M167 VADS
A JASDF JM167A1 mounted on an AA gun mount at Tsuiki Air Base.
TypeRotary cannon
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service
  • 1965–1994 (United States)
  • 1960s–present (other countries)
Used bySee Operators
WarsWar in Darfur
Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Production history
DesignerRock Island Arsenal[1]
Designed1964
Manufacturer
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass1583 kg (3490 lb) including carriage
Length
  • 472.4 cm (186 in) in travel configuration
  • 386.1 cm (152 in) emplaced [2]
Cartridge20×102mm
Caliber20 mm (0.787 in)
Barrels6-barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 9 grooves)
ActionHydraulically operated, electrically fired, rotary cannon
Rate of fire1000 or 3000 rounds per minute[3]
Muzzle velocity1030 m/s [1]
Effective firing range1200m (Aerial) or 4500m (Ground) [3]
Feed system500rd linked feed [4]

The M167 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS)[5][6][7][8] is a towed, short-range United States Army anti-aircraft gun designed to protect forward area combat elements and rear area critical assets. It was also used to protect U.S. Air Force warplane airfields and U.S. Army helicopter airfields. The heart of the M167 is the M168 Cannon, a variant of the M61 Vulcan 20×102 mm rapid-fire rotary cannon.

It was also effective against lightly armored ground targets. The M167 gun has now been withdrawn from service by U.S. military units, but is still used by other countries.

History

The two versions of the Vulcan Air-Defense System, the towed M167 and self-propelled M163 VADS, were developed by the United States Army Weapons Command at Rock Island Arsenal in 1964. They were accepted as a replacement for the M45 Quadmount in 1965, and first production M167s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1967.[1]

Starting in 1994, the M167 was replaced in U.S. service by the M1097 Avenger missile launcher and in 2005, by a ground-based version of the Phalanx CIWS self-defense gun[9] which the U.S. Navy uses on its ships. The Phalanx CIWS uses the same basic 20 mm rapid-fire Gatling gun as the M167.

Design

A JASDF VADS on display at the JASDF's Hanamatsu base.

The M167 VADS consists of a 20mm M168 cannon, linked ammunition feed system, and a fire control system in powered turret, mounted on an M42A1 towed carriage.[1]

The M167A2 VADS was modified with an improved fire-control subsystem. The improvement was obtained by replacing the disturbed reticle sight with a director reticle sight, the sight current generator with a digital processor, and the azimuth drive assembly with a harmonic drive.[10] It also had an extra wheel put on each side which prevented flipping by providing a longer lever.

Sudan and Yemen used M167 guns seated upon the Soviet BTR-152 APC.[11][12]

An M167 mounted on a Toyota Land Cruiser as a “technical” has been sighted in action in Yemen with the Houthi.

Operators

Current operators

Former operators

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Foss, Christopher; Cullen, Tony F., eds. (1992). Jane's Land-Based Air Defence 1992-93. Jane's Information Group. p. 215. ISBN 9780710609793.
  2. ↑ Operator's Manual (Crew) for Gun, Air Defense Artillery, Towed, 20mm, M167A1. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 22 May 1986. p. 1-1.
  3. 1 2 FM 44-1-2: Air Defense Artillery Reference Handbook. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 30 June 1978. p. 2-4.
  4. ↑ FM 44-3: U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Employment, Chaparral/Vulcan. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 30 September 1981. p. 4-4.
  5. ↑ "M167 Vulcan Towed / Static Air Defense System - United States". Militaryfactory.com.
  6. ↑ Pike, John. "M167 VADS Vulcan Air Defense System". Globalsecurity.org.
  7. ↑ "M167 Vulcan - Weaponsystems.net". Weaponsystems.net.
  8. ↑ "20mm M167 VADS". Militaryedge.org. 23 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "CIWS now does surface targets, too – Murdoc Online". Murdoconline.net. Archived from the original on 2009-04-12. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  10. ↑ "M167A2 VADS Basis of Issue Plan - BOIP". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  11. ↑ Steven Zaloga, Soviet wheeled armoured vehicles, Concord: Hong Kong, 1990
  12. ↑ Ye. Prochko, Bronetransporter BTR-152, Bronyekollektsya 5(38)/2001 (in Russian)
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 International Institute for Strategic Studies (2022). The military balance. 2022. Abingdon, Oxon. ISBN 978-1032279008.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ↑ Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (20 September 2015). "The Oryx Handbook of Pre-war Yemeni Fighting Vehicles". Oryxspioenkop.com.
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