XM8 / M8 Armored Gun System (AGS) (Close Combat Vehicle - Light)

History

While the light tank's presence on the modern battlefield has diminished over time, the U.S. Army has begun adding such vehicles to its stables to replace its Airborne Division's M551 Sheridan airdrop tank system. The type combines speed and firepower in a complete package that can be flown by existing aircraft in the army's inventory and surrendered by units waiting to fight near the front lines.

Since airborne personnel are often armed with light weapons, adding a tank kill system would provide a tactical advantage on the battlefield. The main power of this armored vehicle will be the venerable Lockheed C-130 Hercules and its superior transport capabilities.

The light tank design was derived from the U.S. Army Armored Artillery Systems Program enacted in 1992, and a joint FMC and United Defense Corporation design was selected for evaluation from reviewed submissions (part of the BAe Systems Land and Weapons System). family).

The name of the development vehicle is "XM8", often spelled "XM8 AGS" in its entirety, with the intention of referring to the production model simply as "M8". This type is built on a traditional track chassis with six medium wheels on one side of the track, the drive sprocket at the rear and the track idler at the front (no track idler). The hull includes a well raked glacis plate with a flat hull layout and a raised engine compartment on a hydropneumatic suspension system.

In the center of the top of the hull is a turret with well-sloped sides for basic ballistic protection. A 105mm main gun is mounted in a movable turret and can hit the target in 360 degrees. Power comes from a Detroit Diesel 6V-92TIA series diesel engine producing 550 to 580 horsepower.

That equates to 45 mph on-road (less off-road) and about 280 miles of range. The system is designed as a compact light tank with a basic armor protection system weighing less than 19 tons and is piloted by a three-person crew consisting of driver, tank commander and gunner.

The driver is located in the front center of the hull, and the commander and gunner are in the turret. The overall dimensions include a barrel length of 8.9 meters, a width of 2.69 meters, and a height of 2.55 meters.

The main armament is the 105mm XM35 rifled main gun in development, the XM8 fires 30 projectiles. The gun is located in the center of the front turret and hangs over the front fender when placed forward. Since the XM8 lacks a dedicated loader in the turret (or interior space for an extra crew), the tank will feature an auto-loading ammunition system capable of firing 12 rounds per minute.

As a 105mm caliber weapon, in addition to the latest generation of heavy armored main battle tanks, the XM8 will have enough punch to attack armored targets. Assumed projectile types include high-explosive (HE) and armor-piercing rounds for increased tactical flexibility. Secondary armament is a 1 x 7.62mm general purpose machine gun mounted on a coaxial mount alongside the main gun armament and managed by the gunner. An optional 12.7mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun is mounted on top of the turret to counter threats from low-flying aircraft and lightly armored vehicles. Each machine gun is armed with 4,500 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and 210 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition.

Twelve smoke grenade launchers (8 on the right side of the turret and another 4 on the left) were installed for self-generating smoke screens to protect the movement of the tank during offensive and defensive maneuvers.

Designed to provide three possible levels of armor protection (all including titanium) for the XM8 design. "Tier 1" is the base protection scheme provided, which keeps the vehicle's weight at 19.25 tonnes and keeps the tank in its "airdroppable" insertion mass. "Level 2" provides more crew protection at the expense of increased weight (22.25 tons total) and loss of drop mass. "Level 3" protection provided the crew with maximum armor protection, but lost the C-130's transport qualities and had to be transported in heavier U.S. races. However, this level of protection is considered sufficient against anti-tank weapons that pose a serious threat to weapon systems classified as light tanks, so the limitation is negligible.

The US Army has decided not to replace the M551 Sheridans in stock despite the promising XM8 program. So, after completing six prototypes, the program was scrapped. The XM8 was expected to enter production as the M8 in 1996, but the cancellation of the program dashed the work.

Regardless, the M8 remains a viable combat system for Joint Defense to offer to interested outside partiesfew of whom have shown interest and no purchase orders have been placed. The lack of interest in the U.S. Army certainly hurts the XM8's chances of acceptance anywhere else in the world.

In September 2006, United Defense introduced the "Thunderbolt 120mm" demonstrator, which was essentially an XM8 with enhanced features including the XM291 120mm self-loading main gun, a computerized fire control system, a hybrid power pack, an improved Armor protection and standardized FLIR night vision. These additions haven't forced the XM8 to lose its air-drop quality, making it an attractive solution for discerning customers.

The M551 Sheridan series itself was retired from the U.S. Army in 1996, has been in service since 1969, and saw action in the Vietnam War, Operation Just Cause, and Operation Desert Storm. A viable alternative ended up being the Stryker series 8x8 wheeled armoured fighting vehicles.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

30 x 105mm bullet

210 x 12.7mm ammo

4,500x7.62mm ammo

Changes