A light tank is a tank variant

Tank classification

Tank classification is a taxonomy of identifying either the intended role or weight class of tanks. The classification by role was used primarily during the developmental stage of the national armoured forces, and referred to the doctrinal and force structure utility of the tanks based on design...

 initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.

The light tank was a major feature of the pre-WWII buildup, where it was expected they would be used to exploit breakthroughs in enemy lines. Numerous small tank designs and "tankettes

Tankette

A tankette is a tracked combat vehicle resembling a small tank roughly the size of a car, mainly intended for light infantry support or reconnaissance. Colloquially it may also simply mean a "small tank"....

" were developed during this period and known under a variety of names, including Combat Car

M1 Combat Car

The M1 Combat Car was a light tank used by the U.S. Cavalry in late 1930s. After the Spanish Civil War, most armies, including the U.S. Army, realized that they needed "gun" armed tanks and not vehicles armed merely with machine guns...

 and Cruiser Tank

Cruiser tank

The cruiser tank was a British tank concept of the inter-war period. This concept was the driving force behind several tank designs which saw action during the Second World War....

. These designs were useful in an era where the infantry had no effective anti-tank weapons, but they were largely forced from the battlefield with the arrival of new weapons.

Since then the light tank has seen use in a variety of "low intensity" roles including fire support, scouting, and reconnaissance roles rather than combat. Many militaries no longer procure light tanks or only deploy them in specialized roles such as airborne or amphibious warfare. In these roles they have been largely replaced by wheeled vehicles mounting similar weapons.

World War I

In World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 Industrial initiative also led to swift advances. The car industry, already used to vehicle mass production and having much more experience in vehicle layout, in 1916 designed the first practical light tanks, a class largely neglected by the British. It would be Renault

Renault

Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...

's small tank design the FT-17

Renault FT-17

The Renault FT, frequently referred to in post-WWI literature as the "FT-17" or "FT17" , was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history...

, incorporating a proper climbing face for the tracks, that was the first tank to incorporate a top-mounted turret with a full rotation. In fact the FT was in many respects the first truly 'modern' tank having a layout that has been followed by almost all designs ever since: driver at the front; main armament in a fully rotating turret on top; engine at the rear. Previous models had been "box tanks", with a single crowded space combining the role of engine room, fighting compartment, ammunition stock and driver's cabin. The FT-17 would have the largest production run of any tank of the war - with over 3,700 built it was more numerous than all British tanks combined.

Interwar

In 1928, the British firm of Vickers produced their "6 Ton" tank

Vickers 6-Ton

The Vickers 6-Ton Tank or Vickers Mark E was a British light tank designed as a private project at Vickers. It was not purchased by the British Army, but was picked up by a large number of foreign armed forces and was copied almost exactly by the Soviets as the T-26. It was also the direct...

. Not purchased by the British army, it was bought by some smaller nations. It formed the basis of the Soviet T-26

T-26

The T-26 tank was a Soviet light infantry tank used during many conflicts of the 1930s as well as during World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and is widely considered one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s....

 (around 10,000 built) and the Polish 7TP

7TP

The 7TP was the Polish light tank of the Second World War. A development of the British Vickers 6-ton, it was significantly better armed than its most common opponents, the German Panzer I and Panzer II. A standard tank of the Polish Army during the Polish Defensive War of 1939, its production...

 tank and influenced the Italian Fiat M11/39

Fiat M11/39

The Fiat-Ansaldo M11/39 was an Italian Medium Tank first produced prior to World War II. The M11/39 saw service in Africa and Italy . The official Italian designation was Carro Armato M11/39...

. The British Army used a different Vickers design, which was the first in a series of British light tanks.

In general, French tanks of the 1930s were well-armored, innovative vehicles that owed little to foreign designs. However, the light tanks lacked firepower and almost all French tanks were handicapped by their one-man turrets, even the larger tanks such as the Char B overworked the commander who besides directing the vehicle, or even a troop, had to load and aim the turret gun. The lack of radios with the light tanks was not seen as a major drawback, since French doctrine called for slow-paced, deliberate maneuvers in close conformance to plans. The role of small unit leaders was to execute plans, not to take the initiative in combat. In 1939 a belated effort was made to improve flexibility and increase the number of radios.

Throughout the interwar period the US produced only a few hundred tanks. From the end of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 to 1935, only 15 tanks were produced. Most were derivatives or foreign designs or very poor quality private designs. The Christie

J. Walter Christie

John Walter Christie was an American engineer and inventor. He is best known for developing the Christie suspension system used in a number of World War II-era tank designs, most notably the Soviet BT and T-34 series, and the British Covenanter and Crusader Cruiser tanks, as well as the Comet...

 designs were among the few bright spots, but the US Army acquired only three Christies and did not pursue the idea any further. Budget limitations and the low priority given to the Army meant that there were few resources for building tanks. The US Army instead developed and tested tank components such as suspensions, tracks, and transmissions. This paid off when production had to be initiated on the outbreak of war.

World War II

Germany's armored Panzer

Panzer

A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...

 force was not especially impressive at the start of the war. In the invasions of Poland and of France

Battle of France

In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...

 the German forces were mostly made up of the Panzer I

Panzer I

The Panzer I was a light tank produced in Germany in the 1930s. The name is short for the German ' , abbreviated . The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was SdKfz 101 .Design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and mass production in 1934...

 and Panzer II

Panzer II

The Panzer II was the common name for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II...

 light tanks. The Panzer I was little more than a training vehicle armed only with machine guns, the Panzer II with a 20 mm cannon. The Panzer division also included some Czech

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

 designed light tanks - the Panzer 35(t)

Panzer 35(t)

The Panzerkampfwagen 35, commonly shortened to Panzer 35 or abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw. 35, was a Czechoslovak-designed light tank used mainly by Nazi Germany during World War II. The letter stood for tschechisch...

 and the Panzer 38(t)

Panzer 38(t)

The Panzerkampfwagen 38 was originally a Czech tank of pre-World War II design. After Czechoslovakia was taken over by Germany, it was adopted by the German Army, seeing service in the invasions of Poland and Russia. Production ended in 1942, when its armament was deemed inadequate. In all, over...

.

On the American side, the M2 Light Tank

M2 Light Tank

The Light Tank M2 was an American pre-World War II light tank that saw combat with the US Marine Corps 1st Tank Battalion on Guadalcanal in 1942, during World War II. Its service with the 1st Tank Battalion during the Pacific War was its only U.S...

 series was the most important. These light tanks were mechanically very reliable, with good mobility. However, they had a high silhouette and only a few saw combat. The M3 Stuart series was an improvement of the M2, with better armor and a 37 mm gun. The new medium tank just entering production in 1940 was the M2A1. This was a poor design with thin armor and a high silhouette.

The M3 Stuart saw use in the North African Campaign

North African campaign

During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...

 but was relegated to reconnaissance as soon as US-built medium tanks became available. Further light tank development in the war included the M24 Chaffee

M24 Chaffee

The Light Tank M24 was an American light tank used during World War II and in postwar conflicts including the Korean War and with the French in the War in Algeria and First Indochina War. In British service it was given the service name Chaffee, after the United States Army General Adna R...

 and air-portable tanks such as the Tetrarch.

The Japanese made extensive use of light tanks that were much better suited to jungle warfare

Jungle warfare

Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain.It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for both sides in many conflicts, including World War II and the...

 than larger designs.

Cold War

Light tanks continued to be built, but for very limited roles such as amphibious reconnaissance, support of Airborne units

Airborne forces

Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...

, and in rapid intervention forces that were not expected to face enemy tanks. The Soviet PT-76

PT-76

The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...

 is a specialized light tank -amphibious with sufficient firepower to engage other reconnaissance vehicles, but very lightly armored. The US M551 Sheridan

M551 Sheridan

The M551 Sheridan was a light tank developed by the United States and named after Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was designed to be landed by parachute and to swim across rivers. It was armed with the technically advanced but troublesome M81/M81E1 152mm gun/launcher which fired conventional...

 had similar strengths and weaknesses, but could also be airdropped, either by parachute or LAPES

Lapės

Lapės is a small town in Kaunas County in central Lithuania. As of 2001 it had a population of 1038.-References:*This article was initially translated from the Lithuanian Wikipedia....

.

The British FV101 Scorpion

FV101 Scorpion

The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance , CVR, family of seven armoured vehicles...

, the fire support variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)

Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)

The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance  —or CVR—is a family of armoured fighting vehicles s in service with the British Army and others throughout the world...

 series of vehicles that replaced armoured cars in British service has been described as a light tank and was sold to many smaller nations.

Post Cold War

Light tanks, such as the PT-76, continue to play a small role in tank warfare, although many are losing favor to cheaper, faster, lighter armoured cars. The light tank still fills an important niche in many armies, especially for nations with airborne divisions, or those without the resources and funding for main battle tank

Main battle tank

A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...

s. They have important advantages over heavier tanks in Southeast Asia and other nations in the Equatorial region. Their size lets them maneuver through thick rain forests, and their weight reduces the risk of getting stuck in mud. This makes the light tank the preferred choice for infantry support in Equatorial nations. Post cold war light tanks include the Stingray light tank

Stingray Light Tank

The Stingray Light Tank is a light tank produced by Textron Marine and Land Systems Division . It was originally developed for the U.S. Army's Armored Gun System competition. Thailand is the only user.- Stingray :...

, M8 AGS, 2S25 Sprut-SD

2S25 Sprut-SD

The 2S25 Sprut-SD is a self-propelled tank destroyer or light tank, built on the BMD-3 chassis. Designed for use by the Russia VDV airborne forces it is light and highly mobile.-Development:...

 and light tanks based on infantry fighting vehicles such as the CV90120T and ASCOD LT 105.

Countermeasures

Typically, the armor in contemporary light tanks is modular, sometimes up to three configurations.

The flat hull, is necessary for amphibious light tanks to plane

Planing (sailing)

Planing is the mode of operation for a waterborne craft in which its weight is predominantly supported by hydrodynamic lift, rather than hydrostatic lift .-History:...

 across the surface of the water is not nearly as blast-resistant as the V-shape hull. It has been suggested that underbelly armor appliqué could be applied after the light tanks come ashore and before they encounter explosive devices.

Weapons suite

Guns capable of defeating modern tanks at reasonable ranges requires a large vehicle to carry them. Gun weight is typically the product of caliber

Caliber

In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....

 and muzzle velocity

Muzzle velocity

Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...

. Large caliber guns on light tanks often sacrifice muzzle velocity in interest of saving weight. These guns can make and disable close-quarter targets but lack the power to penetrate some tanks. Alternately, high muzzle velocity guns often sacrifice gun caliber in interest of saving weight. These guns can make and penetrate long-distance targets but lack the explosive power to disable some tanks.

Mobility

Tactical mobility

Some light tanks such as the PT-76

PT-76

The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...

 are amphibious, typically being propelled in the water by hydrojets or by their tracks. Most amphibious light tanks weigh little and often utilize aluminum armor. Some light tanks require no modifications for river crossings. Crews simply raise the easily accessible cloth sides around the hull, cover the hatches, turn on the bilge pump

Bilge pump

A bilge pump is a water pump used to remove bilge water. Since fuel can be present in the bilge, electric bilge pumps are designed to not cause sparks. Electric bilge pumps are often fitted with float switches which turn on the pump when the bilge fills to a set level. Since bilge pumps can fail,...

 and shift the transmission to water operations. Often a fold down trim vane is erected to stop water from flooding into the hatch. Some amphibious tanks, such as the PT-76, are able to transition from land to water with little to no preparation and fire from the main gun while afloat.

Strategic mobility

Some light tanks, such as the M551 Sheridan

M551 Sheridan

The M551 Sheridan was a light tank developed by the United States and named after Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was designed to be landed by parachute and to swim across rivers. It was armed with the technically advanced but troublesome M81/M81E1 152mm gun/launcher which fired conventional...

 Armored Reconnaissance vehicle, could be rigged for low-velocity

Velocity

In physics, velocity is speed in a given direction. Speed describes only how fast an object is moving, whereas velocity gives both the speed and direction of the object's motion. To have a constant velocity, an object must have a constant speed and motion in a constant direction. Constant ...

 airdrop from cargo aircraft

Cargo aircraft

A cargo aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. They are usually devoid of passenger amenities, and generally feature one or more large doors for the loading and unloading of cargo...

. With this method the tank is pulled out of the aircraft by brake chutes and skids to a stop. The crew does not ride in the tank during extraction, but parachutes from another plane. Upon landing, they go to their tank, release the lines, and drive it away.

Role

The modern light tank supplements the Main battle tank

Main battle tank

A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...

 in expeditionary

Expeditionary warfare

Expeditionary warfare is used to describe the organization of a state's military to fight abroad, especially when deployed to fight away from its established bases at home or abroad. Expeditionary forces were in part the antecedent of the modern concept of Rapid Deployment Forces...

roles and situations where all major threats have been neutralized and excess weight in armor and armament would only hinder mobility and cost more money to operate.