Question: The M22 Locust, officially Light Tank (Airborne), M22, was an American-designed airborne light tank which was produced during World War II, the United States Ordnance Department was asked to produce this replacement, which in turn selected which American manufacturer of axles and transfer cases for trucks and other vehicles?

The M22 Locust, officially Light Tank (Airborne), M22, was an American-designed airborne light tank which was produced during World War II.  The Locust began development in 1941 after the British War Office requested that the American government design a purpose-built airborne light tank which could be transported by glider into battle to support British airborne forces.  The United States Ordnance Department was asked to produce this replacement, which in turn selected Marmon-Herrington to design and build a prototype airborne tank in May 1941.  The War Office had originally selected the Light Tank Mark VII Tetrarch light tank for use by the airborne forces, but it had not been designed with that exact purpose in mind so the War Office believed that a purpose-built tank would be required to replace it.  The prototype was designated the Light Tank T9 (Airborne), and was designed so that it could be transported underneath a Douglas C-54 Skymaster transport aircraft, although its dimensions also allowed it to fit inside a General Aircraft Hamilcar glider. <SEP> Limited standard was a term used by the United States Army during World War II.  The term was applied to equipment, such as the M22 Locust, which met certain standards set by the United States Ordnance Department but did not reach the standards required by the Department for the equipment to be issued to combat units. <SEP>  Earlier, the company built military vehicles and some tanks during World War II, and until the late 1950s or early 1960s was a manufacturer of trucks and trolley buses. The Marmon-Herrington Company, Inc. is an American manufacturer of axles and transfer cases for trucks and other vehicles.  Marmon-Herrington had a partnership with Ford Motor Company, producing trucks and other commercial vehicles, such as buses.  The company may be best known for its all-wheel-drive conversions to other truck maker's units, especially to Ford truck models.  Founded in 1931, Marmon-Herrington was based in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a plant in Windsor, Ontario, and remained in Indianapolis until 1963.  It is now based in Louisville, Kentucky. <SEP> The General Aircraft Limited GAL.  49 Hamilcar or Hamilcar Mark I was a large British military glider produced during the Second World War, which was designed to carry heavy cargo, such as the Tetrarch or M22 Locust light tank.  When the British airborne establishment was formed in 1940 by the order of Prime Minister Winston Churchill it was decided to develop a large glider which would be able to transport heavy equipment in support of airborne troops.  General Aircraft Limited were chosen in January 1941 to develop this glider, which they designated the GAL.  49 'Hamilcar'.  It was designed to transport a single light tank or two Universal Carriers.  A number of problems, which included vacillation by the War Office on the number of gliders that it wanted and poor management by GAL, led to delays in the production of the Hamilcar, and the first production glider was only assembled in mid-1943.  These problems were only partially solved, and production of the glider continued to be slow, hampered by difficulties in finding suitable locations to store and construct the Hamilcars once their parts were produced.  A total of 344 Hamilcars had been built when production ended in 1946.