- Yes
- No
History
During the Cold War, the U.S. Army made few efforts to replace the M551 Sheridan. Probably the famous one is the Armored Gun System (AGS) program. It started with modifying Sheridan with 105 mm M68 gun, which was not successful and led to the new development.
Cadillac Gage, Teledyne Continental, FMC Corporation and Team Hägglunds USA participated in this program, and the FMC awarded the contract on 14 June 1992. The first XM8 prototype was delivered to the Army on April 1994.
But the future of the AGS program was shadowy. The end of the Cold War reduced U.S. military spending, and eventually killed the XM8. Given that the AGS program was on track for both schedule and cost, it was just a scapegoat to free up budget for other modernization efforts.
Despite of the failure, United Defense Industries continued to work on XM8. The M8 Thunderbolt was built in 2003, presenting 120 mm smoothbore gun and hybrid electric drive.
In 2006, BAE Systems introduced the 120 Armored Gun System (120 AGS), a Thunderbolt turret on the regular XM8 AGS hull. This vehicle, too, was not adopted.
Design
The 120 AGS is basically a XM8 AGS with the 120 mm smoothbore gun. While the M8 Thunderbolt had several differences due to its hybrid electric propulsion, the 120 AGS utilizes the hull of the existing XM8, so the only real difference is the turret.
The 120 mm XM291 gun is coupled with autoloader, which holds 18 ammunition. This was only capable of carrying 15 rounds, but modified by United Defense LP to increase its load capacity. It supports rate of fire up to 12 rounds per minute.
The gunner sight is basically same, but it features 2nd-generation thermal device by the NV-80 B-kit upgrade package.
Specifications
Crew: 3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Length (hull): 241.9 in (6.14 m)
Weight:
- Level 1: 40,000 lb (18.1 t)
- Level 2: 45,000 lb (20.4 t)
- Level 3: 53,000 lb (24 t)
Height: 100 in (2.54 m)
Engine: Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 6-cylinder 2-cycle supercharged diesel engine (550 hp @ 2400 rpm)
Transmission: General Electric HMPT 500-3RC (3 forward, 1 reverse)
Performances:
- Maximum speed: 45 mi/h (72.4 km/h)
- Maximum grade: 60 %
- Maximum trench: 7 ft (2.13 m)
- Maximum vertical wall: 32 in (0.81 m)
- Maximum fording depth: 40 in (1.01 m)
Armor: 5083 aluminum alloy, with three levels of applique armors
Armament:
- Primary: 120 mm XM291 smoothbore gun
- Muzzle velocity: 1,650 m/s
- Rate of fire: 12 rpm
- Loading system: automatic
- Secondary:
- 12.7 mm M2HB on turret roof
- 7.62 mm M240 coaxial gun in turret
Ammunition:
- 18× 120 mm rounds (all in autoloader)
- 600× 12.7 mm rounds
- 4,500× 7.62 mm rounds
Fire control equipment:
- FLIR: 2nd gen
Sources
- AA 2006: 120 AGS comes to Singapore by C.F. Foss
- Jane’s International Defense Review, Volume 36
- M8 Armored Gun System brochure
- Recent Activities in Electro-Thermal Chemical Launcher Technologies at BAE Systems by Jahn Dyvik, Juleigh Herbig, Randall Appleton, John O’Reilly and Jonathan Shin
- Technical Report ARCCB-TR-00016 Recoil Considerations for Railguns by Eric L. Kathe
- Sheridan: A History of the American Light Tank by R. P. Hunnicutt
- US Battle Tanks 1946–2025 by Steven J. Jaloga