M-41 Caixas

The M41 Walker Bulldog is an American light tank developed to replace the M24 Chaffee in the reconnaissance role. The project began in 1946 under the preliminary designations T37 and T41. Following the selection of the T41E1 prototype, the United States Army placed production orders in 1950. Cadillac manufactured the vehicle at a repurposed facility in Cleveland between 1951 and 1954. The development cycle was accelerated due to the outbreak of the Korean War, resulting in numerous engineering changes during the initial production run.

The hull is of welded steel construction, with the driving compartment located at the front left and the engine compartment at the rear. The vehicle utilizes a torsion bar suspension system supporting five road wheels, a rear drive sprocket, and three track return rollers. The turret is composed of cast and welded steel and houses the commander, gunner, and loader. Primary armament consists of a 76mm M32 rifled cannon featuring a vertical sliding breech block and a bore evacuator. Secondary armament includes a coaxial .30 caliber machine gun and a roof-mounted .50 caliber machine gun. Later variants and foreign modernizations incorporated diesel engines, 90mm cannons, and digital fire control systems with thermal imaging.

The M41 was widely exported and utilized by numerous nations. During the Bay of Pigs invasion, five tanks operated by Brigade 2506 engaged Cuban T-34-85 tanks. In the Vietnam War, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) adopted the M41A3 to replace its aging fleet of M24s. These tanks saw combat during Operation Lam Son 719 and the 1972 Easter Offensive, where they engaged PAVN armor. Brazil operated the type in large quantities, with local industry later rebuilding the fleet as the M41B and M41C. These upgrades featured 90mm guns and diesel powerplants. In Lebanon, the M41 was used by the national army and various militia groups during the civil war. Other operators have included Taiwan, which modernized units to the M41D standard, and Thailand, which reactivated stored vehicles for the 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict. The United States Army phased out the M41 in the late 1960s, replacing it with the M551 Sheridan.