Stingray

The Stingray is a tier 6 Light Tank originating from the United States, and is sold by Marat Shishkin. It can be unlocked from the M551 Sheridan and leads to the Stingray 2.

Features

 * Invisible movement: motion does not reduce camouflage factor.
 * HESH: can even penetrate armor with large hit angles.
 * First order ready rack: allows you to fire several rounds and reloads automatically.

Player recommendations
The first glimpse into the high tier role of a Light Tank, the Stingray is best utilized as a flanker and fire support vehicle that is best paired with an MBT. Using its mobility to flank and hit targets from behind, it can cause enough havoc behind the enemy lines to allow a large scale MBT push to break through while the enemy is disheveled. Its excellent gun handling and on-the-move accuracy allows it to hit targets from medium range and rapidly disengage.

Pros

 * Highly mobile and manuverable
 * Excellent on the move accuracy allows for quick attacks.
 * Good camouflage and view range
 * Excellent burst firepower

Cons

 * Minimal armor
 * Stock acceleration can feel sluggish
 * Large profile
 * Long reload on four shot clip

Upgrade suggestions
Upgrading to the 8V92TA-550 Diesel Engine will improve movement of freedom by increasing the acceleration and top speed. The Improved Gunner Sight, Improved Thermal Sight, and Improved Ready Racks, along with the various ammunition upgrades, will increase the effective lethality of the Stingray.

Retrofit suggestions

 * Advanced Fire Control
 * Advanced Muzzle Reference System
 * Electro-Optical Absorbing Paint
 * Augmented Optics

Commander and crew skill suggestions

 * Commander: Sabrina Washington, for improvements to camo rating, view range, and accuracy
 * Driver: Smooth Ride, Off-Road Driving
 * Gunner: Sharpshooter, Quick Draw
 * Loader: Rapid Fire, Explosive Shells

History
Class: Light Tank Developed: 1983-1986 Service: 1988+ Vehicles Built: 106 Operators: Thailand The Stingray was born in the early 1980s as a private project of Cadillac Gage, reacting to U.S. Army requirements for the Armored Gun System (AGS) program, which in turn was started with the intention of replacing the aging M551 Sheridan. The main idea behind the vehicle was to have something with the firepower of a Main Battle Tank – but lighter, more mobile and, most importantly, air-transportable. Its development began in January 1983 and prototype assembly started in February 1984. The vehicle was first introduced (as a mock-up) to potential buyers in 1984 and it immediately got the attention of several militaries. The Stingray was a conventional Light Tank with a four-man crew and a turret that was specifically designed to be usable on M551 Sheridan, M41A1 Walker Bulldog and LAV-300 hulls, potentially replacing the old turret to extend the lifespan of the vehicles in question. It carried a 105mm rifled gun and was protected by Cadillac Gage&#39;s patented Cadloy steel armor. While the attempt to pitch the vehicle to the U.S. Army failed along with the AGS program, the Royal Thai Army did like the tank, however, and signed a contract for 106 of these vehicles in October 1987. The vehicles were delivered between 1988 and early 1990. At that point, it was the most modern armored vehicle of the Thai military and it remained so for 15 years until the delivery of the first Ukrainian Oplot MBTs in February 2014. Thai Stingrays were never involved in fighting other armored vehicles. The closest it came to a shooting conflict was in 2011. Cambodia and Thailand had argued over the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple for over a century. This dispute occasionally involved small-scale firefights between border patrols, but from February to May 2011 the conflict escalated with both sides deploying regular infantry supported by artillery units and tanks. Cambodia sent its T-55As to the area, while Thailand countered with the best they had at the time, the Stingrays and M60A3 Pattons. In the end, however, neither side actually used these vehicles in combat and the situation eventually de-escalated, although the area remains a contested territory to this day.