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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