A Detroit Diesel 6V-53T 300hp turbo-charged V-6 diesel engine and an Allison TG-250-2A poweshift transmission provide the Sheridan's power. In addition to the main gun/missile launcher, the M551 is armed with a 7.62mm M240 machine gun and a 12.7mm M2 HB antiaircraft machine gun. The Shillelagh missles were evidently never used in anger. The gun would foul with caseless ammuniton, gun firing would interfere with missle electronics, and the entire vehicle recoiled with unusual vigor when the gun was fired, since the 152mm gun was too big for the light-weight chassis. Due to problems with the gun-tube-launched antitank missile, the Sheridan was not fielded widely throughout the Army. The main armament consists of an 152mm M81 gun/missile launcher capable of firing conventional ammunition and the MGM-51 Shillelagh antitank missile (20 conventional rounds and 8 missiles). The M551 Sheridan was developed to provide the US Army with a light armored reconnaissance vehicle with heavy firepower. It was built by the Allison Division of General Motors. The vehicle has seen combat use in Vietnam, Panama and Desert Storm, and it is used today for training in the California desert by the Armored Force Opposing Forces training center. This enables it to fight in almost any climate or situation. It is equipped with nuclear, biological, and chemical protection for the crew of four men. A similar gun was also used on the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle. It packed a lot of punch for a small tank. The main gun fired a 152mm standard projectile or a missile. It was air transportable and fully amphibious with the screen around the sides raised. It mounts a steel turret and an aluminum hull. Constructed of aluminum armor, it is extremely fast, using a 300 hp Detroit Diesel engine and cross drive transmission. The M551 Sheridan tank was designed in the early 1960's, as a need arose for U.S.
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