M8 Armored Gun System

M8 Armored Gun System
M8 Armored Gun System
	M8 AGS
Type	Light tank
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Designer	FMC Corporation/United Defense LP/BAE Systems
Designed	From 1983
Manufacturer	FMC/United Defense/BAE Systems
Produced	1995, 2020
No. built	6 AGS pilots, 1 austere prototype, ≥11 MPF
Specifications (M8 AGS)
Mass	36,900 to 39,800 lb (16,740 to 18,050 kg) (level 1 armor); 44,000 to 44,270 lb (19,960 to 20,080 kg) (level 2); 52,000 lb (23,590 kg) (level 3)
Length	261 in (6.64 m) (level 1 hull + gun forward), 242 in (6.14 m) (level 1 hull only)
Width	104 in (2.64 m) (over fenders)
Height	100 to 101 in (2.54 to 2.57 m) (over cupola)
Crew	3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Elevation	+20° / -10° (depression limited over rear arc)
Armor	Welded 5083 aluminum alloy
Main; armament	M35 105 mm caliber soft recoil rifled gun (31 rounds)
Secondary; armament	7.62 mm coaxial M240 (4,500 rounds); .50 cal. commander's M2 Browning (600 rounds)
Engine	Detroit Diesel 6V 92TA; 550 hp (410 kW) at 2,400 rpm (JP-8 fuel), ; 580 hp (430 kW) at 2,400 rpm (diesel)
Power/weight	28.3 hp/ST (23.3 kW/t) (Level I)
Transmission	General Electric HMPT-500-3EC
Suspension	Torsion bar
Ground clearance	Up to 17 in (430 mm)
Fuel capacity	150 US gal (570 L; 120 imp gal)
Operational; range	300 mi (480 km)
Maximum speed	Road: 45 mph (72 km/h)

The M8 Armored Gun System (AGS), sometimes known as the Buford, is an American light tank that was intended to replace the M551 Sheridan and TOW missile-armed Humvees in the 82nd Airborne Division and 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (2nd ACR) of the U.S. Army respectively.

The M8 AGS began as a private venture of FMC Corporation, called the Close Combat Vehicle Light (CCVL), in 1983. The Army began the Armored Gun System program to develop a mobile gun platform that could be airdropped. By 1992, the AGS was one of the Army's top priority acquisition programs. The service selected FMC's CCVL over proposals from three other teams. The service sought to purchase 237 AGS systems to begin fielding in 1997.

The Army canceled the M8 AGS program in 1996 over the objections of Congress and the Department of Defense, due to the service's budgetary constraints. The Sheridan was retired without a true successor. The AGS never saw service, though the 82nd Airborne sought to press the preproduction units into service in Iraq. The AGS was unsuccessfully marketed for export and was reincarnated for several subsequent U.S. Army assault gun/light tank programs. United Defense LP proposed the AGS as the Mobile Gun System (MGS) variant of the Interim Armored Vehicle program in 2000, but lost out to the General Motors–General Dynamics' LAV III, which was type classified as the Stryker M1128 Mobile Gun System. BAE Systems offered the AGS system for the Army's XM1302 Mobile Protected Firepower requirement, but lost to the General Dynamics Griffin II—later type classified as the M10 Booker—in 2022.

^ Hunnicutt 2015a, p. 288.
^ Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1992: Appendix, submitted questions and answers. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1991. p. 435. ISBN 9780160373268. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
^ Department of the Army 1994, p. 1-2.
^ Cite error: The named reference downselect was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference XM1302 Chieftain 2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Hunnicutt 2015a, p. 310.
^ Cite error: The named reference Miller was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Jane's 16th was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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[FOOTNOTEHunnicutt2015a288-1] Hunnicutt 2015a, p. 288.

[Appropriations_1991-2] Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1992: Appendix, submitted questions and answers. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1991. p. 435. ISBN 9780160373268. Retrieved February 14, 2023.

[FOOTNOTEDepartment_of_the_Army19941-2-3] Department of the Army 1994, p. 1-2.

[downselect-5] Cite error: The named reference downselect was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[XM1302_Chieftain_2-6] Cite error: The named reference XM1302 Chieftain 2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEHunnicutt2015a310-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Hunnicutt 2015a, p. 310.

[Miller-9] Cite error: The named reference Miller was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Jane's_16th-10] Cite error: The named reference Jane's 16th was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[nb 1]

[nb 2]

[6]

[7]

[8]

v t e Tanks of the United States
World War I	Mark VIII tank Ford 3-Ton M1918 Holt gas electric tank M1917 light tank Renault FT
Interwar	Medium Tank M1921 Medium Tank M1922 T1 Light Tank T2 Medium M1 combat car M2 light tank Christie M1931
World War II	M2 medium tank M3/M5 Light Tank M3 Lee M4 Sherman M22 Locust M24 Chaffee Marmon-Herrington CTLS M26 Pershing
Cold War	M41 Walker Bulldog M46 Patton M103 T57 T110 M47 Patton M48 Patton T95 medium tank M60 tank T92 Light Tank M551 Sheridan MBT-70 XM803 Expeditionary tank M1 Abrams M8 Armored Gun System Block III tank
Post–Cold War	M10 Booker

M8 Armored Gun System
M8 AGS
Type	Light tank^{[nb 1]}
Place of origin	United States
Production history
Designer	FMC Corporation/United Defense LP/BAE Systems
Designed	From 1983
Manufacturer	FMC/United Defense/BAE Systems
Produced	1995, 2020
No. built	6 AGS pilots, 1 austere prototype, ≥11 MPF^{[nb 2]}
Specifications (M8 AGS)
Mass	36,900 to 39,800 lb (16,740 to 18,050 kg) (level 1 armor)^[6]^[7] 44,000 to 44,270 lb (19,960 to 20,080 kg) (level 2)^[6]^[8] 52,000 lb (23,590 kg) (level 3)^[6]
Length	261 in (6.64 m) (level 1 hull + gun forward), 242 in (6.14 m) (level 1 hull only)^[6]
Width	104 in (2.64 m) (over fenders)
Height	100 to 101 in (2.54 to 2.57 m) (over cupola)
Crew	3 (commander, gunner, driver)

Elevation	+20° / -10° (depression limited over rear arc)

Armor	Welded 5083 aluminum alloy
Main armament	M35 105 mm caliber soft recoil rifled gun (31 rounds)
Secondary armament	7.62 mm coaxial M240 (4,500 rounds) .50 cal. commander's M2 Browning (600 rounds)^[6]
Engine	Detroit Diesel 6V 92TA 550 hp (410 kW) at 2,400 rpm (JP-8 fuel), 580 hp (430 kW) at 2,400 rpm (diesel)^[6]
Power/weight	28.3 hp/ST (23.3 kW/t) (Level I)^[6]^[6]
Transmission	General Electric HMPT-500-3EC^[6]
Suspension	Torsion bar^[6]
Ground clearance	Up to 17 in (430 mm)
Fuel capacity	150 US gal (570 L; 120 imp gal)
Operational range	300 mi (480 km)
Maximum speed	Road: 45 mph (72 km/h)