M8 AGS light tank on its way to the Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society Museum

Описание: The M8 was the short-lived winner of the US Army's "Armored Gun System" program - intended to field an air-droppable light tank that would replace the aging M551 Sheridan. The vehicle itself was initially developed as the CCVL (Close Combat Vehicle Light) by FMC (Food Machinery Corporation) in the 1980s, in anticipation of the call for proposals for the AGS program. Under the AGS competition, CCVL ran against the Stingray (by Cadillac Gage) and the Expeditionary Tank (by Teledyne). FMC's CCVL was selected as the winning design, and was modified following Army requirements into the M8 AGS, which is seen here. Ultimately, just 6 vehicles were produced, before the Army canceled the AGS program, following the reduction in military spending after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

This light tank had been a major highlight of practically all of the tank tours that I have led at Detroit Arsenal, especially since this was one of the few vehicles produced for the Army with an outstanding autoloader design. I am extremely excited that the tank is being preserved at the Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society Museum, and really look forward to showing it to more of our engineers and students, now that it is on public display. As an extremely rare prototype tank, it is a significant piece of military history, and hopefully one that continues to educate and inspire for many more decades to come.