U.S. Army’s Abandoned Airborne Tank Force (M8 AGS)

Stop data brokers from exposing your personal information. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/battleorder to get a 14-day free trial and see how much of yours is being sold

Become a Patron to support us & get exclusive perks: https://www.patreon.com/battleorder
Or Sign-Up as a Youtube Member: https://youtube.com/@BattleOrder/membership

Check out our merch shop for new prints, apparel and other stuff!: https://battleorder.myshopify.com/

If you'd like to make a one-time donation to Battle Order: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QJ5G9WUCQW6TA

For tank illustrations and articles: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/

Other Platforms
• Website: https://www.battleorder.org/
• 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BattleOrder2
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/battle_order
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/battle.order/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/battle.order/
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@battle.order

Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
0:40 - Overview of AGS Units
3:00 - The 82nd Airborne's AGS
5:11 - Light Armor Platoon
8:16 - Light Armor Company
11:32 - Light Armor Battalion
12:28 - 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (Light)

Sources:
• FM 17-18 "Light Armor Operations" (March 1994): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/FM_17-18_Light-Armor-Operations.pdf
The main publication for the employment of the AGS-equipped Light Armor Battalion that would've been under the 82nd Airborne Division.

• FM 17-15 "Tank Platoon" (April 1996): https://archive.org/details/FM1715TankPlatoon
General publication on the U.S. Army Tank Platoon which, in preparation for the adoption of the M8 AGS, included details about it specifically. Page 7 also includes what the Light Armored Cavalry Troop would have looked like doctrinally.

• FM 17-97 "Cavalry Troop" (October 1995): https://archive.org/details/FM1797CavTroop
Did not incorporate the M8 AGS but did talk about the Light Armored Cavalry Regiment (LACR) of the time.

• McGrath, J. "Scouts Out! The Development of Reconnaissance Units in Modern Armies" https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/scouts_out.pdf
Talks about the Light Armored Cavalry Regiment (LACR) and mentions the AGS in passing on pages 179-180

• FM 1-114 "Air Cavalry Squadron and Troop Operations" (February 2000)
https://archive.org/details/fm-114-air-cavalry-squadron-and-troop-operations
Talks about the LACR's Regimental Aviation Squadron (RAS)

• FM 71-2 "The Tank and Mechanized Infantry Battalion Task Force" (January 1988) https://books.google.com.au/books?id=wA1m2Xf6R24C&pg=SA7-PA18&lpg=SA7-PA18&dq=%22detached+company+normal+service+support+package%22&source=bl&ots=BFttI_afNm&sig=ACfU3U2hk8SAw6V5KVTZvogZqVo1_O5dWg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj3gbb0ntyDAxXZyjgGHd7tA-sQ6AF6BAgJEAM#v=onepage&q=%22detached%20company%20normal%20service%20support%20package%22&f=false
This source is from the 80s and doesn't apply to the AGS, but the "Detached company normal service support package" detailed on page 7-18 is basically the same one described in the Light Armor Operations manual (except regular armor companies needed M88s)

• Preston, A. "Putting Armor Back Into the 82nd Airborne Division: Revisiting the AGS Decision" https://web.archive.org/web/20210506201647/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA429275.pdf
Talks about how many M8 AGSs could fit in each type of airlifter in service at the time and the protection levels of the 3 armor packages on page 30.

• Arenstein, S. "AGS killed as Army budget rises" https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA18136176&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-ITOF&asid=b89a8e14
Talks about the cancellation of the M8 AGS and the Army's budgetary climate at the time.The article states that the AGS program was the only significant termination in FY97, while later cancelled programs like the RAH-66 Commache and the Crusader SPG soldiered on. It also talks about some things the army said it would do to compensate for the AGS's cancellation, like fast tracking Abrams modernization and Javelin ATGM fielding.

• Inside the Army, Vol. 7, No. 50 (December 18, 1995), pp. 3-4 (2 pages). "Decker lauds 'model of streamlined acquisition': Six-Year Armored Gun System Cost-Cutting Plan Could Save $490 Million"
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43982560?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents
Talks about some cost cutting measures they were considering to make to the AGS shortly before it was cancelled. One idea was making a cheaper non-airborne version during later production for the 2d ACR.

Видео U.S. Army’s Abandoned Airborne Tank Force (M8 AGS) канала Battle Order