The M50 Ontos is a Tankette and lightweight tank destroyer developed by the United States in the 1950s, mounting six 106 mm M40A1C recoilless rifles in two triple clusters for massive short-range anti-armour and anti-fortification firepower. It saw limited use with the US Army and was adopted by the US Marine Corps, notably in Vietnam, where its heavy punch and small silhouette were valued despite limited armour and a cramped two-man crew. Weighing only 8.6 t and crewed by a driver and gunner, it is powered by a Chrysler HT-361-318 gasoline engine producing 145 hp for 16.9 hp/t and 48 km/h.
The six rifles can fire M344A1 HEAT and M361A1 rounds, with a 6 s reload and ammunition in ready and hull racks; a 12.7 mm M8C spotting rifle and .30 cal M1919 provide secondary armament. There is no stabilizer, FCS, or rangefinder — only a 6x telescope — and the vehicle relies on mobility and burst fire rather than protection.
