Ontos, officially the Rifle, Multiple 106 mm, Self-propelled, M50, was an American light armored tracked anti-tank vehicle developed in the 1950s. It mounted six 106 mm manually loaded M40 recoilless rifles as its main armament, which could be fired in rapid succession against single targets to increase the probability of a kill.

Aug 10, 2021 · View of the American-made Ontos M50, a light armored anti-tank vehicle, seeking defensive positions after landing on Chu Lai beach in Vietnam, June 1965. It possesses six M40 106mm recoilless rifles, which could be fired in rapid succession.

May 13, 2023 · An M50 Ontos moves into a firing position at Con Thien, near the DMZ in Vietnam. Image: Sgt. J.S. Ryan/U.S.M.C. The Marines were interested. Enough so that they took the entire production run of just under 300 vehicles in 1965, listing it on the inventory as Rifle, Multiple 106mm, Self-Propelled, M50.

Jul 15, 2021 · With its tiny chassis, tinier turret and six, massive, externally mounted recoilless rifles, the M50 Ontos had to have been the strangest armored vehicle ever to make it into the American military inventory.

The last action of the Ontos came during the Dominican Civil war when on 29 April 1965 an M50 Ontos and M48 Patton (6th MEU) destroyed two rebel L/60L light tank, and the Ontos also destroyed an AMX-13 in another circumstance. The M50 served well until 1969, and was retired.

Dec 13, 2023 · The M50 Ontos originated during the Korean War from a project that sought to develop a highly efficient, lightweight, universal chassis. Experience during that war highlighted the need to give infantry a mobile means of transportation themselves, cargo, and weapons around the battlefield.

Jul 10, 2018 · Officially known as the “Rifle, Multiple 106 mm, Self-propelled, M50,” the Ontos was a tracked, lightly armored anti-tank vehicle developed as a fast tank killer for airborne forces. It mounted six M40 106 mm recoilless rifles that could be fired in …

Apr 26, 2019 · Ontos is Greek for "the thing." The M50 is a light, mobile, anti-tank system with six 106MM recoilless rifles. The Ontos was developed in the mid-1950s and designed for sea-to-land...

Mar 3, 2018 · Detailing the technical specifications, development, and operational history of the M50 Ontos (Thing) Tank Destroyer / Anti-Personnel Vehicle including pictures.

May 18, 2022 · When the United States needed an air-transportable tank destroyer in the early 1950s, something that they had been searching for during World War II, a joint effort of the US Army and US...