M22 Locust

The M22 Locust was a Allied light tank appearing in World War 2 and designed to be air-dropped into battle alongside airborne elements. The general idea of a highly-mobile army continued to fascinate American warplanners as the early successes of the German Army proved this practice viable. As such, the M22 Locust was to provide airborne elements with some armor punch and take enemies completely by surprise.

By 1941, several designs were being entertained including a twin-37mm armed tank and a machine gun-only design. The initial prototype became the T9 but proved too heavy for realistic airdrop usage and thusly the system was redesigned as the T9E1 with a new hull and overall lighter combat weight. Production and delivery began in 1943 ending by February of 1944 to the tune of 830 examples (though some 1,900 were originally ordered).

The Americans saw little benefit in the new system, where a Douglas C-54 transport was the only aircraft capable of delivery of the tank. In that situation, the turret had to be removed and placed inside the fuselage along with the hull. The British, however, were better suited for delivery with their Hamilcar gliders and already practiced in the delivery of their diminutive Tetrarch light tanks. Once in British service, the M22 received the name of "Locust" which would become the identifiable designation for the system by wars end.

Many of the M22 systems were delivered to British units and of those a bulk were based on the T9E1 prototype. In the end, the M22 became yet another example of a mostly abandoned American design put to good use by British forces. The M22 survived in post-war form with temporary use in Egyptian armor units until the influx of Soviet-made hardware arrived throughout the Cold War.

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Last Updated: 7/22/2008