The $800 million tank that never saw the battlefield

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the 1980s, the U.S. Army sought a high-tech, airdroppable successor to the venerable Sheridan tank. The result was the M8 Armored Gun System: a sophisticated, lightweight platform designed for rapid deployment, only to be abandoned by budget cuts before it could ever enter service.

The M8 Armored Gun System (AGS), also known as the Buford, emerged from a 1983 private venture by FMC Corporation known as the Close Combat Vehicle Light (CCVL). The Army's goal was to create a mobile, airdroppable gun platform to replace the M551 Sheridan and TOW-armed Humvees. By 1992, the program had become a top acquisition priority, with the Army planning to purchase 237 systems to begin fielding in 1997.

Technically, the M8 was an impressive feat of engineering for light armor. It featured an M35 105 mm caliber rifled gun, a 21-round autoloader, and a modular armor system. To meet the strict requirements for C-130 airdroppability, the vehicle's weight was kept to approximately 17.8 short tons in its low-velocity configuration. While the Defense Department Inspector General expressed concerns in 1993 that the system might be too heavy for such maneuvers, the Army successfully demonstrated a C-130 airdrop at 1,300 feet in October 1994.

Despite its technical promise, the program fell victim to the 'intermingled' and fluctuating budgets of the era. Although the Army initially planned for larger orders, budget constraints led to a reduction in the planned order from 300 to 233 units in 1993. Ultimately, the program was canceled in 1996 due to budgetary constraints, leaving the Sheridan without a true successor. The AGS's lineage continued through various unsuccessful attempts to revive it for subsequent light tank programs, including the Mobile Gun System and the XM1302 requirement.

The M8's history is a study in the complexities of military procurement. It faced intense competition, eventually beating out proposals from General Dynamics, Cadillac Gage, and Team Häggendls USA. While it never saw combat, its design elements and the lessons learned from its development influenced later armored vehicle requirements in the U.S. Army.

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