German "Gepard" special paint scheme

[Slater]

Can't find any details on this particular scheme. Is this a "going out of service" farewell scheme?

 

[Dads203]

All I know is that's it's the only time the German Gepard has had side skirts fitted, not much info on the story of the scheme  

[Panzer Vor!!!]

Is that the Dutch version??

The Dutch army called their Gepards  Cheetah after the press kept referring to them by that name and the colour scheme does look like its after a Cheetah big cat 

Sold to Jordan now 

The Dutch version was officially called the PRTL (PantserRupsTegenLuchtdoelen translating to “ArmourTrackAgainstAirtargets”), pronounced as “pruttel” (meaning ‘to sputter’) by the soldiers. The Dutch series version was made public through a photograph of a vehicle from a C-Company, the first to be equipped with the new weapon. Traditionally all Dutch vehicles in a company have names beginning with the company designation letter and this vehicle happened to have the individual name Cheetah painted in bold type on its turret. Inevitably the international press assumed “Cheetah” was the Dutch name for their Gepard version and this mistake found its way into most armour publications on the subject. In 2000 the Dutch military authorities, tired of constantly having to explain all this and considering “pruttle” was hardly a martial name anyway, conformed themselves to common error and made “Cheetah” the official designation, when the system was upgraded.

[Panzer Vor!!!]

So maybe that's a special scheme after the upgrade 

[Richard E]

Possibly a manufacturer's demonstrator?

[cvrle]

Don't think it's the Dutch version, German markings are visible on the sides of the turret...

[Slater]

At any rate, I think it's one of the more striking "special" schemes I've seen.

[Duncan B]

That scheme features on the box art of the Takom Gepard if I'm not mistaken.

 

Duncan B

[Slater]

I think it would turn a few heads if the crew wore uniforms in this pattern

[exdraken]

 

5 hours ago, Panzer Vor!!! said:

Is that the Dutch version??

The Dutch army called their Gepards  Cheetah after the press kept referring to them by that name and the colour scheme does look like its after a Cheetah big cat 

Sold to Jordan now 

The Dutch version was officially called the PRTL (PantserRupsTegenLuchtdoelen translating to “ArmourTrackAgainstAirtargets”), pronounced as “pruttel” (meaning ‘to sputter’) by the soldiers. The Dutch series version was made public through a photograph of a vehicle from a C-Company, the first to be equipped with the new weapon. Traditionally all Dutch vehicles in a company have names beginning with the company designation letter and this vehicle happened to have the individual name Cheetah painted in bold type on its turret. Inevitably the international press assumed “Cheetah” was the Dutch name for their Gepard version and this mistake found its way into most armour publications on the subject. In 2000 the Dutch military authorities, tired of constantly having to explain all this and considering “pruttle” was hardly a martial name anyway, conformed themselves to common error and made “Cheetah” the official designation, when the system was upgraded.

 Gepard is german for cheetah.

 

seems to be for the final life fire exercise before retirement

some more:

http://community.revell.de/viewtopic.php?t=3642

 

 

[Julien]

Yes this was a used by Krauss Waffei Megmann. On the rear it carries the company logo and name. The takom kit has these markings though you have to cut and splice them probably due to copyright issues.

 

image from the Leopard Club site: http://leopardclub.ca/reviews/Takom/Gepard/

 

German Army Gepards did not usually have the side skirts, but they somestimes did;

 

 

Julien

 

 

[Dads203]

From a discussion on another forum about the same thing, the guy who responded 

is an expert on all things leopard, several photos were posted on the side skirts and his comments were seconded by ex crew members, the nice photo shown in the 3 colour cam is manufactures photo from the factory. The Gepard in the cheetah scheme borrowed the skirts from the Dutch.  

 

I personally never ever saw a Gepard on a frontline unit sporting the items in the 7 years that I was based in BAOR, we used to see them a lot back in the 1990's 

 

 

Four out of these eight photos are Dutch Cheetahs, not gepard. They DID have skirts. Two of the true Gepard photos are factory photos of early versions (the awful Photoshopped one and the BW one) and they were soon removed after delivery. The other two photos are unusual exceptions. MOST Bundeswehr Gepard NEVER wore skirts in service. It doesn't really matter anyway - just leave the things o

[Slater]

I take it that there were significant differences between German and Dutch Gepards?

[Dads203]

I think the Dutch cheetahs the later versions had a different fire control radar and different radio fit, almost all of them had skirts fitted. There might be other small external fittings that were slightly different but I'm not too sure. I think the Dutch/German wagons were sold off to Brazil when they retired them so they are still in service. 

 

http://leopardclub.ca/reviews/Meng/Gepard/

 

http://www.worldwide-military.com/Army Material/Artillerie/Westerse Artillerie/Cheetah_algemene_info_english.htm

 

http://leopardclub.ca/Spotlight/Netherlands/PRTL/

 

http://leopardclub.ca/Spotlight/Germany/Gepard_JWdB/

 

http://leopardclub.ca/Spotlight/Germany/Gepard_MS/

 

they look like they are sporting different smoke grenade dischargers from the above links? 

 

Dan