The Inter-Allied Tank Commission decided that, because of the wartime demands on French industry, the quickest way to supply the American forces with tanks was to manufacture the French Renault FT light tank in the United States. A joint Anglo-French-American program was launched to develop a new heavy tank based on British heavy tank designs, though it was expected that sufficient quantities of tanks would not be available until April 1918. The following month, in light of a report into British and French theories on tank operation, the American Expeditionary Forces' commander-in-chief, General John Pershing, decided that both light and heavy tanks were essential for the conduct of the war and should be acquired as soon as possible.

entered the First World War on the side of the Entente Powers in April 1917, without any tanks of its own. Light tanks with a crew of only two were mass-produced during World War I. World War I Renault FT tanks being operated by the US Army in France. has been greatly influential in the design philosophy, production and doctrine of tanks, and has been responsible for some of the most successful tank designs. In World War II, the US came to the fore with tanks designed for mass production and reliability reflecting the US position as the 'arsenal of democracy'. In the interwar period there was reduced development due to the low expenditure on war material following the US non-interventionist policy and the financial position.

While there were several American experiments in tank design, the first American tanks to see service were copies of French light tanks and a joint heavy tank design with the United Kingdom. The United States has produced tanks since their inception in World War I, up until the present day.

Top us military tanks