Overview[]
The M50 Ontos (Greek for "thing") project was created to be an air transportable tank destroyer capable of being lifted by the cargo aircraft of the 1950s. The Ontos used the six-cylinder engine used in the GMC trucks of the time.
The vehicle underwent trials at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, where during a firing trial, the back-blast was so intense it knocked bricks out of a nearby building and broke the windows of several cars. Testing was completed by 1955, at which point the Army cancelled its order. The Marine Corps accepted its first vehicle on October 1956.
Variants[]
Several variants were studied, including armoured personnel carriers.
- Rifle, Multiple 106mm, Self-propelled, M50 "Ontos"
- Standard production model.
- Utility Vehicle, Tracked, T55
- An armoured personnel carrier, 2 prototypes were built. It proved impractical due to limited room inside and only carrying five infantry, and forcing the driver to lie prone.
- Utility Vehicle, Tracked, T56
- A stretched version of the T55 was also built, with an 8 men team. The equipment had to be stowed outside. Neither the T55 or T56 were considered useful and development ceased.
- AT-1
- A brief study was made to replace the Ontos' rifles with a new 105mm design that included a reloading system similar to a revolver. This project was not accepted.
- Rifle, Multiple 106mm, Self-propelled, M50A1 "Ontos"
- Upgrade replacing the engine with the Chrysler 361 cu V8 engine. 176 were converted between 1963 to 1965.
 United States of AmericaLand Vehicles Modern Period (1991 — Present) |
|---|
| Tracked Vehicles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Light Tanks | Light Tank | M8 (XM8) • Stingray (II) |
| Light Tank, Amphibious | AAAV • M551 Sheridan (A1, XM551) | |
| IFV | M2 Bradley (A1 • A2 • A3) • M3 Bradley • M116 • MICV-65 • XM729 • XM701 • XM734 • XM800T • XM1202 | |
| Medium Tanks | Main Battle Tank | 120S • CATTB • Lockheed-Martin Thumper • M1 Abrams (IP • E1 • A1 • A1AIM • A1D • A1FEP • A1HA • A1HC • A2 • A2SEPv1 • A2SEPv2 • A2SEPv3 • A3) • M1 Thumper • M60 (A1 • A1 (AOS) • A1 RISE • A1 RISE Passive • A1E1 • A1E2 • A1E3 • A1E4 • A2 • A3 • TTS • A3 SLEP • AX • 2000) • XM1-FSED Abrams • XM66 • XM803 |
| Self-Propelled Guns | SPAA | M6 Bradley Linebacker • M42 (M42A1) • M113A2 ADATS • M163 • M247 Sergeant York • M741 • T100 • T141 (E1) • T149 • TS-11 • XM166 • XM246 • XM247 |
| ATGMV | M901 ITV (A1 • A2 • A3) • T149 | |
| SPAT | M56 • SARAH • T86 • T101 • T114 | |
| SPFT | M132 (A1) | |
| SPM | 105mm LA-3 • 105mm M52 • 105/110mm LA-7 • 155mm M44 (A1) • 155mm M53 • 155mm M109 (A1 • A2 • A2B • A3 • A3B • A4 • A5 • A5+ • A6) • 155mm T94E1 • 155mm T194E1 • 155mm XM2001 Crusader • 175mm M107 • 175mm T235 • 203.2mm M55 • 203.2mm M110 • 203.2mm T93 • 240mm T92 • TS-12 • TS-13 • TS-27 | |
| Self-Propelled Missile Launcher | M474 • M548 • M667 • M688 • M727 • M730 (A1 • A2) • M752 • XM474 (E1 • E2) • XM476 • XM546 (E1) • XM548 (E1) • XM730 | |
| SPM | 81mm M125 (A1 • A2) • 81mm T257 (107mm E1) • 81mm XM755 • 107mm M106 (A1 • A2) • 107mm XM106 • 120mm M1064 | |
| SPRG | AT-1 • AT-2 • M50 Ontos (A1) • T164 • T165 (E2) • T166 • T167 | |
| Self-Propelled Rocket Artillery | M270 MLRS (A1) | |
| Explosive Related | Mine Laying | [[]] |
| Mine Clearing / Sweeping | M1 Panther II • M60 • M60 Panther | |
| Misc Tanks | Ammunition Carrier | M992 |
| APC | M1 Grizzly • M58 Wolf • M75 • M113 (A1 • A1E1 • A2 • A2E1 • A3 • E2) • M1059 (A3) • T55 • T56 • T113 (E1 • E2) • T117 • XM45 (E1) • XM733 (E1) • XM1108 | |
| ARV | M1 • M51 • XM696 • XM806 (E1) | |
| Bridge Laying | M48A2 • M48A5 • M60 • M60A1 • M104 Wolverine | |
| Cargo | M116 • M548 • T60 • T107 • XM548 (E1) | |
| Command | M4 C2V • M577 • M1068 | |
| EW | M1015 | |
| Engineering & Maintenance | M579 Fitter • M728 • M728A1 • T118 | |
| Land Clearing | M60 with M9 Bulldozer | |
| Landing Craft | LVTP-5 | |
| Medical | M113 AMEV | |
| Observation, Spotting & Survey | M113 OSV • M981 FISTV | |
| Training | M551 NTC | |
| Utility | T122 | |
| Half-Tracked Vehicles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Transport | [[]] | |
| Trucks | [[]] | |
| Amphibious Transport | [[]] | |
| Gun Motor Carriages (GMC) | M34, 40mm • T19, 40mm | |
| Howitzer Motor Carriages (HMC) | [[]] | |
| Multiple Gun Motor Carriages (MGMC) | M16 (A1 • A2 • B) | |
| Mortar Motor Carriages (MMC) | [[]] | |
| Utility | [[]] | |
| Wheeled Vehicles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Offensive / Defensive | Armament Carrier | M1025 (A1) • M1026 (A1) • M1043 (A1 • A2) • M1044 (A1) • M1114 • M1116 |
| Armored Cars | T55 • XM800W • XM808 | |
| Directed Energy Weapon Carrier | HLONS | |
| Infantry Fighting Vehicles | LAV-25 (A1 • A2) • LAV-300 • LAV-600 • M1126 ICV | |
| Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun & SAM | AN/TWQ-1 Avenger • LAV-AD • M998 Avenger • M1097 Avenger | |
| Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Guided Missile | LAV-AT • M966 (A1) • M1025A2 • M1036 • M1045 (A1 • A2) • M1046 (A1) • M1115 • M1121 • M1134 ATGMV • M1167 | |
| Self-Propelled Mortar | Dragon Fire • LAV-EFSS • LAV-M • M1129 MCV | |
| Self-Propelled Rocket Artillery | M142 HIMARS | |
| Tank Destroyer | M1128 MGS | |
| Other | Ammunition Carrier | [[]] |
| APC | [[]] | |
| Cargo | M923 • M924 • M925 • M926 • M927 • M928 • M939 • M998 (A1) • M1038 (A1) • M1097 (A1 • A2) • M1123 • M1113 | |
| Command | LAV-C2 • M1130 CV | |
| Engineering | LAV-R • M929 • M930 • M931 • M932 • M936 • M1132 ESV | |
| IMV | Buffalo • Caiman • Cheetah • Cougar • M1025 (M • N • R • S • T) • M1113 (M • N • R • S • T) • M-ATV • MaxxPro • MRAP (II) • RG-31 • RG-33 • ULTRA AP (II) | |
| Medical | M996 • M997 (A1 • A2) • M1035 (A1 • A2) • M1133 MEV | |
| MRAP | M1240 (A1) • M1245 (A1) • M1277 | |
| Observation, Spotting & Survey | M1131 FSV | |
| Shelter Carrier | M1037 • M1042 • M1097A2 • M1113 | |
| Reconnaissance | DPV • LSV • M1127 RV | |
| Transport & Towing | M939 • M998 (A1) • M1038 (A1) • M1069 • M1097 (A1 • A2) • M1123 • M1113 • M1116 • M1151 • M1152 • M1165 | |
| Utility | JLTV • LAV-LOG • LAV-MEWSS • M934 • M935 • M939 • M1097A2 | |