Stingray light tank
 Stingray light tank
|
| Stingray | |
|---|---|
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1989–present |
| Used by | Thailand |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Cadillac Gage |
| No. built | 106 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 22.6 metric tons |
| Length | (With gun forward) 9.3 meters |
| Width | 3 meters |
| Height | 2.7 meters |
| Crew | 4 (commander, driver, gunner, radio operator/loader) |
|
|
|
| Armor | 23 mm |
|
Main
armament |
L7A3 105 mm rifled tank gun |
|
Secondary
armament |
7.62 mm co-axial machine gun, 12.7 mm AA machine gun |
| Engine | Detroit Diesel Allison 8V-92TA 535 hp (399 kW), liquid cooled turbo charged 2 stroke V-8 diesel engine 550 hp (410 kW) |
| Suspension | Independent trailing arm torsion bar |
|
Operational
range |
300 miles (480 km) |
| Speed | 70 km/h |
The Stingray is a light tank produced by Textron Marine & Land Systems division (formerly Cadillac Gage). It was specifically designed to use as many existing components of other American armored fighting vehicles as possible to keep costs down. It was originally developed for the U.S. Army as a light tank—with firepower matching that of a main battle tank (MBT), while lacking the countermeasures to be considered a main battle tank—for the U.S. Army's Armored Gun System competition in the 1980s. It was exported for use by armed forces of Thailand, who remains the only user.
The Stingray has a 105 mm bore cannon. Its cruise speed is 44 mph (71 km/h). Maximum grade is 60%. The maximum vertical distance it can scale is 2.7 feet (82 cm). It can ford water up to 3.5 feet (107 cm). It is air transportable in a C-130 cargo aircraft. The original Stingray program was launched in 1983, with the first prototype vehicle ready in August 1984. As of 2004, the only country to have purchased the Stingray is Thailand, which ordered 106 tanks that were delivered between 1988-1990. The Stingray turret was also marketed separately for retrofit installation on the hull of the M41, M47 or M551 tank or on the V600 armored car.
The Stingray II is an upgrade version of the Stingray, developed by Cadillac Gage as a private-venture armored fighting vehicle (AFV) for the export market. The light tank's baseline armor, while thin, is adequate for a light cavalry, reconnaissance or light infantry fire support role; it protects its occupants from armor-piercing, heavy machine gun rounds up to 14.5 mm in size. Additional armor appliqué can be fitted to increase ballistic protection. Operational range is increased by about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) if one assumes a travel speed of about 30 mph (48 km/h). In addition, the engine on the Stingray II has been upgraded to 410 kW (550 horsepower) at 2,300 rpm.
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Wikipedia