AAI’s Rapid Deployment Force Light Tank (RDF/LT). While ACVT testing was underway, AAI Corporation created a vehicle based on the HSTV-L called the RDF/LT (Rapid Deployment Force Light Tank). Primary testing of the vehicle was completed in 1982, but the HSTV-L would continue to be used for firing and stabilization testing well into the mid-1980s. AAI Corporation was awarded the contract in December 1977, with the construction of the vehicle being completed in 1979. Crew positions for both proposals were based on the HIMAG-B to varying degrees. It was to be powered by a General Motors 8V71T diesel engine paired with an HMPT-500 hydromechanical transmission.ĪAI Corporation’s proposal featured the same 75 mm gun in a cleft turret design and was to be powered by an Avco-Lycoming 650 gas turbine engine paired to an X-300-4A automatic transmission. The Pacific Car and Foundry proposal featured a 75 mm ARES gun in an elevating mount with a coaxial 25 mm Bushmaster cannon. The HSTV-L would investigate the operational merit of a light tank that could be transported by helicopter, could use a rapid-firing cannon to destroy future armor threats, and could use quick bursts of speed in conjunction with its low profile to ensure survivability. In July 1977, AAI Corporation and Pacific Car and Foundry Company submitted proposals for the HSTV-L portion of the program. This was followed by the HIMAG-B, which was designed to test supine (semi-reclining) crew positions. Horsepower was variable between 1,000, 1,250, and 1,500 horsepower. It featured an adjustable hydropneumatic suspension system, a 75 mm gun with a sliding breech, and an AVCR-1360 diesel engine coupled to an X-1100-H transmission. A variable parameter testbed, the HIMAG-A, was the first concept vehicle developed for this portion of the program. Initiated in the late 1970s, the ACVT program was a joint venture between the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) which would explore concepts for future armored fighting vehicles, with a heavy emphasis on lightweight vehicles.
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