MBT-59: Pocket Rocket With A Big Gun - Mir Tankov

MBT-59: Pocket Rocket With A Big Gun - Mir Tankov In the late 1950s, a program to develop a Main Battle Tank (MBT) capable of fighting in radioactively contaminated areas began in the United States. A key feature of the project was the crew's placement within an insulated armored capsule with powerful protection against penetrating radiation. The crew would also receive a fully mechanized ammunition feed system, located outside the fighting compartment. The gun mount was also proposed to be mounted externally. The tank was planned to be equipped with a 152mm XM81 cannon, although at that time it did not yet have missiles in its ammunition complement. A powerful diesel engine, combined with a tank weighing just over 30 tons, promised high mobility.