Light Tanks
Lightly armored and adequately armed when compared to their battle tank counterparts, these systems are built with speed in mind.

1 7TP The 7TP series was of a Polish design, based on the British Vickers-Armstrong 6-ton light tank (Mark E). When war with Germany was rolling about the horizon, the Polish government saw a need to replace their diminutive tanket... 1936

2 Alvis FV101 Scorpion The Scorpion series of light tank has seen many major variants produced both for local use and for export. The Scorpion chassis can be fitted to utilize a variety of weapon systems and interior setups, increasing it's lifespa... 1972

3 Alvis FV107 Scimitar The FV107 Scimitar is based on the successful family line of Scorpion CVRT chassis systems that operate throughout the British military and some export countries. The FV107 features a crew three and is armed with a 30mm gun t... 1978

4 AMX-13 Started just at the end of World War II, development of the AMX-13 reached full production in 1952 with over 3,000 units built. An automatic loader negates the need for a fourth man in the turret, though manual loading is req... 1952

5 Fiat 3000 (L.5 Series) The Fiat 3000 was a highly-modified Italian version of the French FT-17. Modifications included (but were not limited to) side skirt armor and a redesigned turret. It became the first tank of note to be produced on Italian so... 1923

6 Light Tank, M24 (Chaffee) The Light Tank M24 Chaffee was the successor to the M5 Stuart light tank. Though appearing late into the Second World War, the Chaffee would nonetheless find its role in the Korean War soon after and become a common sight in ... 1944

7 Light Tank, M3 / M5 (Stuart) The M3 / M5 series (commonly known as the "General Stuart") was an Allied design classified as a light tank and appeared through the early and middle years of the Second World War. The system was under-gunned and lightly armo... 1941

8 LT vz 35 (PzKpfw 35(t)) The LT vz 35 was a light tank initially appearing with Czech Army forces in the mid-1930's. Two prototypes were drawn up, holding the designation of S-11-a (or T-11 in some sources) and produced to which they succeeded in arm... 1936

9 M1917 6-ton The M1917 6-ton was aversion of the French-made char leger FT-17. It represents an early foray into US military motorized doctrine and design. The American version featured an American-produced engine, all steel wheels, an... 1918

10 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 t... 1943

11 M41 Walker Bulldog The M41 Walker Bulldog was designed to replace the World War Two-era M24 Chaffee. Armed with a 76mm main gun, it was a very standardized tank, with driver front left and the weapons crew in the turret (loader left, gunner fro... 1951

12 M551 General Sheridan / Sheridan The M551 General Sheridan (or simply "Sheridan") was a light-armored and heavily-armed portable tank system utilized by the United States Army. The system evolved from the need to counter a similar Soviet design of the time a... 1968

13 PT-76 The PT-76 was developed shortly after Second World War. The weapon system is designated as a "Light Amphibious Tank" featuring a crew of three and the ability to traverse varying depths of water. The PT-76 is armed with th... 1952

14 Renault FT-17 The Renault FT-17 series of light tank was a monumental design that would go on to influence general tank design for nearly a century. The FT-17 was designed from the outset to be of a light classification, offering it better... 1917

15 Rheinmetall Landsysteme TAM / VCTan The TAM ("Tanque Argentine Mediano") tank was developed by the German firm of Rheinmetall (formerly Thyssen Henschel) after several companies submitted contracts. The Argentine need was for a modern main battle tank of medium... 1977

16 Sd.Kfz 121 Panzerkampfwagen II (Pz.Kpf.W II) / Panzer 2 While development of the of the Pz.Kpf.W. I (Panzer I) light tank (Sd.Kfz. 121) was still ongoing, the Pz.Kpf.W. II (Panzer II) light tank was already being devised as an interim tank model series to bridge the gap between th... 1936

17 Sd.Kfz. 101 Panzerkampfwagen I (Pz.Kpf.W I) / Panzer 1 Few could have known what the inception of the Panzer I into the German Army inventory during the middle portion of the 1930s had in store for the future of Europe. Though something of a failure as a combat vehicle, the Panze... 1935

18 Sd.Kfz. 141 Panzerkampfwagen III (Pz.Kpf.W III) / Panzer 3 Development of Hitler's Panzers was key to his early overwhelming victories in the East and West. The Panzer I light tank became Germany's first tank development after World War 1 and, though it was limited as a "true" tank i... 1939

19 SdKfz 140 (LT vz 38(t)) This light tank system initially began as a Czechoslovakian creation in the form of the LT vz 38. The system was drawn up to a new Czech Army specification intended to right the wrongs inherent in the earlier LT vz 35 light t... 1939

20 Steyr SK 105 Kurassier The SK 105 is classified as a mobile anti-tank system designed initially by the firm of Saurer-Werke but later picked up by the Steyr-Daimler-Puch consortium. The system was realized in 1967 with early production models hitti... 1971

21 T-18 (MS-1) The T-18 was the first Soviet-designed and produced tank. Russia initially lacked the internal expertise to design, develop and produce their own tanks in the early 20th Century, relying heavily on the importing of existing s... 1928

22 T-26 As was the norm after World War 1 in all industrialized nations around the globe, Soviet warplanners set about to upgrade their armed forces to meet the demands of the everchanging battlefield. In particular demand was the im... 1931

23 Type 2 Ka-Mi Development of the Type 2 began in 1928 and was the Army’s attempt to turn the Type 95 Kyu-Go light tank into an amphibious vehicle by adding flotation tanks. This concept failed so the designers switched to pontoons to prov... 1942

24 Type 62 Yet another in the long line of NORINCO designs inspired by Soviet-era purchases, the Type 62 (classified as a “light tank”) is nothing more than a base version of the Chinese Type 59 built for better off-road capabilities th... 1963

25 Type 63 The Chinese NORINCO-built Type 63 is in many ways a relative to the Soviet-designed and built PT-76 troop carrier. The weapon system is fully amphibious, utilizing water bilge pumps at a fording speed of up to 12km/h (propell... 1963

26 Type 97 Te-Ke Developed from an early Imperial Japanese Army request for a light tank in 1937, the Type 97 Te-Ke was simply outmatched against Allied armor. The system suffered from an undergunned main armament and light protection for the... 1937

27 Vickers 6-Ton (Mark E) The Vickers 6-Ton (Mark E) was a light tank evaluated by the British Army but ultimately rejected. When the British Army passed on the system, the tank was marketed (with success) to operators around the globe. The system wen... 1928