M551谢里登轻型战车是美国的轻型战车，专门作为空降部队使用的空投战车，由通用汽车研发。

M551车身以铝合金作为要结构，再于主要部位加上钢装甲补强，车身前方是驾驶，采用和M47巴顿战车相同的对外观察窗，车身有5对车轮，以扭力杆承载系统和车身相连，动力为通用汽车的6V-53T二冲程柴油发动机，M551的车身两侧看似垂直，但其实是一层垂直的强化塑胶，内里的金属结构是有一定斜角，车身中央是炮塔，炮塔采用钢铁铸造，为了配合空投，车重有所限制，为了增加砲塔防护力故而被设计成贝壳形，以其曲面弧度去令来袭炮弹滑开，炮塔虽小但却可容纳3人，车长和炮手在炮塔内右侧而装填手在左侧，主炮和M60A2巴顿相同的152毫米口径M81，此炮能发射多用途强压弹HESH、榴弹、黄磷发烟弹和曳光弹，还能发射MGM-51A橡树棍式反坦克飞弹，次要武器是M73同轴机枪和在车顶的M2重机枪

The M551 "Sheridan" AR/AAV (Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle) was a light tank developed by the United States and named after Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was designed to be landed by parachute and to swim across rivers. It was armed with the technically advanced but troublesome M81/M81 Modified/M81E1 152mm gun/launcher, which fired conventional ammunition and the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided anti-tank missile.