Ok, it’s not Cadillac Gage and this isn’t The Viet Nam war or the Saudi Arabian National Guard. No, it’s the Textron Commando Select and it serves as a testament that some designs just don’t go away. That’s a 90mm cannon on this model and I hear rumor that they intend to offer it for a light tank requirement for the 82nd Abn Div.
Textron is Cadillac Gage. Textron Marine & Land Systems was formed with the merger between Cadillac Gage and Textron Marine in 1994
Since we’re already using the M1117 this would make a lot of sense for the 82nd. Especially in this day and age of budget cuts, having commonality with fielded systems will help sell the idea.
If see some AFV recognition issues with this one. The chassis, from a distance, looks like a BDRM-series and that big ol’ gun isn’t something we usually see on an American wheeled AFV.
I hope that Blue Force Tracker is still working.
The French and now Japanese have a perfect and definitely up to date model with a bigger gun than this. License it, and boom.
no, No, NOOOO!!!! What the hell does the Airborne INFANTRY!!!! need a wanna be tank for. I’d rather take a platoon of light infantry with some Javelins or LAWs than some 11B’s with a 40hr class of training on this thing. Or better yet they plan on using 19D’s in these things, another MOS that needs to get the chop but somehow hasn’t yet.
Spoken like a pure Light guy with no concept of what armored vehicles with a heavy-hitting cannon bring to the fight.
Spoken like a guy who is apparently too young to remember the 3-73d Armor Battalion, 82d Airborne Division. Equipped with M551 Sheridan light tanks. The battalion was deactivated in 1996 when the Army retired the M551 and canceled the Armored Gun System that was supposed to replace it.
The sorry lack of light armor in the 82d is NOT a good thing.
Spoken like someone who thinks we’ll be fighting insurgents for the rest of history.
The lack of a light tank or assault gun in light divisions has been a huge capability gap for decades. Missiles just don’t provide the volume of fire absolutely necessary in some situations. There’s also advantages to using a $1000 round vs. a $50k missile.
– former light infantry and mech guy
+1
Amen!
19 kilo papa inbound 😀
Is it air droppable like the M551 Sheridan. I know everything is air droppable once.
Our Airborne forces could do with some armor immediately available on the drop zone. See : VDV.
Coming soon to a small police department near you, courtesy of the DHS.
I wish SSD was at the Maneuver Conference this year where I saw the XM8 light tank being hawked. Wheels are fine but considering the advantages of tracks in mobility, firepoower and protection, this vehicle isn’t the solution.
BTW folks is not a light tank. It’s an armored car with a gun. Great design that still serves but just don’t want the wrong terms to get attached. We might start talking about “assault weapons” next. 🙂
Wait a minute…they were pitching the Buford?
I’m sorry I missed it this year. It’s also unfortunate that the Army cancelled the XM8.
I’ll be coveringthe eight systems I thought worthwhile in my blog this week. US version of iron dome, V280 Valor tiltrotor, XM8, Stryker test bed, MPC, LSAT SAW, USmade RPG7, S97 Raider
Majrod, what is your blog site?
1. I’ve always loved the idea of air dropped armor. I am still confused on its execution.
Which is the recommended tactic by the US Army?
Air dropped with or without crew?
2. The Sheridan had ammo issues correct? The 90mm has none?
3. How loud is it, and how would it effect the way Airborne operates (in a perfect scenario)?
4. “I’d rather be _____ than mechanized?”
1. pushed out the back of an aircraft and floats down on HUGE cargo chutes
2. vehicles are dropped without crew. typically crew jump after equipment so the equipment doesn’t land on a soldier
3. loud? Parachutes are pretty quiet. The biggest impact would be more airframes for the tanks. FYI, in the cold war the 82nd only had one BN (less than 60) tanks. To split it equally (like the Marines typically employ tanks), each brigade would get a company (14 tanks)
4. don’t understand.
Vehicles aren’t exactly quiet when running their engine…
And I used to hear jokes about mechanized.
Nooooo, my beloved 82nd wouldn’t be able to field this system anyways, not enough staff sausages to command them… we’d have to borrow the bellies of the mech world
I’m glad you reported on that. I saw that this afternoon – and it literally stopped me in my tracks as my jaw hit the floor. :-0
If the 82nd grab it – well, that would just be ****ing awesome! 🙂
I quote “Batman Begins” – “…Does it come in black?”
Wonder if they’ll still get it to MP’s like the M1117s, Bwhahaha.