Comparing: T49 vs. Spähpanzer Ru 251

A variant of the M41 light tank with an enlarged turret and 90-mm gun. Trials started on May 5, 1954. The trials were a success, but the tank never saw mass production due to lack of interest from the military authorities.

The vehicle was developed on the basis of the Kanonenjagdpanzer 4-5 tank destroyer by the Henschel company in 1964. The tank was planned to replace the obsolete M41 Walker Bulldog vehicles used by the reconnaissance battalions of the armored divisions in the German Army. The tank never saw mass production, but some technical innovations were applied later in the development of other vehicles. The total number of prototypes built is unknown.