German-US Joint Main Battle Tank Kpz. 70

Plastic model kit for a German-American Kampfpanzer 70 / Main Battle Tank 70

• 1:35 scale
• 3D-printed weapon station
• Metal barrel for the weapon station
• Rubber tracks
• Turret features a cast texture, replicating the original
• Driver’s cupola includes transparent parts
• Smoke grenade launchers with clearly defined details
• Commander’s night-vision and panoramic sights made of clear plastic parts
• Cupola and hatches can be assembled in an open or closed position
• Unassembled, unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The Kampfpanzer 70 (KPz 70) - designated MBT-70 in the U.S. - was one of the most ambitious defense projects of the Cold War. The Federal Republic of Germany and the United States sought to jointly develop a main battle tank for the 1970s. Although it reached the prototype testing phase, it never entered mass production. Its development provided vital experience that informed the later Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams tanks.

The joint development agreement was signed in 1963. The new tank was intended to replace the M48 in the German Bundeswehr and the M60 in the U.S. Army. The goal was to achieve a significant leap forward in firepower, mobility, and protection. In retrospect, the Bundeswehr cites technical difficulties and rapidly escalating costs as the primary reasons for the project's cancellation.

The design incorporated several innovations that were highly advanced for the time:

• A three-man crew: commander, gunner, and driver; an automatic loading system replaced the human loader.
• Entire crew housed in the turret: Even the driver was positioned within the turret—an unusual configuration that allowed for a low-profile hull. XM150E5 152mm combination gun: Designed to fire both conventional projectiles and Shillelagh anti-tank guided missiles.
• Modern fire control system: Planned features included, among others, a laser rangefinder and infrared observation equipment.
• Secondary armament: In the German design, this consisted of a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a retractable 20mm autocannon.
• Weight class: Approximately 50 tons; figures vary depending on the stage of development.

Another distinctive feature was the height-adjustable hydropneumatic suspension system. It allowed the tank to be raised or lowered, intended to improve its off-road mobility.