This Tank Doesn't Need a Driver
January 31, 2025
117,471
7,698
388
6.88%
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
The Tank Museum Episodes Around January 31, 2025
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
20:32Now PlayingThis Tank Doesn't Need a Driver
Chapters
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelThis might just be one of the greatest missed opportunities in the history of tank development. Project Crazy Horse: a full-sized, crewless, remote-control tank – developed 35 years ago.
Being shot at is as unpleasant as it is dangerous. But in the 1980s, the Ministry of Defence needed to trial the cutting-edge TRIGAT missile system with a mobile target. The MOD approached the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) with a unique challenge – design us a tank that can operate by remote control.
With a limited budget, the project team selected an old Mark I Chieftain as the test bed for their vehicle. Stripping out any unnecessary components and piecing together the needed parts from a range of tech, Crazy Horse was successfully trialed in 1988.
But despite the innovations of both the team and the technology, the project was shut down due to budget cuts and issues of unreliability. The team was reassigned, and Crazy Horse was sent to The Tank Museum.
There is currently no such thing as an unmanned, remote controlled main battle tank. But 35 years ago, we came tantalisingly close.
If you're seeing this, why not leave a comment telling us what you think of Project Crazy Horse? Or, if you loved the video, give us a like!
Interested in learning about tanks? Subscribe to The Tank Museum and enjoy hours of FREE tank content at your fingertips. And if you're a real Tank Nut, why not consider becoming a channel member or joining our community on Patreon
Want a remotecontrol tank of your own? Shop our wide range of tank merch at our online shop
In this film Chris Copson and Paul Famojuro explore the extraordinary story of Project Crazy Horse. This driverless Chieftain target tank was developed in the 1980s, by an enthusiastic team that used their expertise to create the biggest remote-controlled tank in the world. Sadly, despite several glimmers of a resurrection, Crazy Horse would never see its full potential. Both Crazy Horse and its Stormer control vehicle were saved from scrap, and are now on display at The Tank Museum, where visitors can discover more about this revolutionary design.
Want to learn more about Project Crazy Horse and the driverless tank? Here are some of the sources we used to make this film:
TM Archive, E2015.2982 Administrative Documents relating to Project Crazy Horse
TM Archive, E2015.1425 Remote Driving Conversion and 00 EB 33 Full Radio Tests (Crazy Horse)
TM Archive, E2013.3307 RARDE Project 'Crazy Horse'
TM Archive, E2021.824 Operation Granby
TM Archive, E2016.2124 Feasibility Study on A Control System for An Unmanned Target Tank (U)
Support The Tank Museum!
Online Shop
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.