Tanks in the Patton series (M46, M47, M48), as well as the M60 tank [77] could not perform these operations; they would have to crawl along the river bottoms using snorkels. Not by design, it was found that the swimming hardware acted to reduce the effectiveness of RPG hits.

The M551 Sheridan was the Army’s last attempt to produce an effective light tank. The origins of the Sheridan, named after GEN Philip H. Sheridan (1831-1888), date back to February 1957 with the establishment of the Ad Hoc Group on Armament for Future Tanks or Similar Combat Vehicles (ARCOVE).

2021年1月5日 · Weighing in at fifteen tons and capable of rolling along at forty-three miles per hour, the Sheridan housed a crew of four in a thinly armored steel turret and aluminum hull. A hinged flotation...

2022年10月30日 · The M551 Sheridan Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle (AR/AAV) was a US light tank designed to be dropped by parachute, swim across rivers and was the last light tank employed by the US Army.

2017年1月15日 · Following the development of the Soviet PT-76 amphibious light tank, the M551 Sheridan was conceived to replace the older and somewhat unsuccessful M41 Walker Bulldog. Named after a Civil War General, Phillip Sheridan, the M551 combined agility with considerable firepower, to fit the profile of a United States cavalry tank.

Four M551 Sheridan Light Tanks LVAD (low-velocity airdropped or LVAD) Paradropped from a C-5B Galaxy. The operation was repeated over Panama in 1989. Therefore it was amphibious and NBC-proof, like the Soviet PT-76.

2023年4月29日 · The M551 Sheridan Light Tank, an ambitious project designed to deliver powerful armored support to U.S. troops, ultimately fell short of its potential due to various design and operational issues.

The M551 Sheridan tank was designed in the early 1960's, as a need arose for U.S. forces needing a light tank. Constructed of aluminum armor, it is extremely fast, using a 300 hp Detroit Diesel engine and cross drive transmission. It mounts a steel turret and an aluminum hull.

The Sheridan was an armored reconnaissance/airborne assault vehicle rather than a tank. Its hull was made of aluminum, and its turret was made of steel, making it light compared to most tanks at the time.

2024年9月1日 · The M551 Sheridan, a U.S. Army light tank used from 1969 to 1997, exemplified the role of light tanks in specialized military operations despite its flaws.