War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

AGS

2023-11-01T00:44:12Z

U155767967: /* Description */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_ags_teledyne
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
|market=id50163_ags_usa
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American light tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "Winged Lions"]] as a reward for the [[wt:en/news/7469-event-operation-w-i-n-t-e-r-en|2021 Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.]] event. The AGS is derived from the "Expeditionary Tank", an experimental tank made in the 1980s by General Dynamics.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''

'''Armour type:''' 


{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
|-
|}

'''Notes:''' 


=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M68A1 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M68A1 (105 mm)|105 mm M68A1]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 30 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+16° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.1 || 52.7 || 64.0 || 70.8 || 75.3 || rowspan="2" | 5.00 || rowspan="2" | 5.00 || rowspan="2" | 5.00 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.8 || 28.0 || 34.0 || 37.6 || 40.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M68A1 (105 mm)/Ammunition|M456A2, M416, M393A2, M774, M735}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''30''' || 9 ''(+21)'' || 1 ''(+29)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Rack 2 (autoloader magazine) is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 8 shells.
** This rack gets filled first when loading up the tank and is also emptied first.
** As the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with an autoloader, manual reloading of the gun is not possible.
** Once the autoloader magazine has been depleted, you can't shoot until the loader has restocked the autoloader with at least one shell.
** The restocking time is longer than the normal reload time of the gun. Take this into account when playing.
** Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from rack 1 into rack 2. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready rack.
** The depletion order at full capacity is: 2 - 1.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M60D (7.62 mm)|M240 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M60D (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M60D]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (100) || 651 || -10°/+20° || -6°/+180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M240 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M240]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (200) || 941 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


This tank is a flanker, first and foremost. Your gun is worse than the average in effectiveness, you only win fights if your enemy fails entirely, and you need weak spot hits to destroy enemies frontally. Your best advantage is your turret, if you can find positions where the enemy can only hit your barrel, enemies attacking you with APFSDS will be nearly unable to destroy you, and enemies have to swap to high explosive ammunition or bring in close air support to remove you.

Use the AGS's excellent mobility to get to key points or flank the enemy and try to get into hull-down areas, when attacking enemies keep in mind that you don't have that much armour and your low crew count will get you easily knocked out by a single shot. When flanking, hit the enemy with a side shot and move around them; if they have a pintle-mounted MG or autocannon, use side scraping so you don't get penetrated. If you get spotted, you have smoke grenades at your disposal: use them and pull back to allied tanks.

If you must take an engagement, push an enemy moving towards your left, using your forward engine and transmission to potentially take hits for you, while also moving your driver out of harms way. You must also be greatly careful about ammo expenditure, if you are caught in a fight and spend your entire autoloader, you have to wait a substantially long time to get ammo back. You cannot reload if the autoloader is empty, and as such, you would not be able to fight back at all. It is best then to disengage and bide time until your ammo is replenished.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Unmanned turret grants a better survivability when hull-down
* Effective mobility
* Good gun depression
* Laser rangefinder
* 5 second reload is faster than most competing tanks

'''Cons:'''

* Little to no armour, with frontal weak spots
* Gun, while passable, needs to hit weak spots on most medium tanks it faces frontally, and can easily net poor damage results.
* Low-calibre machine guns are of little use
* Its 1st generation thermal sights are vastly inferior to those of other encountered vehicles, such as the [[T-72AV (TURMS-T)]]
* Low zoom optics make some long-range engagements difficult, if not impossible
* Ammo rack is placed far into the back of the vehicle, being hit while on the move can prove accidentally fatal
* Gun only reloads from ready rack, if the ready rack is empty gun cannot reload until a shell is loaded into the ready rack, thus making extended engagements difficult

== History ==

The Teledyne AGS was developed by Teledyne Continental motors in the 1980s and competed with the [[CCVL]] and the Stingray light tank to get the contract for the US Army's Armored Gun System program which was looking to replace the [[M551]]. The program was seeking to provide air-mobile infantry with a tank that was transportable by a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft, and lasted from 1980-1992. Development of the tank began in 1982, and the first prototype chassis was built in December 1983, followed by the turret in 1984. The turret and chassis were first assembled together in April 1985 and were shown at the US Army Armor Conference at Ft. Knox. In 1992, the AGS program concluded with the [[CCVL]], which was re-designated [[XM8]], winning the contract. The Teledyne AGS continued to be marketed by Teledyne until 1996, however it had no buyers.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_ags_teledyne Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|y2Ph0rmD5sU|'''Unmanned Turret Tanks: Showcasing New Tech''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 03:08 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles with unmanned turret

* [[M1128]]
* [[M1128 Wolfpack]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/7474-development-winter-marathon-vehicles-tcm-ags-usa-en|[Devblog] Winter marathon vehicles: TCM AGS (USA)]]

{{USA light tanks}}
{{Winter Event}}

M113A1 (TOW) (China)

2023-11-01T00:42:16Z

U155767967: /* Description */

{{About
| about = tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = M113 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=cn_m113a1_tow
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Chinese tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]]. The vehicle itself is an M113 Armored Personel Carrier with a BGM-71 TOW.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Aluminium alloy 5083 (hull, cupola)
* Structural steel (missile launcher, side skirts)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38 mm (45°) ''Upper glacis'' 29 mm (40°) ''Engine access panel'' 38 mm (25°) ''Lower glacis'' || 44 mm ''Top'' 32 mm ''Bottom'' || 38 mm (10°) || 38 mm 5 mm ''Engine vents''
|-
| Driver cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 25 mm (cylindrical) || 38 mm
|-
| Commander cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 38 mm (cylindrical) || 38 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and torsion bars are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
* The missile launcher is a 30-50 mm thick pylon (structural steel).
* The belly armour is 29 mm thick.
* Side skirts are 4 mm thick.

The vehicle profile is a basic rectangle with a slightly sloped front which increases protection from machine gun fire. Front has a hatch, which works as HESH screen. The main areas of the vehicle to target when attacking is the missile launcher, machine gun to disable its attack capability or a main vehicle shot.

The M113A1 is meant to be a stand-off vehicle due to its role on the battlefield, and is not built to be on the front line. The aluminium alloy armour will not stand up to much and as is will barely stop 12 mm machine gun fire when angled or far away. Anything of higher calibre is almost guaranteed to penetrate.

Try to hide as best as you can, or not only the gunner will suffer consequences, but the entirety of the crew as well.

The gunner is exposed outside of the vehicle when directing the launcher and can be hit. Be aware, as the launcher's base and sometimes even the rangefinder, located next to the launcher, can trigger APHE fuse and cause it to explode in front of gunner's face, then the shrapnel flies back and shreds the virtually nonexistant roof armour, taking out everyone in the middle of the vehicle. Also, since the gunner stands within the opened roof hatch, if a chemical warhead hits rangefinder, then payload can enter vehicle through it and take out loader as well.

Since the vehicle's armour is very thin, it sometimes does not detonate shells so armour-ripping shells causes less than fatal damage. However, only '''very''' high calibre shells with fuses of about 20-22 mm won't detonate, which are very rare at BR 8.3 battles, as almost everyone use 15 mm fuses at this point. The main key here is to avoid being hit at all, as if your tank will be angled during attack, the fuses would detonate anyway.

Vehicle also seems to not have hull break, as example, when an ATGM hits the side of the vehicle in arcade mode, it will only set it on fire. The mentioned shield on front can stop HESH from doing any damage at all, but it's not very reliable.

All in all, it's best to just get out of the way of other tanks and sneak around; this is a vehicle of strategy, not brute force.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 305|rbMinHp= 190}}

While the stats state the top speed of the M113A1 (TOW) is 64 km/h, in reality it is generally only able to accelerate up to around 30-40 km/h on flat terrain, which compared to other vehicles in its rank is rather slow. The turn rate of the vehicle also isn't that amazing, which can be a problem in an ambush or if an immediate change of direction is needed.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|BGM-71B TOW|BGM-71C I-TOW}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[BGM-71B TOW]] or [[BGM-71C I-TOW]] missile || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 10 || rowspan="2" | -20°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±45° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 26.4 || 36.6 || 44.3 || 49.0 || 52.1 || rowspan="2" | 13.00 || rowspan="2" | 11.50 || rowspan="2" | 10.60 || rowspan="2" | 10.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

The {{PAGENAME}} is a specialized vehicle which has a TOW missile launcher mounted onto the top of the vehicle. Ten missiles are onboard and can be fired before it needs to reload or resupply.

Anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) loaded in TOW launcher have two purposes: be extremely fast and attack at range across the battlefield, much like artillery cannons. As such, of all ATGMs at its battle rating, the {{PAGENAME}} is probably one of the fastest with both launch and a top speed of 300 m/s. Be aware, this vehicle can easily be beaten by hybrid tank ATGMs, however, they're typically found at battle rating 9.0, aside from US light tank [[M551]] and Soviet medium tank [[T-55AM-1]], which is also a premium vehicle.

When initially using the {{PAGENAME}}, the standard ATGM is available for use, which is a TOW which when fired can travel for approximately 3 km and has a 430 mm of penetration at 0 degrees or 214 mm of penetration at 60 degrees.

The first-tier ammunition upgrade unleashes the "I-TOW" which provides 630 mm of penetration at 0 degrees and 314 mm of penetration at 60 degrees with a range of approximately 3.75 km. The drawback to using this missile is that it does slightly less damage in realistic battle mode.

The placement of weapon is high enough to fire over cover, however, advantages also at times spawn disadvantages and in this case, with the vehicle gunner standing tall outside of the vehicle, he has no protection and can easily be hit, despite the rest of vehicle being concealed.

The launcher has a rather limited arc of fire - 45 degrees in either direction, which isn't compensated by missile's characteristics like in case of [[Swingfire]] or armour like in case of [[IT-1]]. If you want to fire over cover best bet is to stand far away from the enemy and cover, or right in front of the cover, however, this still probably won't protect the gunner.

The gun depression, at 20 degrees, excels almost every other tank and allows the player to use many surprising positions to attack. Note that the depression is far less when the launch tube is above the MG.

==== Ammunition ====
{{:BGM-71B TOW/Ammunition|TOW}}
{{:BGM-71C I-TOW/Ammunition|I-TOW}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_M113A1_(TOW).png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''10''' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Unlike the [[CM25]], the player is unable to select the amount of ammo the {{PAGENAME}} can spawn with, as such the vehicle always spawns with full ammo and all its ammo racks filled.
* The vehicle has no ready rack: both reload speed and ammo placement remain unchanged throughout the use of the missiles.
* On the picture is shown in which order the missiles deplete.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

The single 12.7 mm machine gun can be effective when fighting against open-topped vehicles or to cause some confusion/distraction to the enemy vehicles as the M113A1 reloads.

At this battle rating, this vehicle is limited to keeping helicopters from getting too comfy, since they too have thin to no armour, the rest of aircraft should be left to the designated anti-air vehicles. As a last resort, the ATGM can be used.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The best way one should use this vehicle would be to stay away from the active combat areas, hide, and use the exposed gunner and TOW launcher to your advantage. The exposed launcher allows the vehicle to hide behind solid cover while still being able to fire from over it, giving the enemy a much harder time in spotting and shooting you. Staying away from the combat zones maximises your survivability, in addition to taking advantage of the TOW missiles' extremely long range, allowing you to pick off targets from beyond the range of conventional rounds.

It is also worth noting the -20 degrees launcher depression as, even though it may not be as impressive as the -30 degrees launcher depression of the [[M901]], it is still very capable in adapting to uneven terrain and firing from behind hills. However, note that the depression angles are severely limited when the launcher is facing the pintle-mounted machine gun, to roughly only -3 degrees. Therefore, you should try to always have the front of the hull facing the direction of the battlefield, to avoid the launcher suddenly jerking up when the machine gun gets into the way, which will also guide the missile upwards (if launched), and therefore miss the target. Horizontal guidance is also limited, and the launcher will stop rotating at ±45 degrees. The best way to counter this drawback will be to play it like other turret-less tank destroyers, like the [[ISU-122 (China)|ISU-122]] and the [[ISU-152 (China)|ISU-152]], which must rotate the hull to assist with aiming at extreme angles.

Even though the M113 is mounted with a heavy machine gun, attempting to combat helicopters and planes is not recommended unless the situation is desperate, as doing so will only grab unwanted attention from both the air and ground. Aircraft at this rank are often equipped with HE rockets, only one of which is necessary to destroy your vehicle thanks to the overpressure mechanic, and if not, the vast majority of aircraft-mounted guns will be able to penetrate from any angle.

If you find yourself in a close quarters situation, the best method of survival will be to use the machine gun to cause some levels of distraction, while attempting to retreat to the nearest cover. Do note that your machine gun does have a relatively impressive penetration of 31 mm at close range, which can allow you to take out lightly armoured targets like the [[M3 Bradley]] (in the turret with some luck), [[AUBL/74]], [[Falcon]] etc., yet should still be avoided if possible due to these vehicles possessing much better close quarters capabilities and will have no problem in shredding the M113.

When moving to a shooting position, the last thing you should ever do is stop, which will make you an extremely easy target, keep driving no matter what, let your vehicle gain speed, which will make it harder for the enemy to hit you. When we look at the TOW missile itself, it is definitely not the fastest, nor the slowest, which means that you will need to make sure there is enough open space that the target is driving across, which gives more time for the missile to reach its target, and remember to lead slightly ahead. Due to the extremely good penetration, aiming basically anywhere on a target of the BR and hitting will guarantee some levels of damage, so it is generally best to aim at the centre mass of the vehicle, to deal as much damage as possible. If the first missile hits but does not destroy the target, do not hesitate in firing a second which will usually finish the job.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[Helicopters]] e.g. AH-1, UH-1, etc: helicopters are always a great threat to you. Although at the start of the match they cannot equip ATGMs, they are still able to carry lots of deadly rockets, posing a great threat to the M113's weak hull. When an enemy helicopter is roaming nearby and showering the ground with rockets, the safest option is to stay in cover or be stationary, to make it harder for the helicopter to see you. Your only effective defensive weapon against them is the 12.7 mm MG (unless you are very skilled and can manually guide the ATGM to hit them). Only open fire when the helicopter is extremely near, for example within 400 m. Your MG can only damage light helicopters like the UH-1 but not armoured ones. Continuously spray bullets at it until it starts to turn towards you, and quickly retreat back into cover as any helicopter can easily destroy you with a few rockets.
* [[M60A1 RISE (P)]], [[M60A3 TTS]]: these tanks are covered with ERA which are pretty much designed to counter chemical warheads like your TOW missiles. When the M113's TOW missile hits them, their ERA always detonate, leaving the tanks themselves unharmed, so it is not recommended to shoot them when their ERA are still present. If they are quite far away, you can choose to break their gun barrels or tracks to make them defenceless or immobile. If they are close enough, you can use your 12.7 mm MG to destroy their ERA first. Do not spray, fire in quick bursts and focus on a few ERA, as the bullets seem to spread out a lot in a continuous fire which will decrease the damage to the ERA you want to destroy. The MG is rather effective at destroying these modules. Once those ERA are gone use the TOW to hit the uncovered areas. The most straightforward method is to just fire a missile at them, destroying a bunch of ERA and fire another one at the uncovered area. However this method will give them more than 10 seconds of reaction time so make sure that you are well concealed and will not get spotted before the next missile.
* [[M901]]: this is a similar vehicle based on the M113 hull, with an interesting and unique TOW launcher. The launcher has 360 degrees horizontal rotation and 30 degrees gun depression meaning it adapts terrains better than the M113A1 (TOW). Furthermore, its gunner is not exposed which increases its fighting capacity, so you must deal with the M901 carefully. In a battle, your M113A1 (TOW) and the M901 might be at similar spots which is kind of a sniper vs sniper scenario. Do not get hit by it, as your gunner/launcher will detonate its missile and the shrapnel will splash down, knocking out all the crew or causing a hull break. Try to fire first or hide until his attention shifts.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Amazing 20 degrees depression adapts all rough terrains with ease
* Adequate mobility (64 km/h top speed) allows it to get to positions in time, not much slower than common MBTs like the [[T-54 (1947)|T-54]], [[M48A1]], etc
* Stock ATGM penetrates up to 430 mm and can score kills at a very long range, up to 3 km
* Researchable I-TOW ATGM improves penetration to 630 mm, and range to 3.75 km
* Heavy MG can take out lightly armoured vehicles and low-flying planes/helicopters
* A extended gunner and launcher allows the vehicle to fire with its whole hull in cover

'''Cons:'''

* Fully exposed gunner is very vulnerable to everything
* Weak armour protection reduces survivability, especially against rapid-firing SPAAs like the [[Gepard]], [[M163]], [[Chieftain Marksman]], etc
* While not so slow, it can still get outrun by lots of opponents like the [[Leopard I]]s, [[Centauro]]s, etc
* Is a big and soft target for ground pounders, even for WW2 planes
* Cannot fire ATGM on the move, which can be fatal in a close quarter sudden encounter
* Not so fast in a turn
* Gun depression is very limited above the MG

== History ==


The ROC armed forces have purchased 634 M113A1 APCs from the United States since 1964 and distributed them to mechanized infantry divisions and infantry battalions of armoured brigades. In 1979, arsenals of the Army Joint Logistics Command began to imitate the CM21 armoured vehicle based on the M113A1, and produced more than 1,000 CM21 APC and its variants.

In order to strengthen the combat effectiveness of the composite armoured brigade, the ROC Army purchased a number of M113A1 TOW ATGM carriers from the United States in 1977. These vehicles were mainly equipped by units of Army and Marine Corps. The M113A1 TOW ATGM carriers adopt the Israeli-designed RAMTA telescopic missile launchers and the American TOW-I missiles. They were the main mobile anti-tank forces of the combat units at that time. After the implementation of the reorganization program of armed forces codenamed "Lean" in 1998, all of the Army's TOW ATGM carriers were concentrated to the divisional level to use them intensively.

At present, the M113A1 TOW ATGM carriers of the ROC Army have been replaced by the M1045A2 Hummer missile carriers. As of 2019, only a small number of M113A1 missile carriers were still in service in the Marine Corps.

== Media ==


;Skins
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=cn_m113a1_tow Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 2:11 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|4_cJ1CpEatw|'''Best gun depression''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{China tank destroyers}}
[[Category:ATGM vehicles]]

M163

2023-11-01T00:39:35Z

U155767967: Added the name and a short description

{{About
| about = American SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = M113 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m163_vulcan
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The M163 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) is a Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon developed from the M113 Armored Personel Carrier in 1968. The US short-range air defence in the early stages of the Vietnam War consisted of the [[M42|M42 Dusters]], however the fast-paced nature of fighter jets meant that the low rate of fire the 40 mm Bofors provide was no longer sufficient. To improve on this, the 20 mm Vulcan cannon used on American jets was utilized as the basis of the new short-range air defence gun, modified into the M168 gun. Installed onto the common M113 chassis with a tracking radar, the design became known as the M163 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS). The M163 remained in use with the US military until replaced with systems that utilized the [[FIM-92 Stinger]] like the Avenger.

Introduced in [[Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters"]], the '''{{Specs|name}}''' provides the necessary short-range air defense capability for the US tech tree. While not as capable nor able to reach out the distance like the larger systems like [[Gepard]], [[Chieftain Marksman]] or [[ZSU-23-4]], the M163 does benefits with a very high rate of fire Vulcan armament. Due to the limitations, M163 players may find themselves driving rather close to the front-lines to provide the protection to allies and hit approaching aircraft, so extra care must be taken to not go too far in that an enemy tank will spot the M163. However, when the M163 sends out its tracer load of 20 mm towards the target, it can prove an intimidating sight to the enemies.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

Armour is not on the operator's side in the M163, as it is thin enough to be destroyed by 12.7 mm machine guns from the sides and rear, and any cannon-sized armament from the front. The turret is partially open, leaving the crew vulnerable to enemy light arms fire. If attacked, the best bet for taking a hit and surviving is to point the engine towards the enemy and hope it absorbs the shot.

'''Armour type:'''

* Aluminum alloy 5083 (hull)
* Structural steel (front and rear fenders)
* Rubber-fabric screens (fenders/sideskirts)

{| class="wikitable"
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38+6 mm (45°) ''Upper Glacis'' 38 mm (26°) ''Lower Glacis'' 29 mm (45°) ''Engine Maintenance Hatch'' || 44+6 mm ''Top'' 32 mm ''Bottom'' || 38 mm || 38 mm
|-
|Turret || 17 mm ''Turret Front'' 150 mm ''Gun Mantlet'' || 17 mm || 17 mm
!
|-
|}
'''Note:'''

* The additional armour does not fully cover the plate it is mounted onto.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=301|rbMinHp=188}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M168 (20 mm)}}

The M163 is equipped with a 20 mm M168 VADS, or Vulcan air defence system. The M168 is a variant of the [[M61 (20 mm)|M61]] cannon, which can be found in-game on vehicles such as the Japanese [[T-2]], and the American [[F-4C Phantom II]]. Used initially during the Vietnam war, the M168 was a 20 mm air-cooled rotary cannon attached to a small turret on the M163. Dangerous to anything in the sky, it will lock on and rip through anything in its path.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[M168 (20 mm)|20 mm M168]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 2,200 (1,100) || rowspan="2" | 3,000 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+80° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 66.05 || 91.41 || 111.00 ||122.80|| 130.59 || rowspan="2" | 26.00 || rowspan="2" | 23.00 || rowspan="2" |21.20|| rowspan="2" | 20.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 44.63 || 52.50 || 63.75 ||70.50|| 75.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Default:''' {{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
* '''HEI:''' {{Annotation|HEI-T|High-explosive incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}
* '''AP-I:''' {{Annotation|AP-I|Armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}

{{:M168 (20 mm)/Ammunition|AP-I, API-T, HEF-I, HEI-T}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''2 belts''' || 1 ''(+1)'' || 0 ''(+2)'' || No
|-
|}

===Radars===
{{main|AN/VPS-2}}
The M163 is equipped with an [[AN/VPS-2]] tracking radar, with no search radar. The radar is fitted to the side of the turret.
{{Notice|In order to lock on you must be looking through your sight, position the crosshair over a target (within 7 km) and press the lock on key. The target must be within a 2° cone from the centre of the crosshair.}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="5" | [[AN/VPS-2]] - Tracking Radar
|-
! {{Annotation|Maximum Tracking Range|The maximum range at which a target can be tracked}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum Tracking Range|The range below which targets cannot be tracked by the radar}}
! {{Annotation|Azimuth Tracking Angle|How far to each side the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Elevation Tracking Angle|How far up and down the radar can track a target}}
! {{Annotation|Minimum target speed|The minimum speed a target must be moving, relative to the radar, in order to be tracked by the radar}}
|-
| 7,000 m || 100 m || 360° || -20°/+85° (lock between -20°/+20°) || 15 m/s (54 km/h)
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The M163 is a support vehicle through and through. Boasting an immense fire rate of 3000 rounds per minute from its M168 Vulcan cannon, the M163 is best used as a point-defense SPAA and a tag team support vehicle, able to quickly destroy the barrels and tracks of any vehicle it can cleanly get shots at without retaliation. Against air targets it is even better due to the introduction of the first tracking radar in the US tech tree with the AN/VPS-2. However, the lack of a search radar may make it more difficult to identify threats to you and your team before they have already attacked.

[[File:CIWS M163.jpg|thumb|An M163 firing at a FAB-5000, right before the bomb is hit and destroyed.]]

The high rate of fire also allows the M163 a sort of CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) type of role, as it can easily spray in the direction of an incoming bomb, thus destroying it and saving nearby allies. This is especially easy against the infamous FAB-5000 bomb from the Soviet [[Pe-8]], as the bomb is large and easy to track.

'''Air engagements.'''

When facing enemy aircraft, the M163 is amazing at destroying any plane it can effectively get a lock onto with its tracking radar. The radar and fire rate of the vehicle makes it able to fire a hail of bullets at any aircraft or helicopter accurately, usually destroying them in just a quick short burst. The M163 does have a smaller profile than normal tanks, allowing it to stay hidden from the sky much better than more conventional tanks. However, the distinct sound, muzzle flash, and flood of tracers into the sky of the Vulcan cannon will immediately reveal your location and cause any planes and nearby tanks to prioritize the M163 over other targets. Because of this, it is important to only shoot upon enemy aircraft and reveal your presence once they are at a reasonable distance. A good tip is to wait until your tracking radar reads at least 1.5 km or 1 km of distance when shooting aircraft to ensure a kill before they can react and use evasive manoeuvres. Once spotted by multiple air targets, the M163 can have grim times eliminating all threatening aircraft due to its lengthy 23-second reload and paper-thin armour. It is a good idea to make sure you are firing the Vulcan cannon in bursts as tempting as it may be to use it without any break between volleys.

Every plane can easily cut through your armour with their machine guns and cannons before you can react, compounded without the search radar and planes can attack you from unexpected angles to ensure you are not able to retaliate. The M163 is also considered an open top tank; because of this and your lack of armour, bombs and missiles are easily able to destroy you, even after having already destroyed the plane, leading to a lot of engagements ending with both you and your attacker being killed by one another.

At this BR, you will encounter a new threat in helicopters. These vehicles prove to be another hurdle for the M163 to endure and struggle with. Most helicopters have guided missiles that can be launched from outside your effective range and destroy you before you can close the distance or sometimes even spot them. Because of this, you will only be able to destroy these choppers if they come within your effective range. The best tactic against these types of helicopters is to put solid cover between you and the helicopter and focus on other key targets that you can confront, as well as calling out to your friendly aircraft the helicopters' location so you can manoeuvre more effectively once it is destroyed. Some helicopters this tier though do not have any guided missiles, such as the American [[AH-1G]], Japanese [[UH-1B (Japan)|UH-1B]], Italian [[AB 205 A-1]], and Israeli [[Tzefa A]]. These helicopters instead have rocket pods that result in them needing to be much closer to the battlefield to use them effectively. If any of these are actively engaging with your team, you can effortlessly destroy them with your extreme fire rate before they are able to pose a threat.

'''Tank engagements and ground support.'''
[[File:Leopard 1 armor against the M163 cannon..png|thumb|The Leopard 1's armour against the M163's cannon. Shooting where the crosshair indicates will explode the first-stage ammo stowage. Similar to other lightly armoured medium tanks.]]
The 20 mm M168 cannon has 40 mm of penetration, which allows it to destroy only the lightest of armour on the battlefield for its battle rating. Many of these targets are light tanks or SPAA vehicles. Some examples of these common threats you will encounter include the German [[Marder 1A3]] and [[Raketenautomat]], the [[BMP-1 (Family)|BMP-1 series]], and the [[ZSU-57-2]]. The Vulcan cannon has no issues in being able to destroy these targets. When it comes to fighting medium tanks, most will not sustain any damage to the crew and ammo inside by your gun. Because of this, it is better to instead incapacitate and cripple them for your team than waste ammunition trying to mortally wound them. There are a few exceptions though that are important to remember as you alone can dispatch and destroy some of the more lightly armoured medium tanks. These include the German [[Leopard 1]], British [[Vickers Mk.1]] and [[Vickers Mk.3]], Italian [[OF-40]], French [[AMX-30 (1972)]], and Swedish [[Strv 103A]]. The side armour under the tracks have around 30 mm of thickness which is weak enough for your 20 mm cannon to penetrate, so you are more than capable of destroying these vehicles after disabling them or ambushing them.

The M163 has little to no armour for its battle rating, as everything can easily destroy you before you can do any meaningful damage in a head-to-head fight. This is most apparent when encountering USSR tanks as all of their conventional tanks have a top mounted [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK machine gun]] that is easily capable of taking you out alone. The extra front plate on the front of the M163 may catch a few rounds from these machine guns as some angles, but this is hardly reliable in making yourself immune from them.

One tactic you can use to remarkable success is to pair up or follow a Breakthrough tank. These include common tanks you will see such as the [[Conqueror]], [[M103]], and [[IS-6]]. As a support vehicle, the M163 is perfect for protecting these common bombing targets from enemy jets and helicopters. When paired with these tanks, the M163 should play more reserve, letting them peek corners and exposing their more reliable and heavy armour to the enemy before engaging yourself. Once they have bounced or absorbed a shot, the M163 can peek at the enemy and disable any exposed barrels and tracks for your teammate while they reload. This is useful for these breakthrough tanks too, due to most having up to 20 seconds of reload before they are able to fire another round, much longer if they also lose their loader to the attacker. When performing this tag team tactic, it is imperative to know your enemy. Autoloading tanks can quickly reload and dispatch you once you reveal yourself to them before you are able to safely disable them. Stronger machine guns such as [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]] and [[DShK (12.7 mm)|DShK]] can also quickly and easily kill you while their main gun is reloading. Because of this, when actively disabling targets, the priority should always be disarming any harmful machine guns that can destroy you before making the decision to destroy the track or barrel depending on the situation.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Quick acceleration
* Good traverse, especially when fully upgraded
* Very high rate of fire of 3,000 rpm; can literally shred incoming enemy aircraft, AP rounds are dangerous against lightly-armoured vehicles
* Has a tracking radar
* Can double as a CIWS (close-in weapon system): it can shred bombs, rockets and incoming missiles as a last resort defence

'''Cons:'''

* Very thin overall armour
* The M113 has low top speed and low power-to-weight ratio
* Struggles when climbing hills until performance modules are equipped
* Long reload time
* No search radar, meaning one must visually find enemy aircraft to lock on to
* Effective range is limited for a radar SPAA

== History ==


The M163 VADS (Vulcan Air Defense System) was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) based on the chassis of the M113 armoured personnel carrier (APC). It was nearly unmodified from the base M113, and featured the same armour scheme, rear loading ramp, and the General Motors 6V53 series 6-cylinder 2-cycle diesel engine (212 hp). An open-topped turret was fitted to the center of the roof of the vehicle, and an M61 Vulcan 20 mm rotary cannon was mounted in the turret. The gun could fire at 3,000 rpm or 1,000 rpm, and the elevation was from -5° to +80°. The M163 was operated by a crew of four, and there was a wide variety of ammunition for the main gun. A tracking radar was fitted to the turret to improve the chances of destroying an enemy aircraft, but the anti-aircraft ability of the M163 was limited and it was only useful against low-flying aircraft within 5 km, and the chances of destroying the aircraft were best within 1 km.

The M163 entered service with the United States Army in 1969, but at least six vehicles were sent to the Vietnam War before the type had entered service. The vehicles sent to South Vietnam were not fitted with the tracking radar, and they were used mostly in an infantry support role. The M163 was later upgraded to the M163A1 and A2 standards. The M163A1 had an improved gun mount, and the M163A2 featured the improved M113A2 powerplant. The M163 PIVADS (Product Improved Vulcan Air Defense System) upgrade was introduced in 1984. The PIVADS upgrade featured improved radar and accuracy of the gun, and it also introduced armour-piercing capabilities with an APDS round. Over time, the M163 began to be used more in an infantry support role, as surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems became more common. It notably served during the First Gulf War. The M163 was retired from US Army service in 1993.

The M163 was also used by a number of other nations. These include Albania, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Portugal, South Korea, Thailand, and Tunisia. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) upgraded a number of M163 vehicles with a launcher for 4 x FIM-92 Stinger SAMs, and these were called the Machbet. The IDF also upgraded their vehicles with improved electronics. The M163 is still in service with a number of the nations listed above.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m163_vulcan Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|vtCKzvbLfNg|'''The Shooting Range #18''' - Metal Beasts section at 00:45 discusses the M163.|SJoW-2_6J6o|'''Amphibious tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 1:43 - ''War Thunder Official Channel'' Note: M163 no longer amphibious as of [[Update "Wind of Change"]]}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wikipedia:M163_VADS|[Wikipedia] M163 VADS]]
* [https://weaponsystems.net/weaponsystem/EE03%20-%20M163%20Vulcan.html [Weapon Systems<nowiki>]</nowiki> M163 Vulcan]

=== References ===

;Bibliography

* M163 VADS. (2020, 13 June). In ''Wikipedia''. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M163_VADS&oldid=962270535
* M163 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS). (2019, July 2). Military Factory. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=141.

{{USA anti-aircraft vehicles}}