Comparing: M5A1 Stuart vs. T-80

The first tanks of the M5 series were produced in April 1942, and a new modification, the M5A1, was preferred over other variants. After the M24 Chaffee was developed, the M5A1 tanks were deemed obsolete and were exported to other countries, including China. A total of 100 tanks of this type were supplied to the Kuomintang. During the Civil War (1946–1949), many of these vehicles were captured by the PLA.

Developed in the summer and fall of 1942 at the Construction Bureau of the Gorky Automobile Plant under the supervision of N. A. Astrov. The vehicle came into service in December 1942. A total of 85 vehicles were mass-produced.