COMMANDO STINGRAY

MATTE Publishing & Hobby, 1/35 scale

Reviewed by Zack Sex

The Cadillac Gage Commando Stingray light tank was developed as a private venture, aimed specifically at export customers requiring an affordable, modern armoured vehicle suited to leaner defence budgets. It offered a cost-effective solution for nations unable to procure and sustain large fleets of advanced main battle tanks.

Weighing just 22.5 tonnes, the Stingray is air-portable in a C-130 Hercules, has a maximum speed of 70 km/h, and is armed with a variant of the Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm main gun. This proven anti-tank weapon is capable of defeating most light and medium armour. Protection, however, is limited; the Stingray is lightly armoured and can realistically only withstand small arms fire on the sides and heavy machine gun fire across the frontal arc.

Those familiar with modern self-propelled artillery will immediately recognise the running gear and tracks, which are derived from the M109 155 mm self-propelled gun. This clever use of widely available components simplifies logistics and ensures ready access to spare parts.

Although marketed to a wide range of potential customers—particularly in Asia—the sole buyer for this nimble light tank was Thailand. In 1987, Thailand procured 106 Stingrays for a reported US$150 million. The type joined a diverse inventory of armoured vehicles within Thai service, including M48s, Israeli-upgraded M60A1s, standard M60A3s, Ukrainian T-84 Oplots and Chinese VT-4s.

The Stingray was held in reserve during the 2011 border tensions around the Preah Vihear Temple with Cambodia, but would not see significant action until the more recent 2025 border conflict. During this fighting, Thailand committed substantial air and ground forces, and it was not uncommon to see Stingrays, Scorpions and M113s fitted with improvised protection such as bamboo screens, timber, sandbags and anti-drone nets mounted over the upper surfaces.

MATTE Models from Thailand offers the modeller a 3D-printed kit that builds in a simple, straightforward manner straight from the box. Clean-up is minimal, with only a slight print texture visible on some surfaces, easily removed with light sanding. I added anti-slip texture to the horizontal surfaces after studying reference photos online.

The driver’s hatch may be posed open or closed, although the commander’s and loader’s hatches are moulded shut. Opening these would not be difficult, replacing the kit parts with simple plastic card. Detail on the main gun, .50 calibre machine gun, and the M109-derived wheels and tracks is commendably sharp.

For best results, it is advisable to glue the inner halves of the wheels in position first, followed by the one-piece track run, and then attach the outer wheels.

All in all, this is a fine release from MATTE Models, and I hope to see more modern Thai Army subjects from them in future—perhaps a VT-4 or upgraded M60. Now, all that remains is to source some bamboo and sandbags to complete this Stingray project.

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Highly Recommended

Zack Sex

Purchased by the reviewer