It's called a "luxury super tank" by its maker and that oxymoron describing the "Ripsaw EV2" is a key reason why the U.S. Army hasn't figured out a real combat role for this unarmored vehicle that can tear along terrain at 160 km/h.

Whether this tracked vehicle enters combat manned or unmanned is a question that has yet to be definitively answered. EV 2 stands for Extreme Vehicle 2.

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Ripsaw was built by Howe and Howe Technologies as a fast, tracked all terrain vehicle (ATV) but was advertised as a "tank" -- which it isn't. Nonetheless, the U.S. Army decided to evaluate eight Ripsaws at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey to determine if these machines can take part in combat armed with the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS).

CROWS, which equips some of the iterations of the M1 Abrams main battle tank, can be armed with a variety of close-in defense weapons. Among these weapons are the M2 .50-caliber machine gun; Mk19 40 mm automatic grenade machine gun; M240B 7.62 mm machine gun and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

The results of these tests haven't been revealed, however, but Ripsaw is still being evaluated by the army. What seems to be the Ripsaw's main selling point is its speed.

Howe and Howe claims their 750-horsepower machine weighing just 4,000 kg is capable of reaching speeds of almost 160 km/h. Ripsaw has a sticker price of only $250,000.

At this weight, it's a lot lighter than an M1126 Stryker Infantry Combat Vehicle (weight: 16,000 kg) or the M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (weight: 24,000 kg). And it's definitely a light weight compared to the Abrams, which tilts the scales at 63,000 kg.

The Ripsaw's main protection is its speed because it doesn't carry any armor in its present configuration. This drawback will be remedied if and when Ripsaw enters army service.

TagsRipsaw EV2, luxury super tank, Extreme Vehicle 2, Howe and Howe Technologies, U.S. Army, Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station, CROWS