Type Medium tank Designed 1952 to 1957 | Place of origin United States Variants T54E1, T54E2 | |
Designer Rheem Manufacturing Company, United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Detroit Arsenal Manufacturer Rheem Manufacturing Company, United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Detroit Arsenal | ||
The T54 was a series of prototype American tanks of the 1950s with three different turrets, all armed with a 105 mm gun, mounted on the M48 Patton chassis. The original T54 had a conventional turret with an autoloader, while the turret on T54E1 was of an oscillating design with an autoloader and the one on T54E2 was conventional with a human loader. The turret on T54E1 was similar to that of the T69 in its oscillating design and in that it held a crew of three and a nine-round drum autoloader under the gun. The T54E1 was abandoned in 1956 and in 1957 the entire project was cancelled in favor of the T95.
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Development
In December 1950, the Army Equipment Development Guide recommended that a 105mm tank gun be pursued. By the 6 of July 1951, OTCM (Ordnance Technical Committee Minutes) 33842 officially initiated the development project with two new vehicles designated: the 105mm gun tank T54, and the 105mm gun tank T54E1. The T54's 105mm T140 gun was a lighter version of the 105mm T5E2, which was the armament of the T29 Heavy Tank. Designed for use with an autoloader, their breeches were inverted and fixed rounds were used. When modified for use with the T54E1 oscillating turret, the gun was designated as the 105mm gun T140E2.