M41 Walker Bulldog

The M41 Walker Bulldog is an American light tank developed for armed reconnaissance and infantry support. Development originated in 1946 under the T37 project to replace the M24 Chaffee. Following the evaluation of prototypes in 1949, the T41 design was selected and designated M41. Serial production by Cadillac commenced in 1951, accelerated by requirements stemming from the Korean War. The vehicle was named after General Walton Walker following a demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The United States ceased production in 1954 and replaced the M41 with the M551 Sheridan during the late 1960s.

The tank features a welded steel hull and turret with a four-man crew. The driver is positioned at the front left, while the commander, gunner, and loader occupy the turret. Primary armament for standard production models is the 76mm M32A1 rifled cannon, which utilizes a vertical sliding breech block and a hydrospring recoil system. Secondary armament includes a .30 caliber coaxial machine gun and a roof-mounted .50 caliber machine gun. The M41 uses a torsion bar suspension system with five road wheels and three track return rollers. The rear engine compartment houses an air-cooled gasoline engine and a cross-drive transmission. The hull is equipped with electric bilge pumps to assist in fording operations. Several foreign variants replaced the original gasoline engine with diesel powerplants and upgraded the main armament to 90mm cannons.

The M41 saw service through exports to Asia, South America, and Europe. In the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, Brigade 2506 used the vehicle against Cuban T-34-85 tanks. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam operated the M41A3 during the Vietnam War, employing it in urban combat and during Operation Lam Son 719, where it engaged North Vietnamese T-54 and PT-76 tanks. In the Middle East, the Lebanese Army and multiple militias utilized the M41 during the Lebanese Civil War and border clashes with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Brazil modernized its inventory to M41B and M41C standards, incorporating diesel engines and 90mm guns. Taiwan operated the vehicle in several configurations, eventually upgrading units to the M41D standard with thermal imaging and new engines. Thailand reactivated stored units for the 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict. Other operators included West Germany, which used the vehicle in reconnaissance and tank destroyer roles, and Uruguay, which maintains modernized M41A1U and M41C units.