Schützenpanzer LANG HS.30

In 1956 the Swiss Hispano Suiza company began the project for an infantry combat vehicle (IFV) to support the soldier’s advance on the battlefield. This idea was really advanced for the time, since previously, personnel carriers were considered as simple “battlefield’s taxis”. These vehicles were only responsible for taking the troops to the battlefield, without participating in the fighting, hence their nickname. In 1958 a”Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30” prototype was introduced and the production production started shortly after. In 1960 entered service with the Bundeswehr, although with little success at the beginning. The HS.30 were always characterized by their mechanical problems, which were gradually being solved, but brought them a considerable bad reputation. To end its reputation definitively, the HS.30 was the unwitting protagonist of an economic scandal unprecedented in Western Germany at the time. There were accusations of bribes and illegal commissions to politicians to approve their massive acquisition by the German Army in what was known as the “HS.30 Skandal”.

SPz Lang HS.30 gallery and more info