![]() Note the two cupolas on either side of the gun. The Detroit design did have the advantage of having the largest ammunition capacity of the three with 76 rounds on board.įront view of the T92, showing its unique cleft turret. ![]() Its design was rather unassuming, with the exception of an oscillating turret. Over the next year, numerous companies worked on design concepts, but by July 1953, the Army chose the top three contenders for the project. The Army stipulated that the tank could weigh no more than 20 tons, with a preferential weight of about 18 tons, and must sport the same 76mm gun as the M41. Even before the first M41s became operational in 1953, the US Army Ordnance Committee approached the defense industry with an inquiry into the M41’s replacement. Contentsīecause the Korean war had forced the acceleration of the M41 Walker Bulldog program, the Army knew that it did not fully meet their needs. However, startling information about a potentially better Soviet light tank eventually forced Army leadership to abandon the project due to outside political pressure. The Army hoped that its unique design features would propel American light tank technology well past anything the Soviets could produce. Several companies put forward designs, all competing for this lucrative government contract.Įventually, the most innovative design by Aircraft Armaments Incorporated, known as AAI, won out. Image by Georgia National Guard.Īrmy leadership turned to the US defense industry to propose a vehicle that had the firepower and armor protection of the M41, but a lighter weight and with a much smaller silhouette. At 26 tons the M41 was nearer to WWII-era medium tanks than a light tank.
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