That sick 'Fate of the Furious' tank is a real Army vehicle? Hell yeah it is

It's not just a tank -- it's a Ripsaw, bruh. The world's fastest tank.

And it is real.

The new favorite vehicle of Tej Parker (played by Ludacris) you'll see shredding ice this weekend in The Fate of the Furious isn't just some vehicle production designer's dream. It's a bona fide military asset, albeit one that's still in testing phase.

But it's safe to say its screen-test went pretty well.

In this behind-the-scenes video clip (above) that Mashable can exclusively debut, we see the Ripsaw in action. Hard, ruthless, punishing action, brought to you by Fate director F. Gary Gray & Co., who clearly weren't afraid to put it through its paces.

The Ripsaw was developed by Maine-based Howe & Howe Technologies, which specializes in lightweight military-grade vehicles. It's powered by a Duramax 6.6 liter V8 diesel engine and mounts an M153 CROWS weapons station, capable of handling up to a .50-caliber machine gun.

At 750 horsepower and under 10,000 pounds, the Ripsaw is capable of just over 100 mph, but is too light and too fast to really be classified as a standard tank. And it doesn't really have the same heavy armor or firepower of the Army's go-to battle tanks, which can be twice as heavy.

What it does have is speed, versatility and armaments that are in many ways superior to the classic Humvee. And like the tried-and-true Hummer, it's a genuine military vehicle that also has a super high-end luxury version available on the commercial market.

The Ripsaw also has a driverless, remote-controlled version -- but the one in The Fate of the Furious is clearly in Tej's control. Just how he likes it.

The Ripsaw is ready for its closeup this weekend, when The Fate of the Furious hits theaters.