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Ukrainian Flakpanzer Nails Shahed
Published 2 months ago
This footage, from the turret of a German-donated Flakpanzer Gepard, shows the Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) bagging a Shahed kamikaze-type drone in September of 2024, location undisclosed. Although it was largely phased out of German use in the 2010s in favor of the Ozelot system, donated Gepard systems are enjoying success in Ukraine in a primarily anti-drone role. The ammunition for the 35-millimeter Oerlikon autocannons is decidedly cheaper than the Shaheds they fairly reliably shoot down. On the negative side, Ukrainian troops crewing the Gepard have complained about the reload time, saying it takes "an hour and a half" in what is hopefully some slight exaggeration. It should be mentioned that the Gepard can also fire anti-tank ammunition using its Oerlikons, although this is probably intended for more lightly-armored targets than an actual tank. At any rate, if a SPAAG from 1976 is squaring off against a tank, a rather big problem is afoot. While this is a fairly short video, if I get the opportunity to say "flakpanzer" I'm going to take it.