In 1960, the West German Bundeswehr started a development project with the purpose of creating a new casemate tank destroyer armed with the 90mm anti-tank gun from their obsolete M47 Patton tanks.

Three different proposals were offered by the companies Henschel, Hanomag and Mowag.

Each company completed a single prototype for a comparison test.

The Bundeswehr eventually chose the Hanomag prototype and put it into production as the Kanonenjagdpanzer.

[1] Built in early 1960, the MOWAG Cheetah has air conditioning, NBC protection, and an automatic fire detection and extinguishing system in the engine compartment.