The M551 Sheridan is an American-built light tank designed as an Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle or AR/AAV, and to replace the aging, fuel-hungry M41 Walker Bulldog, which appeared in the early 1950's, but didn't see action until the Vietnam War, in the next decade.
The M551 Sheridan, in real-life
- Appears in: Army Wars: Red Tide(?)
- Used by: United States Army, United States Marine Corps
- Weapons: 1 x 152mm M81 rifled gun/wire-guided missile launcher, 1 x M2 Browning .50 cal machine gun, 1 x M73/M219 .30 cal co-axial machine gun (later replaced by the M240)
About[]
The Sheridan was designed in 1965, and entered service with the United States Armed Forces in 1967, making its debut in the Vietnam War. It was designed to be landed by parachute when dropped from a cargo plane, like the C-130 Hercules, and to swim across rivers. It has a powerful, but short-barreled and troublesome, 152mm M81 rifled gun, which can also launch MGM-51 Shillelagh wire-guided, anti-tank missiles. It, however, proved itself lightly armored and vulnerable to land mines, rocket launchers, and enemy main battle tanks, like the Soviet T-54/55. It still serves as a airborne recon tank for the U.S. Army's airborne divisions, such as the 82nd and 101st. It continues to serve the U.S. Army and Marines, but 2 of the American military's options as a replacement light tank are the Stingray and the M8 Buford.
Trivia[]
- It is currently unknown if the M551 Sheridan will appear in Army Wars: Red Tide, but it will appear in the series.