(1) activates main turret control. (2) activates land control. (3) activates water control. (4) activates commander's MG and hatch. (5) activates loader's hatch. (6) activates driver's hatch. (7) fires 90mm cannon. Throttle controls hatch position. For land propulsion, VTOL controls left track, and Trim controls right track. For water propulsion, VTOL controls direction, and Yaw steers. Pitch and roll control gun elevation and traverse. The M27 Scorpion II is an airmobile, amphibious light tank tailored to the needs of the tropics. It was in response to the inadequacy of the existing M8 Light Tank in this role, as it was designed primarily for long-range combat. It is 40% lighter, at 15 tons.

Armed with a potent 90mm cannon, it can knock out any Gran Hispanic tank in service, while remaining proof to autocannon up to 30mm from the front. For simplicity in maintenance, it employs four Horstmann bogies, two on each side, in addition to the front-mounted drive wheel. Although providing for less vertical travel of road wheel than comparable torsion bars, it is much simpler and does not occupy any space in the hull. It can reach speeds of up to 60mph and can swim across rivers without preparation, albeit at a slow speed. This particular machine is outfitted with numerous storage containers and an unditching beam.