The lightweight welded aluminum hull made it possible to transport this tank by air and drop by parachute. The short-barreled 152mm gun can fire a Shillelagh guided anti-tank missile whose direction can be controlled after it leaves the muzzle as well as conventional ammunition. A total of 1,700 M551 tanks were produced starting in June 1966. Although it was never really very successful it has yet to be replaced by a more modern design. This tank was assigned to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin where it was used to simulate Soviet T72s and BMPs as the “aggressor force”. Its’ engine is a V 6-53T Detroit Diesel, Weight 28,535 pounds.
