Difference between revisions of "M163"

From War Thunder Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Visual (beta)Wikitext
m (→‎Main armament)
(→‎Main armament: Edits)
Line 22: Line 22:
 
{{main|M168 (20 mm)}}
 
{{main|M168 (20 mm)}}
  
−
A 20 mm M168 VADS, or Vulcan air defence system. The M168 is a variant of the M61 cannon, which is represented in-game in the Japanese T-2, and the American F-4C Phantom. 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.
+
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%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
Line 28: Line 28:
 
! colspan="6" | [[M168 (20 mm)|20 mm M168]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
! colspan="6" | [[M168 (20 mm)|20 mm M168]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Mode !! Capacity<br>(Belt capacity) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
+
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Arcade''
 
! ''Arcade''
−
| rowspan="2" | 2,200<br>(1,100) || rowspan="2" | 3,000 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+80° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 66.05 ||__.__|| __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | 26.0 || rowspan="2" |23.0|| rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" |20.0
+
| rowspan="2" | 2,200 (1,100) || rowspan="2" | 3,000 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+80° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 66.05 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || rowspan="2" | 26.00 || rowspan="2" | 23.00 || rowspan="2" | _.__ || rowspan="2" | 20.00
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Realistic''
 
! ''Realistic''
−
| 44.63 ||__.__|| __.__ || __.__ || __.__
+
| 44.63 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}

Revision as of 13:32, 15 July 2020

Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Chinese A-5C Pack
M163
us_m163_vulcan.png
M163
USA flag.png USA
V Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
7.7 7.3 7.3
Class:
Research:95 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:270 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage M163.jpg


The Gun, Air Defence Artillery, Self-Propelled: 20-mm, M163 is a rank V American self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with a battle rating of 7.7 (AB) and 7.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters".

General info

Survivability and 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.

Mobility

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 70 17 11.2 301 404 26.88 36.07
Realistic 65 15 188 212 16.79 18.93

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: 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 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.

20 mm M168 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 2,200 (1,100) 3,000 -5°/+80° ±180° N/A 66.05 __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__ 26.00 23.00 _.__ 20.00
Realistic 44.63 __.__ __.__ __.__ __.__

Ammunition

  • Default: AP-I · HEI-T · AP-I
  • HEI-T: HEI-T · HEI-T · HEI-T · AP-I
  • AP-I: AP-I · AP-I · AP-I · HEI-T
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Default 53 50 39 28 20 14
HEI-T 53 50 39 28 20 14
AP-I 53 50 39 28 20 14

Ammo racks

Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
2200 __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __ (+__) __

Usage in battles

The M163 has an amazing rate of fire with the M168 gun, thus it has amazing damage output. In an anti-aircraft role, it is best used as a point defense SPAA, defending a group of allies/cap zone from air attack. Its range isn't as good as the M247, so it's best to keep in mind the approximate 1 km targetting zone of the M163.

The M163 wields about 60 mm of penetration, and at the 8.0 battle rating, that's enough to mortally wound/destroy many Axis-country's vehicles such as the Leopard, AUBL, and Centauro.

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 Russian Pe-8, as the bomb is large and easy to track.

An M163 firing at a FAB-5000, right before the bomb is hit and destroyed.

Radars

Main article: 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.

Msg-info.png 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.
AN/VPS-2 - Tracking Radar
Maximum
Tracking
Range 		Minimum
Tracking
Range 		Azimuth Tracking
Angle 		Elevation Tracking
Angle 		Minimum
target speed
7,000 m 100 m 360° -20°/+85°
(lock between -20°/+20°) 		15 m/s (54 km/h)

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts HEI-T Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE AP-I Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism
IV Transmission Engine Artillery Support NVD

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Amphibious
  • Quick acceleration
  • Good traverse, especially when fully upgraded
  • Insane 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

Cons:

  • Light armour
  • When stock, Only 32 kph while going off-road
  • Not keen to climbing hills until performance modules are equipped
  • Relatively slow for the rank
  • Slow in water
  • Inaccurate/wobbly in water
  • One of the longest rearm/reload times in the game
  • No search radar
  • Effective range is not good for a 5th rank SPAA
  • Inaccurate while approaching far targets

History

The VADS was used during the Vietnam war and onwards and was based on the chassis of the M113 armoured personnel carrier. NATO used it as an anti-aircraft gun platform.

Media

The Shooting Range #18 - Metal Beasts section at 00:45 discusses the M163.

See also

Other vehicles based off the M113 platform:

External links


USA anti-aircraft vehicles
M3 Half-track derivatives  M13 MGMC · M15 CGMC · M16 MGMC
M24 derivative  M19A1
M41 derivative  M42
Radar SPAAG  M163 · M247
Missile SPAA  ADATS · Imp.Chaparral · LAV-AD · XM975

Retrieved from "https://wiki.warthunder.com/index.php?title=M163&oldid=63683"