The vehicle is also designated as Spz. 12-3 and carried a 5 soldiers infantry platoon to its target and then support them with their 20mm gun. It can be said that it was one of the first IFV vehicles. The HS.30 entered service in 1960 but its career was relatively short, since from 1971 began to be replaced by the much more powerful and effective Marder 1, though it remained in service with reserve units until the early 1980s.The initial order was estimated at about 4,450 vehicles, but finally only 2,176 arrived at the Bundeswehr. The main reason was the unreliability and mechanical problems, although its high cost and the scandal raised by its acquisition did the rest.The HS.30 was strongly armed and was designed for use in conjunction with tanks, because according to German doctrine, tanks must fight against tanks and not against other vehicles, antitank positions or helicopters, so this task was left for vehicles like the HS.30.There were several versions of the HS.30, like an artillery forward observer, 81 or 120mm mortar carrier, command vehicle and tank destroyers. The most effective of the last type was the so-called “Raketenjagdpanzer 1“, with SS-11 anti-tank guided missiles.The main armament was a 20mm Hispano Suiza HS.820 automatic gun attached to a 15×15 periscopic scope installed inside a small turret. The vehicle carried 2,000 rounds for the gun. The Spz 12-3 was not amphibious nor had NBC protection, something really compromised during the Cold War, instead it was a very well protected vehicle, being able to withstand 20mm impacts on the hull front.This is the HS.30 Lang LGS M40A1 tank destroyer variant, armed with a powerful M-40A1 106mm recoilless gun.
