Belgian JPK90 – Model Foto Focus

Written by Patrick Winnepenninckx

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Based on World War 2 experience with different tank destroyers, the newly founded German Bundeswehr (1956) considered these vehicles as indispensable in anti-tank warfare against the Warsaw Pact. However, it took ten years before their Kanonenjagdpanzer entered service.

 

In the early seventies, the Belgian Army needed to improve their anti-tank capabilities. The Army still had a huge amount of 90 mm ammunition due to the replacement of the M47 Patton by the Leopard 1, so the KaJaPa was considered.

A new Renk transmission plus suspension, final drive and tracks (all used on the Marder IFV) greatly improved the cross-country manoeuvrability of the JPK90. It also used a version of the Leopard’s Cobelda fire control system, turning it into a highly effective tank hunter.

 

This Model Foto Focus takes a thorough look around this little-documented but interesting machine. For the modeller, this is the ultimate walkaround for an accurate model. For the armour enthusiast, it describes the JPK90 in great detail.