access to the car registry database to these troops. This way, they had (and updated) all the adresses of the owners of suiteable vehicles. But i wouldnt be so sure that they just wait at home to hand over their 4x4

[@bogomir67]

username Germany - of course they would. Besides - by the time the shit hit the fan, there would be enough suitable vehicles just standing around.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

Imagine swarms of these dangerous little buggers flying around attacking and scooting away

[@FireLord459]

I've heard they want to equip it with the MELLS. Thats going to be deadly.

[@Paaanzaaa]

We've been training with two Groups of Weasel-Crews, four vehicles each. And it is a blast. Whilst one group is going into recon, the second is providing fire support. We had them to scout and secure landing sites for our NH90's, then whilst the counterattack on our LZ's they were just simply "gone"...you don't even recognize these little bastards flying through the woods. In no time, they had the enemy group surrounded, devastated and our LZ was safe again in about 4 minutes. Even if they're looking wonky..you don't want to face a squad of these, they're the unseen havoc in a battlefield.

[@martinwill3477]

Wiesels are great! I was in the Airborne and every time we had some combat training with these things in the OpFor, they were a pain in the ass. Small, quick, silent. And they could sneak around where you didn't expect them. I the bad lands we were happy to have them as a reliable backup. Thumbs up for the Wiesel!

[@derricksparks4570]

All the way

[@Michael_OBrian]

In the unlikely chance this comment will be answered, how many Wiesels are in a heavy weapons company?

[@alanwatts8239]

Leo 2A4, Challenger mk.2, M1A1 Abrams: "i fear no tank, but that thing *points at weasel* it scares me..."

[@ronin47-ThorstenFrank]

It should be noted that german Gebirgsjäger (mountain infantry, or to be more correct mountain rangers) use this vehicle too. It´s greatest stremgths, as you noted, is it´s speed and small size. We had great difficulties to spot Wiesels even if they were on the march.

[@jh5kl]

pixar should make a movie where a small weasel is integrated into a new platoon and struggles to be respected. spoiler, the tank destroyer of his platoon in the end reveals he s the grandson of a weasel and the f35 is gay. in the sequel, the group gets together again to compete in an acapella competition

[@Nighthawke70]

That'd be buggy. Count me in.

[@flax9999lp]

@Jonny B DONT ANSWER IT, IT ONLY COMES BACK STRONGER!! Its a troll of the second age... their coming was to mark the end of all times!

[@ENEN-tz6eg]

jh5kl And the bad guy is a Russian T 14 because we all know that Russia is pure evil and is Satan’s country.

[@arvedludwig3584]

@Weedus the Challenger is already in a black version available. No need to put the wiesel in that spot.

[@cthulhumetalheart182]

I don't know how that would work, but it sounds amazing.

[@deanfirnatine7814]

I love these things. I heard of a German Tank Commander that said he absolutely hated these things in war games, they were silent and would sneak up in little packs of wiesels and take out tanks.

[@pwrserge83]

So it's a tactical go-kart?

[@josephstalin115]

pwrserge83 yea, perhaps...

[@th3narrat0r5]

pwrserge83 in a nutshell

[@wiryantirta]

can we ask Bohemia for a mounted ATGM launcher on the gokart in Arma3?

[@pwrserge83]

Why? That's what attack helicopters and drones are for.

[@th3narrat0r5]

and jihad quads

[@devidyx99]

And I quote my friend from the german tank troops😁he droves a Leopard: (it was an exercise with laser shooting systems for infantry and tanks, you know what I mean, for training. To know if you hit something and where. Wiesel's from the paratroopers on the one side, normal infantry and big tanks at the other side, I think it was an air assault exercise from the paratroopers and they must defend their landing zone for more support and attack the normal troops after that. Really nice exercise!) "...they smoked us...this little tanks smoked us... You cant see them because they're so small and good camouflaged. (IR camouflaged too by the way) This little things smoked us!" 😂😂 He could not believe it!😂 Best story I've ever heard.😂 Yeah, you should not underestimated these little things. They're not cute, they're very very effective and dangerous! With it small size, effective weapons, very effective camouflage, tactics and speed. I dont mean the Leopard tank is bad, in the contrary, its very good! But in a few ways these small Wiesel tanks are more effective in camuflage, ambush and surprising than a big tank... even in a forest. Leopard is still one of the best tanks in the world! German worth work. And by the way the Wiesel is my favourite tank. 😁👌🇩🇪 Greetings from Germany!

[@arya31ful]

Nah, they're both cute and dangerous just like their namesake.

[@shanerooney7288]

As an ex-motorized armored reconnaissance soldier, I have my own informed (biased?) views on this topic. During my years in the military I was in the ASLAV. 13t vehicle armed with a 25mm. With LAND400 the army is looking replace the ASLAV with (most likely) the Boxer: ~30t + 40mm cased telescopic rounds. Which is to say that the trend is to go BIGGER and HEAVIER. always bigger and heavier. I have had many discussions with other soldiers and I fully stand by my opinion that going smaller is a valid option. My personal preference was a remake of the Ferret armoured car armed with a 20mm. And recently Ive taken a likeing to the M113-1/2 Lynx (NOT the same as a M113, trust me - look it up and read about it) With modern engine, armor, light weight materials, etc. either the ferret or Lynx could be made up to STANAG4569 Level 3 without too much problem (in my opinion) while still keeping far more off-road ability than the 30t monsters they will be fielding soon. anyway, just my rant about how smaller and lighter AFVs are being overlooked.

[@whya2ndaccount]

Agreed. The primary weapon system of a recce vehicle is its radio. If you are shooting you are doing it wrong. Having said that the 20mm or TOW is good insurance, but I wouldn't be looking for a fight.

[@TheScaleModeller]

It certainly makes a mockery of the UK MOD employing the Ajax AFV in the recce role. I mean it's too big to be even airlifted in one piece, let alone deployed in combat. Major tactical fail!!

[@josephstalin115]

whya2ndaccount nahh tow-2 is not effective and accurate against tank..

[@whya2ndaccount]

Joseph Stalin - Since when?

[@RoninTF2011]

When discussing size, keep in mind what this vehicle is used for: It is a support vehicle for light infantry formations. For recon, for example, it lacks endurance (not enough payload!)...just think about food/water needed ;-) /

[@Karelwolfpup]

I love this cute little bugger, the fact that it can be so easily made air mobile is a most impressive feature and as stated before, I like the idea of airborne and recce units having as much punch as possible and being able to shoot and scoot ad nauseam. I am a little surprised by the sheer amount of multi-roles this thing has been made available for, I wouldn't have figured it had the chops for anti-air or a mortar system, but that's a pleasant surprise that it can.

[@Behold-a-Duck]

this little Tank screams blitzkrieg

[@gwydionrusso3206]

I guess old habits die hard let's just hope they're Sat nav doesn't break and send them to Poland

[@Max-hw7xl]

@@gwydionrusso3206 as the joke goes "french immigration asked me 'occupation?' i said no, just visiting"

[@mr.billthrower7392]

Hell no, you would never want to spear head with this.

[@ashgonza92]

Its more of a highly mobile ambush/recon vehicle. Not a main battle tank.

[@Ocker3]

@@mr.billthrower7392 it's a genius scout for an armoured column though

[@RedScarGaming]

It's so cute. I want one.

[@s3dchr]

Armored Warfare is your friend.

[@adityanovski]

My dream also..

[@arya31ful]

Me too mate.

[@gwydionrusso3206]

I'm pretty sure you can get one in the United States with proper paperwork and cash

[@invadegreece9281]

@@gwydionrusso3206 you can, matter a fact owning a full sized tank such as a Centurion is legal

[@emperordoge6897]

The weasel is the definition of "Drive me close, I want to hit them with my sword!"

[@ottovonbismarck7646]

Not really.

[@blingbling574]

Emperor Doge Or a long range bayonet. A philosophy of the energetic man.

[@rogerwhite9484]

that 20mm autocannon doesnt need to be THAT close, unless you vvant to mount a 3 ft bayonette on it & then I'd still suggest vvaiting til you're out of ammo .

[@SeraphimRoad]

Its a heavy infantry weapon platform. It can engage with its MILAN anti-tank guided missile configuration far enough from the edges of a forest you could only detected it once the MILAN reached its target...which is you. If softer targets are present, a 20mm Mk 20 Rh-202 Auto-cannon does its job too. Also from a range you could barely see it, since its tiny and "agile".

[@Hebbecker]

@@SeraphimRoad it has no MILAN (range approx 2000m) but a TOW (approx 4000m) ATGM

[@eio1971]

When I was stationed in Baumholder, I was on a tank trail looking for the Bradley live fire range, this thing ran in front of my HMMWV like it was a deer. "What is that" was my reaction. That was first time I saw a Wiesel. They are quick.

[@paulbreiter9921]

Served in the german army and always liked this one. It is not armored but will protect you in a 9mm pistol shoot out. It was never supposed to protect against anything else. Few years ago we managed to buy a demilitarized Wiesel 1 and it is used as a tractor and for fun on a farm. And man, how fun it is...

[@JohnDoe-qo4xd]

This is such a nifty little bugger! Great bang for the buck in today's mobile warfare. Great clip.

[@nickhechtel640]

the wiesel is the ultimate panzerjäger

[@jh5kl]

chibi panzerjager

[@willhemwill5595]

@@jh5kl stop with Japanese fuck

[@stevechurch3131]

I need one. Because.... reasons

[@biggusballuz5405]

It kills me to know that NONE of the tropics military have this vehicle in their arsenal. This is perfect for jungle warfare.

[@BewareOfTheKraut]

Right. The Wiesel loves to roam through German forests.

[@thekuan7002]

Heck we could use some in the Philippines. We are an island nation. So airdropping things is probably the fastes way to move around.

[@u.b.5366]

Instead they buy german 62t monsters they wont ever get across the islands fast enough, wasting huge amounts of money. thaimilitaryandasianregion.wordpress.com/2016/12/14/indonesian-leopard-2ri/

[@occamsrazor1285]

That's a good point...

[@flax9999lp]

@@BewareOfTheKraut Yes and thats where its meant to stay, we do not know what envoiremental effects the Wiesel might have on a jungle. Even though its most likely the struggling but as people say still not extinct Tigers that roam these forests would eradicate the Wiesels anyway. Nature is scary. Same counts for other envoirements. In the US, the natural habitat of the Wolverine and others it also wouldnt stand a chance. Putting it out in the wild there would come close to tank-cruelty!

[@Iskelderon]

Nice thing about these critters is that where others are purpose-built for a specific weapons configuration, these are built to be a platform that can carry all kinds of stuff into the field and fuck up the enemy's day.

[@daz1098s]

absolutely superb little tank! German innovation never ceases to impress!

[@leandro9311]

Many can argue the Wiezel is not usefull anymore, airborne operations nowdays are hard and dificult to pull off, but the Wiesel its still capable of performing an extremely important role with the TOW-2 mounted it can hide very well since its extremely small so hard to hit and to see it can take out armor very eficiently, it can suport infantry thru fire suport with a 20mm auto-canon, ambulance duty, radio carrier etc etc, extremely versatile, decent armour to defend from small arms, cheap and very reliable, certainly a weapon many would want

[@nickc7320]

Seems like it would be useful for a COP in Afghanistan

[@const2499]

@@nickc7320No its natrual habitat are forests. The main advantage is given to use in the right enviorment. Ukrain could use them. They are extremly deadly if used right as the leopard. Regards from Germany.

[@Guhonter]

Silent and deadly as long as you got terrain to mask yourself. Think of it as a MBT sniper in its TOW version, the idea is to use terrain that is impassable to tanks and snipe them from the side or rear. Since Germany has a lot of forrest, you would ideally sit in the shades and brushes near the treeline and relocate backwards through the trees after a shot. Should you get spotted and fired upon its pretty much game over, the armor is meant to protect vs shrapnel and some small arms fire, from very small arms, that is :)

[@Rotsteinblock]

Smoke and run, they are never going to catch you. Also if you know how to use terrain spotting these things is almost impossible.

[@zoolkhan]

germany has a lot of forrest? rofl. have you ever been in scandinavia? that is "a lot of forest" germany has a lot of streets and ditches and very little forest.

[@Lary-xg2un]

@@zoolkhan bruh 1/3 of Germany is Pure untouched Forest. Dont tell a German about Forests.

[@stevestruthers6180]

You're right, of course. The Wiesel would not do well in open, flat plains where there is little forest cover and few natural defilades.

[@markushuber214]

Thats the deal as always, slow and well protected - or fast and just a shirt on your skin. On the other hand it is quite small and its not as easy to hit him on 3 km distance, first you need to find him.

[@jonny2954]

Funny thing, if fitted with the rheinmetall RMK30 recoilless 30mm gun this thing has unbelivable firepower. Due to the 30 × 250 mm ammo it has higher muzzle energy and range than a conventional 30mm. It's recoilless, so it also has great accuracy.

[@gaborbravo1]

Arming them with Spike ATGMs or laser guided/IR-homing 120mm mortars would give them even greater firepower!

[@jonny2954]

I think there will be a version with the Spike-LR that is currently introduced in the german army.

[@junkers66]

I think that the 30mm gun would be too heavy and also the ammo they might not be able to carry enough ammo

[@jonny2954]

@@junkers66 It was already tested with the RMK 30. Even the smaller Wiesel 1 could carry it.

[@junglistmassiv]

I've been subbed to you since you've had 300-400 subs and you only really posted Steel Beast gameplay. I'm so surprised of how fast your channel has grown, best to you man!

[@TimothySielbeck-1]

I would love to have one. They look like they would be fun driving off road.

[@Itachi21x]

Perfect little toy for establishing and securing bridgeheads.

[@thelittlestmig3394]

There have been tests with RMK30 30mm recoilless autocannon mounted on these little buggers. It could definitely punch up and punish just about all available APCs, IFVs and SPGs.

[@gilde915]

we called it the heaviest armed vw golf you´ve ever seen, in my former btn

[@TheKrogon]

"The Weisel" Oh boy... the intro does not look good

[@Axemantitan]

These would be great for blitzing through the Ardennes.

[@kangeegold7177]

I've always found these ultralight tracked vehicles really fascinating, going all the way back to vehicles like the M56 Scorpion and, or even further with the WW2 german Kettenkrad other similar concepts. This Wiesel seems quite similar to the WW2 british Universal Carriers in function.

[@tonyhind6992]

Fantastic little tanket.

[@DoDo-dq7yf]

Oh, I have a Wiesel 2 engine in my car!

[@derickgabrillo1579]

Marco Montano where'd you get one of those?

[@Panthenol100]

Robert Paulson It uses 1.9l Volkswagen turbo diesel

[@DoDo-dq7yf]

Yes, I had a 2008 Golf

[@Bjoern211]

And does your Golf had a 20mm? :P

[@2adamast]

Nice, but did you ever fully use that engine for more than a few seconds?

[@shawrebel55]

Maneuver warfare at it's best. It can play vital roles in offensive and defensive environments.

[@firefightergoggie]

Damn! These things are bloody terrific! Look at the speed on the little buggers. Great firepower too. Canada needs these.

[@HappiKarafuru]

She's smol She's cute And most importantly She's attack

[@vornamenachname8783]

Wiesel is like from another world when you see it on the battlefield. Such a tiny vehicle but of great use for quick push and clarification.

[@bernardfurst9133]

I don't understand why we don't see more of these. They are quick, stealthy, force multipliers that can be easily transported by helicopter or larger aircraft. A nation without all the latest and greatest military toys could do very well flooding the battlefield with these, equipping light infantry forces to take on heavier forces, or using with Special Forces troops.

[@johnlansing2902]

Thank you for the emphasis on maintenance

[@gabrieldossantos9982]

Inside a dense forest or a city in ruins, this is the ideal machine.

[@gareththompson2708]

I could see these things performing very well in the tank-destroyer role. Small (therefore relatively easy to hide), light, highly mobile, capable of mounting a TOW launcher, and (critically) very cheap. Imagine a dozen of these little guys dug in and camouflaged in ambush positions as a company of T-90s role through. Being small and well hidden they are nearly certain to get the first volley off, and some of them might even chance a 2nd or 3rd shot. When things start getting a little too hot for them they can use their high mobility to get out. The result of the action will be heavy losses for the oncoming tank units. Even if an equal number of Wiesels are lost in exchange (a pretty generous assumption actually, the tanks may be better armored and have more firepower, but the Wiesels have the advantage of fighting from well hidden and prepared positions) each tank lost is a far more expensive and punishing loss than each Wiesel lost. This of course is why in WW2 you engage tanks with AT guns, or in a modern setting with ATGMs, instead of with other tanks if you are on the defense and have a choice in the matter (obviously you use what you have, and if the only AT asset you have is another tank then you use a tank), AT guns (or ATGMs) are easier to dig in and conceal, and are much cheaper if lost.

[@gigamut11b86]

Great...now I want my own Wiesel 2...well, one of each setup that is...lol :) I hope you have a great day & be safe.

[@Sigtyr1]

I'm a big supporter of this vehicle being used as support for US airborne especially with modern updates, thanks for the videos

[@riojasvictor]

I'm late to the party brother. Damn, I need this in my driveway.

[@MosoKaiser]

That's hands down one of the coolest armored vehicles ever.

[@Tuberuser187]

Ah the Wiesel! Nice Upload Matsimus, I love and detest the Wiesel in Armoured Warfare. Really fun to play but horrible to face, they are well hidden and fast and well armed. They murder other AFVs, the cannon penetrates them easily, they turn the tables them. Pop up out of nowhere and make short work of you.

[@lynxoflight72]

I love the wiesel because it follows this very german idea of having highly specialized troops that can incredibly quickly deal a first strike, or assist a such first strike, to then be followed by heavy machinery and supply lines. Im a huge fan of mobile combat vehicles that can really get in and out of areas super quickly and efficiently, which is why i also adore the Boxer. IFV's are a nice middle ground for the "Tank Grenadiers" as they are called in here. to get stronger infantry units to the frontline, with some great fire support.

[@stevemiller7433]

For the cost of One MBT you could put, what, 20 Wiesels out in the field? The Swarm concept.

[@arminjoemarblanche1948]

Good for the terrain in the Philippines. Great for ambush.

[@maxiona714]

@@arminjoemarblanche1948 Maybe we can sell you some of them in the future. A few dozens of them and the Chinese will sh*t their pants when going in with APCs and tank formations.😂🇩🇪🇵🇭

[@McCorduRoy1972]

real cool vehicle,love your channel It,s really nice to get some info of a lot of weapon systems.

[@d133710n]

I love how they are rocking the MG42s MG3s I think they call them these days

[@Hortifox_the_gardener]

It's not exactly the same weapon. It's more durable, a tad more accurate due to better machining and it has a significantly lower rate of fire which is still high though.

[@d133710n]

Oliver Kurzweg It's extremely remarkable to me that a a dressed up version is still in use do many decades later by a first world military.

[@Hortifox_the_gardener]

It was an extremely good design. That's it. Aren't there other extremely old designs like the Browning .50 that are also still in use? Why change something that works out? But it is replaced by the MG5 or something by now.

[@MrHeizer42]

it will be replaced soon by the HK121

[@numberninelarge3121]

Moisture well the mg3 is a nato optimised version of the mg42

[@scottyfox6376]

Kinda reminds me of the old British Bren Gun Carriers concept of WW2.🤔

[@arvedludwig3584]

There is even a Wiesel with a big sensor at the front to spot contact plates and other explosives in the ground.

[@Marshal_Dunnik]

Like one of those animals that is just soooo cute you approach it to pet it, cooing softly at it - and then it proceeds to rip both your arms off.

[@emdotambient]

You sound amused that Porsche would be involved in their development but Porsche has been in the tank business since WWII, they were involved in most of the famous German tanks of that war.

[@GTAmaniac1]

And porsche were pretty based back then

[@baronhyatt6729]

These are very effective little vehicles because when you send them in for reconnaissance you can tell them if they run into any anti-aircraft they can take it out along with armor hit and run tactics

[@Doan84]

I would love to own a demilitarized Wiesel 2 to commute to work with it.

[@metanumia]

Thanks for the new video, highly appreciated! Your videos really improve my quality of life! :)

[@AndyMatrix]

I want one for zombie apocalypse

[@jawoodsiii]

Now this is a tracked, light recon vehicle that one can appreciate for late 20th century concept. As opposed to the M3 Bradley variants. The Bradley was anything but a low profile reconnaissance vehicle.

[@ill3260]

6:27 Imagine having a squad of 8-10 wiesels Airdropped by one of the large cargo planes like shown here, maybe even with the crew and support soldiers being airdropped along with it (seperatly of course). This would allow for any Military that has these little buggers of doom to respond to any threat in virtually no time and would also allow for insane flexibility, for example: a squadron of 10 wiesels comprised of 3 atgm versions, 3 autocannon versions, 2 ocelots for anti air cover, 1 mortar version for long range firing support and 1 medical version for the wounded. Along with these Wiesels you could deploy any kind of soldiers with it and up to 4 of them would be able to ride with the wiesel APC versions, giving them the ability to move insanely fast. All of this could be deployed within hours or even minutes pretty much anywhere, depending how far the next wiesel squad and Airfield is away, and all it takes would be 1-2 cargo Aircrafts or around 7 Transport Helikopters. The only downside would be how long it takes to get into formation after landing, especially when dropped out of an Aircraft. What are your thoughts on this and what would you change?

[@themadhammer3305]

I'd imagine they would be very useful for hit and run attacks similar to how the British SAS would attack German and Italian airfields in north Africa during ww2, run in at night cause as much damage as possible then run off before a response can be mounted. With the ability to drop these using helicopters they could be inserted stealthily behind enemy lines and then could play merry hell with their logistics and support infrastructure for as long as their fuel/ammunition held out. Perhaps this would be a decent way of blunting an enemy attack/weakening their front line or as preparation for an incoming invasion force?

[@Axel-vz5wv]

The wheel chocks is a great, very lightly armored vehicle, which i got to know during my training in the armed forces. Tthanks for your video.

[@MisterCOM]

looks road legal

[@tibne2412]

Most german military vehicles are actually, far as I know.

[@jellysquiddles3194]

Yupp, been in the Bundeswehr. Every tracked vehicle has special rubberized tracks for driving on public roads / autobahn. This both makes the vehicle faster (more grip compared to slippery steel), is good for fuel economy and reduces the wear&tear on the vehicle / road. Also, should you ever happen to drive behind a tank on a German Autobahn - definetly keep 2-3x the normal safety distance!! A heavy tank hitting the breaks stops INSTANTLY. The way most people drive they'd be under the tank before they could even react. (Yes, UNDER the tank... when breaking the entire back lifts 1-2m from the ground)

[@thisghy8126]

Jelly Squiddles heh. We dont have this issue in canada.

[@Steve-bo6ht]

Excellent vehicle with it's ability to get into tight tree cover and it's quick serviceability in the field

[@rusticpineapple787]

Those things look like fun if you sell it to civilians

[@chapiit08]

Picture yourself in an amusement park, queuing to ride one for fun.

[@flax9999lp]

@@chapiit08 great now i gotta wait.... im not gonna listen to your picturing-oneself advice anymore! Just a boring thought of waiting in line...

[@chapiit08]

@@flax9999lp I would pay to ride one, but I get your point, lol!

[@elektronischemusik1903]

I remeber the time, when the Wiesel got introduced to the public and how impressed i was from this system. the advertised keyfuture of the wiesel was the possibility of air-transportation and therefore the option to use armored force-multipliers in areas not suited for other armored systems, do to their weight and mobility limitations. imagine mountain troopers with a bunch of wiesels in hull-down ambush positions, blocking a road or pass in the mountains. that would be a very costly break through for enemy forces.

[@Elthenar]

I love the 120mm mortar variant. That's a lot of mortar on a very small, inexpensive platform. This things would have been really handy in Afghanistan, I would think.

[@cocopud]

Great video. I had heard of this vehicle before, but hardly anything about it. Operationally I quite like the idea of vehicles such as this. Protection is a tad light, but being air droppable and heliborn would allow them to be deployed to places that heavier vehicles could not get to, and any armour is better than no armour. Secondly they could be air deployed very quickly, able to get in theatre to observe and harass the enemy, disrupting them until the heavier units can get there. Air insertion behind enemy lines to disrupt rear areas could also be a possibility.

[@georgewashington938]

I haven't been thinking much about mini-sized armored vehicles much like the Wiesel, but have been thinking about how there is too much focus on vehicles that are too large. The Abrams, Bradley, and Stryker vehicles are huge targets, loud, have limited range, and mobility challenges. A small tank / armored assault vehicle with a 2 or 3 man crew, 30 or 50 mm cannon, tow missiles, and enough armor to take a punch and keep fighting.

[@const2499]

We checked that with the Maus and Goliath :D

[@eustache_dauger]

Been meaning to make a request for a review of this lil fella. Good thing you read my mind!

[@xXS-AXx]

I friggin love this thing!

[@MrkTan]

Holy cow, for something so small it's really versatile

[@leo333333able]

looks like a candidate for future conversion to drone

[@canuzzi]

The US military bought some few Wiesels for exactly that purpose from germany

[@bremnersghost948]

i love it, looks great, hits hard and judging by the commanders grin, awesome fun too, if i ever win the lottery i want one lol

[@asagk]

A more modern version of this thing or scimitar in combination with the support of a light attack aircraft would in numbers still make a superior concept in the battle field, regardless if used against insurgents or used against regular conventional armies. At least when put into the field in significant numbers due to the overload syndrom effect created easily, while making such little and highly mobile target and also so hard to even detect from their little heat and sound profile compared to most armored vehicles of today. A pity they are not used conceptually in numbers but mostly for recon and infantrie fire support instead. Their potential capabilities could make up much more than just that...

[@chrisrotvega1646]

I love this little bugger, the Wiesel is cool too.

[@thebosun181]

when the 4 squaddies came piling out it was like a combat clown car LOL

[@bogomir67]

Good documentary. I would have wished for more info on the 120mm mortar version, which is also quite interesting.

[@Stahner]

BEST TONK ♥

[@dereinepeterpan5637]

David.s I see Moondye7. I like

[@michdo23]

German here, they recently upgraded Prototypes of the Wiesel 2 with a 30 mm (!!) Autocannon and SPIKE Fire&Forget Anti-Tank Missile Systems. Very impressive. Long term plans are to replace them with Boxer AFVs though. That will be a sad day though. When i was in the Bundeswehr (Schwere Panzer/Leopard2), there was a weird mix of making fun of them on one side (we called them RC-Cars or Toy-Tanks, that sorta thing) but lots of respect as well. I remember freezing my ass of whille staring into the darkness, listening for engine sound just to have an officer casually walk up to us to tell us we were "out". We were like what, fuck, shit's not fair!

[@hatchet646]

Will it be replaced though? Considering it got an autonomous package.

[@kenr6792]

I wish we had em in my day!

[@sasquatchishere7453]

Another awesome vid on something that gets little fanfare. Thank you for the hard work.

[@paulwhitehead35]

they would be ideal for our British airborne Forces

[@tantemarianne1053]

paul whitehead those vehicles are ideal for any airborne force. gotta love those quick, silent and compact beasts

[@zoolkhan]

yes but the brits have national pride issues, and would never buy anything german. They rather nail a few matresses to an old landrover and go to war... it susprises me that there is cooperation in the aviation industry, well - until brexit - because now EADS will pull outta there.

[@myperspective5091]

This is one of my favorite tanks. It just looks cool.

[@Chrispy_Moto]

No most wiesels aren't recon vehicles. Most (all 20mm and TOW carriers) are deployed in the heavy companies of light infantry battailons. They can do recon tasks but mostly give the battailon the option for highly mobile "heavy" (for air mobile forces) fire support und flanking atgm fire.

[@JazzJaRa]

In the german Army the tankers (Leopard crews) and Marder crews called them either "Elefantenrollschuh" or "Panzer Unterlegkeil" wordly translated "Elephant Rollerskate" or "Tank wheel chock" xD

[@derickgabrillo1579]

Do you have a video on the Scorpion Light Tank?

[@thelittlestmig3394]

He should make one if it doesn't exist yet!

[@josephstalin115]

Robert Paulson WO CARES

[@Pantharian]

You see that search bar at the top of your screen?

[@deutscheuberlegenheit7452]

Discount Shoe Retailer no I see 5:18 PM ;)

[@tupolev792]

i do!

[@devidyx99]

The Wiesel can be dropped by parachute too. Or by low fly above the ground. Thats the real reason why it is by the german parachute regiments. (The Wiesel is in a few normal german (light) infantry bataillons too, known as "Jägertruppe"). Greetings from a german soldier! Nice videos by the way! 😊

[@seumasnatuaighe]

Yes, the LAPDS parachute brake pulls the little bugger out the back and can stop very quickly.

[@emizerri]

Guess it COULD *Wiesel* its way out of a situation...

[@nigelft]

Badadumching ... Don't call us; we'll call you ...

[@JohnMorley1]

One possible mistake 8 minutes in. He says that it is air droppable but I think it always went badly when they tried to parachute them. It was designed for that purpose but I don't think they have come up with a way of doing it yet.

[@mausilugner6637]

with this vw turbo diesel engine its very silent ... when you can hear it, its too late, your view slides to a TOW Launcher and your last thought is "fuck"