![]() ![]() Weight was reduced by strategically replacing steel components with lighter metals and alloys. ![]() ![]() The design shaved off almost 8 tons of weight compared to the M41. Weighing in at 18 tons, the vehicle was at the upper threshold of what the military needed. The first prototype AAI built fit the Army bill perfectly. Why did the T92 survive, and not the T71? Well, this was mainly a result of a lack of funding and the fact that by this time, the T92 was much further along in development than the T71. After about three years of work, in January 1956, Army leadership told General Motors that they were cancelling their project. Once the Army nixed the Detroit proposal, they designated General Motors and AAI’s proposals’ as the T71 and T92, respectively. 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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