M551

M551

T92

M3 Bradley

M551

T92

M3 Bradley

USA

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.0	8.3	8.3

Class:

Light tank

Research:135 000

Purchase:380 000

Show in game

Description

The M551 "Sheridan" Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle (AR/AAV) was a light tank developed by the U.S. and named after American Civil War hero General Philip Sheridan. It was intended to be parachute-landed and swim across rivers. It was armed with the technically advanced but difficult-to-use 152 mm M81 tank gun, which could fire both conventional ammunition and the MGM-51 Shillelagh anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). Despite the use of cutting-edge technologies at the time, the results were unfavourable. It saw extensive combat in the Vietnam War, where flaws in the platform became apparent, most notably its low survivability and reliability. It was later used in the National Training Centre as a simulated Soviet armoured opposition force (OPFOR) to train US military units on simulated tank-on-tank armoured combat to test combat effectiveness in a desert environment. They were decommissioned in 2003.

Introduced in Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows", the M551 "Sheridan" AR/AAV is extremely difficult to operate due to its lack of armour. Despite having high penetration, the conventional ammunition it received has a high shell drop at range. Players should research and unlock the MGM-51 Shillelagh ATGM as soon as possible. The MGM-51 Shillelagh ATGM is a vast improvement over conventional rounds, capable of eliminating almost everything with a single shot and vastly extending the engagement range beyond that of most of its opponents. Players should still be wary of enemy vehicles due to their weak armour and use cover as much as possible to ensure their survival.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull31 / 25 / 19

Turret25 / 25 / 25

Crew4 people

Visibility88 %

Armour type:

• Aluminum Alloy 7039
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Turret)
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

Armour	Front (Slope Angle°)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	25.4 mm (70°), 12.7 mm (87°) Front Glacis 31.7 mm (33°) Lower Glacis 25.4 mm (2-80°) Driver's port	19 + 2 mm Top 25.4 mm (0-56°) Bottom	12.7 mm (49-50°) Top 19 mm (32-55°) Bottom	19 mm 12.7 mm Engine grilles
Turret	25.4 mm (6-78°) Turret front 31.7 mm (1-81°) Gun mantlet	25.4 mm (50-55°)	25.4 mm (46-54°)	19 mm
Cupola	31.7 mm	31.7 mm	31.7 mm	31.7 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels and tracks are 15 mm thick.

Against most opponents, the M551 can be destroyed with a single shot. It's best to just stay in one spot along a road and wait for an enemy to pass by where so that they present their vulnerable side armour and vitals to target at. Once the ATGMS are unlocked then the player can stay out of range from everything but ATGMs.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB77 / 17 km/h

RB and SB70 / 15 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

4 back

Weight15.2 t

Engine power

AB572 hp

RB and SB300 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB37.6 hp/t

RB and SB19.7 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	77	17	15.2	465	572	30.59	37.63
Realistic	70	15		265	300	17.43	19.74

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB2 992 → 4 876

RB3 437 → 5 602

SB4 196 → 6 839

Total cost of modifications112 000

195 200

Talisman cost2 300

Crew training110 000

Experts380 000

Aces1 400

Research Aces830 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

120 / 160 / 200 %

208 / 208 / 208 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 320 Suspension Research: 4 500 Cost: 7 200 180 Brake System Research: 4 500 Cost: 7 200 180 Filters Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 240 Transmission Research: 7 900 Cost: 13 000 310 Engine Research: 7 900 Cost: 13 000 310	Improved Parts Research: 2 400 Cost: 13 000 320 Improved FPE Research: 1 400 Cost: 7 200 180 Crew Replenishment Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 240	Horizontal Drive Research: 8 100 Cost: 13 000 320 Adjustment of Fire Research: 4 500 Cost: 7 200 180 Airstrike Research: 4 500 Cost: 7 200 180 152mm_usa_MGM61B_HEAT_ammo_pack Research: 4 500 Cost: 7 200 180 Elevation Mechanism Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 240 Smoke grenade Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 240 Scout UAV Research: 6 000 Cost: 9 600 240 Artillery Support Research: 7 900 Cost: 13 000 310 Improved optics Research: 7 900 Cost: 13 000 310 NVD Research: 7 900 Cost: 13 000 310

Armaments

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

152 mm gun/launcher M81

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition30 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

15.6 → 12.0 s

Vertical guidance-8° / 19°

152 mm M81					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	30	-8°/+19°	±180°	Two-plane	38.1	52.7	64.0	70.8	75.3	15.60	13.80	12.72	12.00
Realistic					23.8	28.0	34.0	37.6	40.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M409A1	HEAT	380	380	380	380	380	380
M657A2	HE	38	38	38	38	38	38
MGM-51B Shillelagh	ATGM	431	431	431	431	431	431

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M409A1	HEAT	682	18.9	0.05	0.1	3.73	62°	69°	73°
M657A2	HE	682	22	0	0.1	4.3	79°	80°	81°

Missile details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Range (m)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
								0%	50%	100%
MGM-51B Shillelagh	ATGM	286	3,200	27.8	0	0.1	3.6	80°	82°	90°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M551

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
30	28 (+2)	26 (+4)	21 (+9)	14 (+16)	8 (+22)	1 (+29)	No

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 28°

Horizontal guidance-60° / 60°

7.62 mm M73 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition3 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	1,000 (200)	577	-10°/+70°	±60°

7.62 mm M73
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	3,000 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The Sheridan, even with the ability to fire ATGMs, is an extremely difficult tank to use due to it having no armour. Even some high-power MGs can penetrate the armour easily. The stock heat round while having high penetration drops like a rock at range and bounces a lot. Immediately upon reaching the tier 2 modifications research the ATGM missiles. Once those are unlocked the Sheridan becomes a fast and mobile missile platform that out ranges most vehicles in game. With only the stock HEAT always aim for ammo racks. This is pretty much the only way to destroy the heavier tanks. The mobile AAs will be the M551's biggest problems. While the Sheridan can drive circles around most of its heavy opponents, the fast anti-air turret can keep up with the M551, able to tear the armour to pieces. The ATGMs are a vast improvement over the HEAT rounds, knocking pretty much everything with a single shot and extending the Sheridan's range past that of most of its opponents.

Stay in the back, everything will knock out the tank in one hit. Use the M551's speed and manoeuvrability to get around enemies. Don't be afraid to get in real close to the enemy, because with only HEAT, the 152 mm's effective range is very limited. Once ATGMs are usable, the Sheridan becomes an extremely formidable sniper. Able to fire on target, destroy a target, then move position for another opportunity. In Arcade, the Sheridan is an easy target for everyone, but in realistic and simulator its speed makes it a very hard target to hit.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Dual-purpose cannon which can fire either regular shells or guided missiles
• Very fast turret traverse
• The ATGM usually knocks out tanks in one hit
• Rather small profile in comparison to other Rank V vehicles
• Can unlock NVD (Night Vision Devices) as a Tier 4 modification.
• The ATGM has 431 mm of penetration and therefore can easily penetrate most enemy tanks frontally

Cons:

• Very thin armour
• No kinetic rounds, only chemical rounds are available (which detonates on obstacles such as fences and therefore cannot shoot through them)
• Low ammunition storage at only 30 rounds
• ATGMs reload several seconds longer than normal ammunition
• Can only hold 10 ATGM ammunition total
• All non-ATGM shells have low velocity; the absence of a rangefinder worsens this problem
• At his BR it can find some tanks equipped with reactive armour that neutralizes the ATGM

History

Development

In the post-war period, U.S. Army specified for a new light tank that is light enough for air-transportation and have a large cruising range. The first resulting light tank, the M41 Walker Bulldog, did not meet these specifications and the following development such as the T92 were cancelled after the discovery of the amphibious Soviet PT-76 tank, which added a requirement for the light tank to also be amphibious. A new tank design began development, using aluminum alloy to save weight, a fabric screen for flotation, and a controversial 152 mm gun/launcher for firepower with the Shillelagh missiles. However, the design's lightweight and mobility made it favorable and so the tank was approved for Army standard in May 1966 and designated the M551 Sheridan. Between 1966 to 1970, 1,662 Sheridans were produced at a program cost of $1.3 billion.

Deployment

The Sheridan first saw service in June 1967 in the 1/63rd Armor Regiment at Fort Riley. The first air usage of the Sheridan came from the 1/17th Cavalry at Fort Bragg. Its first overseas deployment was to South Korea in November 1968 and Europe in January 1969. 800 Sheridans were deployed worldwide by 1971. Troubles with the 152 mm Gun/Launcher plagued the M551's early service life as attempts were made to fix the issues in the weapon's ammo propellant and ability to fire missiles.

The Sheridan's tank's first combat would be seen in Vietnam under the urging of General Creighton Abrams. The tank first arrived in January 1969 modified for the environment in a configuration dubbed "Two-Box M551" with many complex mechanical instrument boxes removed (save for two), as well as the ability to fire the Shillelagh missiles disabled and the production of a fletchette ammunition for the 152 mm gun/launcher. First impressions of the Sheridan were positive due to the weapon's effectiveness in anti-infantry and bunker busting roles, as well as the mobility able to maintain speed with the M113 armoured personnel carriers. However, experience soon soured when the lack of armour became apparent compared to the M48 Pattons employed in the theater, with the M551 vulnerable to mines and the numerous hand-held anti-tank weaponry.

Post-Vietnam, the M551 Sheridans underwent a product improvement program (PIP) that upgraded the design. The next combat operation would be in Operation Just Cause in Panama, featuring the first and only time tanks were parachuted into a combat zone. Inserted with the 82nd Airborne Division, the M551 proved a popular psychological weapon against the opposing forces. After Panama, the M551 were also deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of the Gulf War in both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where in the latter they fought Iraqi units equipped with T-55s and T-72s in the only time in the M551's history that the gun-launched Shillelagh missiles were used against an enemy.

Back in the United States, the M551 also found use in the U.S. Army's National Training Center at the Mojave desert in California, where they are dressed up to look like Soviet vehicles to play as the "opposing forces" to train the army units on tactics in the battlefield. After the Gulf War, the Sheridan's combat career came to an end and so they remained in service at the National Training Center until 2004. The Sheridans were retired without any replacement in the airborne tank role. Though attempts had been made in the late 1990's for a replacement, the Army decided that an airborne tank was simply not worth the cost for a specialized vehicle.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M551 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Airmobile tanks discusses the M551 at 3:53 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] M551 Sheridan

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Zaloga Steven. M551 Sheridan: US Airmobile Tanks 1941-2001 Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2009

Cadillac Division of General Motors
Light Tanks
M24 Chaffee*	M24
M551 Sheridan	M551
	*Designed in collaboration with U.S. Army Ordnance Department.
Export	▅M24 · ␗M24 · ▄M24
Note	Cadillac is a division of General Motors (GM).