M163 Vulcan

M163 VADS
M163 in Fort Irwin, California, USA
General properties
crew	4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
length	4.86 m (length with gun in 12 o'clock position)
width	2.86 m
height	2.92 m (tower top)
Dimensions	12.5 tons
Armor and armament
Armor	38 mm frontal armor
Main armament	1 × 20 mm M168 Gatling gun (modified M61 ) from General Dynamics with 2,100 rounds
Secondary armament	no
agility
drive	General Motors 6V53, 6 cylinder, diesel two-stroke engine 212 HP (158 kW)
suspension	Torsion bar
Top speed	64 km / h
Power / weight	17.0 hp / ton
Range	480 km

The M163 Vulcan Air Defense System is an anti-aircraft tank developed in the United States in the 1960s , based on a modified M113 A1 chassis, which is equipped with a modified M61 Vulcan -Gatling gun (M168) and a fire control radar . The chassis itself is named M741.

History of origin

From 1964, the United States Army began development of the M163, which should serve as a replacement for the M42 Duster system. Shortly after the first examples were completed in 1968, tests were carried out against ground targets in the Vietnam War , which showed how effective the system was in this area. Since the development of the replacement project M247 Sergeant York was discontinued in 1985 due to massive technical problems, work was carried out in parallel on an increase in combat value , which was introduced in 1984 as PIVADS (Product Improved Vulcan Air Defense System). Technically obsolete, especially due to its limited range, the Army's units were replaced in the 1990s by the M1097 Avenger system with Stinger missiles.

Specification (M163)

• Armor:
  • Front: 38 mm
  • Side: 32–45 mm
  • back / top: 38 mm
  • Bottom: 29 mm
• M168 weapon:
  • Effective range: 1,200 m
  • Maximum rate of fire: 3,000 rounds / minute
  • Elevation: + 80 ° to −5 ° at 60 ° / second
  • Angle: 360 ° in 75 ° / second
  • Ammunition supply: 2,100 cartridges

variants

Extensive changes had to be made to the chassis of the vehicle, which was initially based on the M113A1 chassis when it was introduced. Additional floats were attached to the sides of the vehicle because of their heavy weight . The hydraulic suspension of the chassis could be switched off to ensure stabilization when firing. After switching to the improved M113A2 chassis, it was referred to as the M741A1 on the M163. As part of the PIVADS combat value increase carried out by the Lockheed Electronics Company , the fire control system and night combat capability were improved, and the possibility of firing APDS ammunition was created .

• M163: Standard version with M157 weapon mount, M168 cannon and M741 chassis on the M113 A1 stand .
  • M163A1: Modifications to the weapon mount (M157A1), later drive train on the M113A2. Chassis henceforth referred to as M741A1.
  • M163A1 / A2 PIVADS: Accuracy and Capacities Enhanced by Developments by Lockheed Electronics Company . Includes a digital processor; The main sight and recoil compensation system have been stabilized in the vertical plane, improvements to the fire control system .
• M167 : Towed version on a trailer. The towing vehicle was the Gama Goat until 1989 when it was replaced by the HMMWV .
• Machbet : Israeli further development with 4 FIM-92 Stinger starters, improved target tracking system and the possibility of exchanging data with an external high-performance radar.

User states

Current M163 user states in blue, former ones in red

Jordanian M163 Vulcan, stationed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base

Current user states

•  Egypt
•  Chile
•  Ecuador
•  Iran
•  Israel
•  Jordan
•  Morocco
•  Portugal
•  South Korea
•  Thailand
•  Tunisia

Former user states

•  United States

Web links

Commons : M163 VADS  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

• FAS.org - M163 Vulcan Air Defense System
• GlobalSecurity.org - M163 VADS Vulcan Air Defense System
• American Fighting Vehicle Database - 20mm Self-propelled Air Defense Gun M163 Vulcan Air Defense System

See also

• ZSU-23-4
• Cheetah anti-aircraft tank

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Chris Conners: M163 VADS. American Fighting Vehicle Database, March 25, 2014, accessed April 3, 2018 . 
2. ↑ Kenneth P. Werrell: Archie to SAM. A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air Defense . Second ed. Air University Press, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 2005, ISBN 1-58566-136-8 , pp. 72–74 (English, online [PDF; 5.4 MB ; accessed on April 3, 2018]).
3. ^ Final Report. XM163 Vulcan Air Defense System. ACG-64F. (PDF; 4.84 MB) Department of the Army, US Army Concept Team in Vietnam , June 18, 1969, accessed on April 3, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Amy Wilentz: No More Time for Sergeant York. Weinberger scraps the controversial anti-aircraft gun. Time , September 9, 1985, accessed April 3, 2018 . 
5. ^ Avenger Program History. GlobalSecurity.org , accessed April 3, 2018 . 
6. ↑ United States Department of the Army (Ed.): Operator's Manual (Crew) for Gun, Air Defense Artillery, Self-Propelled: 20-MM, M163 . United States Army Manual, Washington, DC May 28, 1976, p. 3–4 (English, full text in Google Book Search [accessed April 3, 2018]).
7. ↑ United States Department of the Army (Ed.): Organizational Maintenance Manual for Gun, Air Defense Artillery, Self-Propelled: 20-MM, M163A1 . United States Army Manual, Washington, DC April 15, 1977, p. 1–2 (English, full text in Google Book Search [accessed April 3, 2018]).
8. ↑ United States Department of the Army (Ed.): Operator's Manual (Crew) For Gun, Air Defense Artillery, Self-Propelled: 20-MM, M163A2 . United States Army Manual, Washington, DC May 7, 1990, p. I – II (English, full text in Google Book Search [accessed on April 3, 2018]).