The T71 Experimental Airborne Light Tank was part of a 1952 plan by the US to replace the

M41 Walker Bulldog The M41 Walker Bulldog, officially 76-mm Gun Tank, M41, was an American light tank developed for armed reconnaissance purposes. It was produced by Cadillac between 1951 and 1954 and marketed successfully to the United States Army as a replaceme ...

in service. It was equipped with a primary

oscillating turret An oscillating turret is a form of turret for armoured fighting vehicles, both tanks and armoured cars. The turret is unusual in being made of two hinged parts. Elevation of the gun relies on the upper part of the turret moving relative to the l ...

. It was similar to the

AMX-13 The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1952 to 1987. It served with the French Army, as the Char 13t-75 Modèle 51, and was exported to more than 26 other nations. Named after its initial weight of 13 tonnes, and featuring a tough and re ...

and the

T92 Light Tank The T92 Light Tank, or 76-mm Gun Tank, T92, was an American light tank developed in the 1950s by Aircraft Armaments. It was designed as an airborne/airdropped replacement for the heavier M41 Walker Bulldog while retaining the mobility, protecti ...

. By 1953, there were 3 designs that were suggested as a replacement. Those 3 designs were drawn by Detroit Arsenal, Cadillac, and Aircraft Armaments.

History

In 1952, the Army Ordnance Committee gave general required characteristics for a replacement of the

. Originally, there was a 20

ton Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean * the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds ...

maximum weight and a requirement for a 90 mm gun. This requirement was later changed to an 18-ton weight limit and a 76 millimeter gun which would have allowed a quicker replacement of the barrel.

Design

It had an

and a second

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * Mi ...

mounted on the previous turret; the first turret had the primary

armament A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

of a 76mm M1A2 or a 76mm T185; the second "mini turret" had a secondary armament of an American

GPMG A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually ammunition belt, belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light machine gun, light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-c ...

. Separated

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...

wheels made it easier to cross difficult

terrain Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin wo ...

. It was proposed to serve as an armed

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

vehicle, only aided in its endeavours by the tank's light weight and therefore faster speeds.

Main armament

The T71 had a choice between two guns, the 76mm M1A2 or a 76mm T185. Both guns used an auto-loading system, which benefit from light-weighted, low-profile, higher rate of fire, and fewer crew members. However, that meant that the commander and the gunner would have had to manually load the magazine after expending the shells in the magazine, leaving the vehicle very vulnerable while reloading. The relatively small caliber of the gun also was rather ineffective against thick armor, such as the Russian heavy tank series " IS".

References

Light tanks of the United States Cold War tanks of the United States Light tanks of the Cold War Tanks with autoloaders Abandoned military projects of the United States Trial and research tanks of the United States {{Mil-vehicle-stub