Cadillac Gage Stingray

The Stingray was developed by Cadillac Gage, now a division of Textron Marine & Land Systems, as a private venture light tank intended for the export market. Design work commenced in 1983, with the hull and turret finalized in 1984. Initial testing involved mating the turret to an M551 Sheridan hull before the completion of the first dedicated prototype in 1985. A second prototype was produced in 1986. In 1992, Cadillac Gage submitted a variant for the United States Army Armored Gun System (AGS) competition. This version featured a lengthened hull and a three-man crew utilizing an automatic loader, though it was not selected for production. The company subsequently developed the Stingray II as an upgraded export variant, completing a prototype in 1994.

The primary armament of the Stingray is a low recoil force version of the 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 rifled gun. This is supplemented by a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and a 12.7 mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun mounted on the commander's hatch. The vehicle is constructed with Cadloy steel armor, which provides protection against 14.5 mm rounds in its base configuration. The Stingray II variant features armor protection against 23 mm rounds over the frontal arc and can be fitted with appliqué armor kits. The tank is powered by a Detroit Diesel 8V-92TA turbocharged V-8 engine and uses an independent trailing arm torsion bar suspension. It is designed to be air transportable via C-130 cargo aircraft. Fire control is managed through a system including a laser rangefinder and day/thermal night sights; the Stingray II utilizes a digital fire-control system derived from the M1A1 Abrams.

Thailand is the only nation to operate the Stingray, having acquired the tank for the Royal Thai Army. Deliveries were completed between 1989 and 1990. The vehicle was deployed during the Cambodian–Thai border conflict. Maintenance and aftermarket parts support are facilitated through agreements with Federal Defense Industries and Napco. While the Stingray was evaluated by several countries, including Malaysia, Ecuador, and Chile, and marketed to Saudi Arabia and Taiwan, no other nations placed the vehicle into service.