MBK Originale im Detail #047– FlaRak-Panzer Roland | Flugabwehr der Bundeswehr von innen & außen

Over 25 years of service with the German Armed Forces – today a silent witness to the Cold War. We present the original Roland surface-to-air missile tank from the air defense collection at the Kiel Naval Arsenal in all its details and even take you inside! The Roland is an all-weather, autonomous surface-to-air missile system developed in the 1970s through Franco-German cooperation. Designed to engage low-flying aerial targets, it was introduced into service with the German Armed Forces in various versions starting in 1981. In its classic tank-mounted variant (FlaRakPz), the weapon system was mounted on a modified Marder infantry fighting vehicle chassis, and later also on wheeled vehicles for the Air Force and Navy. The system is characterized by radar-based target acquisition, a fully rotatable weapon system with up to ten Roland guided missiles, and high mobility for close-range protection. The Roland is a self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system. The exhibit shown here is not a model, but a genuine, original vehicle with the registration Y-217 672. It was commissioned on October 23, 1980, with the 2nd Company of the 610th Air Defense Battalion in Rendsburg, where it served as an air defense system for base protection and as a training platform. After more than 25 years of active service, the Roland was decommissioned on September 22, 2005, at the Army Air Defense School in Rendsburg. During its service, the vehicle covered 6,171 km and consumed approximately 30,370 liters of diesel fuel—figures that impressively demonstrate its long service life and active use. Technically, the Roland had an overall length of approximately 9.7–9.8 m, a width of approximately 2.9 m, and a height of just under 4 m with the radar retracted; its weight was approximately 27.5 tons. It was equipped with a 360° rotating turret, carried up to 10 surface-to-air missiles (two in the launcher, eight in the magazine), and featured search and tracking radar as well as optical target tracking. The effective engagement range of the missiles was approximately 6 km, with a radar surveillance range of around 16 km. The operational altitude range extended to approximately 3,000 m. The Roland missiles reached supersonic speeds and could be guided both electronically and optically. The system was considered state-of-the-art close-range protection at the time and was an important component of German air defense for over two decades—both in the Army as a tracked variant and in the Air Force and Navy as wheeled versions. With the decommissioning of all Roland systems in Germany by the end of 2005, an era of mobile, self-sufficient air defense based on this technology came to an end. If you want to know how this complex system was constructed, where the crew was located within the vehicle, and what technology was behind target acquisition and missile guidance, stay tuned—the tour is worthwhile! We are delighted that the Military History Exhibition on Air Defense made this filming possible. Anyone who would like to see this vehicle (and of course many others) in person (because no video or photo can replace the experience) should plan a visit! ATTENTION! Advance registration is mandatory, as the collection is not open to the public and is located on the grounds of the Kiel Naval Arsenal. Contact: Email: [email protected] / Tel: +49 4385-592398 Address: Klausdorfer Weg 2-24, 24148 Kiel, Germany