ADATS

ADATS

XM975

ADATS

XM975

USA

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
11.7	11.7	11.7

Class:

SPAA

Research:400 000

Purchase:1 080 000

Show in game

Description

The Missile, Air Defence Artillery, Self-Propelled, ADATS is a rank VIII American tank destroyer with a battle rating of 11.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy".

It's essentially an M3 Bradley with a heavily modified turret. The crew was moved away from the turret and controlls it via interface in the back of the tank. The turret is fully automatic and now carries two enormous missile racks, a radar and the same old gun is tweaked to fire three times faster.

While designations for this tank go all over the place, Bradley ADATS can be simply called a multi-purpose tank, as it can fight fast jets and heavier tanks alike with missiles, while dealing with lightly armored tanks and slower aircraft by using a gun and/or missiles.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Aluminium alloy 5083 (Hull front, turret)
• Aluminium alloy 7039 (Hull sides, rear, optics)
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull plates)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	25.4 mm + 6.35 mm (39-60°) Upper glacis 25.4 mm (7-39°) Lower glacis	25.4 mm + 6-6.35 mm	25.4 mm + 6.35 mm	25.4 mm
Turret	12.7 mm Turret front 25.4 mm Gun mantlet 19 mm Optics housing	12.7 mm	6.35-12.7 mm	12.7 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 10 mm thick
• Tracks are 15 mm thick

The Bradley ADATS boasts the same protection as the regular M3 Bradley hull-wise, with one key difference being that the side armour is thinner by 19 mm. High-calibre machine guns such as the 20 mm's on French MBTs will easily penetrate the sides and at times even the front part of the hull. It's not advisable to use the Bradley ADATS as a front-line vehicle but rather as a second-line support vehicle by setting up in key-points around maps.

File:Bradley ADATS Side-view.jpg

The gap between the Loader/Gunner and the Driver visualized with a green square. Also, you can see the unmanned turret.

One upside for the Bradley ADATS is that the turret is completely unmanned, meaning that any Armour-piercing shells will over-penetrate with no injuries to the crew at all (be aware that explosive shells can cause the rockets to explode and instantly destroy the vehicle). The three crew members are situated in the hull with a massive empty space between the loader/gunner and the driver when approached from the side. Every enemy you face will most likely over-penetrate that section and do minimal damage to the vehicle itself.

Overall, the Bradley ADATS can be quite a 'meme' vehicle as it can sometimes sustain 5-7 direct hits even centre-hull, seeing as most rounds just pierce and exit the armour without generating shrapnel, over-penetrating and forcing enemies to snipe for crew members.

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	72	16	25	720	967	28.8	38.68
Realistic	66	14		448	507	17.92	20.28

Armaments

Main armament

The main armament of the ADATS is the M242 25 mm automatic cannon, the same as found on the M3 Bradley, but enjoys a faster rate of fire (500 rounds per minute, compared to the Bradley's 201 rounds per minute). When stock, like most AA vehicles, it starts with a belt of equal parts armour-piercing and high-explosive, though it is worth mentioning the AP rounds are sabot rounds with 101 mm of penetration at 100 meters against flat armour. This allows it to easily and effectively take on both air and ground threats simultaneously without needing to worry about ammunition costs. However, should you wish to use this vehicle in a dedicated anti-aircraft role, you can unlock a belt with three parts HE to one AP in Tier I modifications. This must be unlocked in order to unlock M791, the AP belt. With this belt, dealing with any and all lightly armoured vehicles and even quite a few of the MBT's is possible from the side. In regards to how much you should take, you may as well take a full ammunition load. At any range, this vehicle can and will be penetrated by any vehicle that looks in its general direction, so it's not like your armour is going to stop you from being ammo-racked by fin-stabilized sabot anyway. Also, due to the cannon's high-ish rate of fire and ammunition count of 600 rounds, it's worth taking as much as you can carry.

25 mm M242						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	600 (300)	500	-9°/+59°	±180°	N/A	61.6	85.3	103.6	114.6	121.9	0.26	0.23	0.21	0.20
Realistic						41.6	49.0	59.5	65.8	70.0

Ammunition

• Default: HEI-T* · APDS
• M792: HEI-T* · HEI-T* · HEI-T* · APDS
• M791: APDS · APDS · APDS · HEI-T*

Penetration statistics
Belt	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
	10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Default	81	80	76	70	66	61
M792	81	80	76	70	66	61
M791	81	80	76	70	66	61

Ammo racks

Last updated: 1.101.0.44

Ammo racks of the ADATS

Full ammo	1st rack empty	Visual discrepancy
Belts: 2 Rounds: 600	0 (+2) 0 (+600)	No

Additional armament

Secondary armament of the ADATS (or primary, depending on how you choose to play it) are the MIM146 dual purpose guided missiles. You can effectively use these against any target you can point them at, due to the facts that they air-burst near aircraft, usually one-hit killing them with the 7.86 kilos of TNT equivalent, and have 900 mm of penetration against armoured targets. With a velocity of 1,200 m/s, aiming these things and tracking moving targets isn't an issue whatsoever. You point, you click, and the target usually dies in a single hit. In the event that, by some miracle of God himself, the target persists in clinging to their life, you can fire the MIM's as fast as you'd like to, meaning follow-up shots are quick and easy, and with the aforementioned 900 mm of penetration, anything you shoot these at WILL be penetrated, unless the angle of impact is extreme.

MIM146 missile
Capacity	Vertical guidance	Flight speed (m/s)	Range (m)
8	0°/+85°	1,200	10,500

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
MIM146	ATGM	900	900	900	900	900	900

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
MIM146	ATGM	1,200	51.0	0.0	0.1	7,860	80°	82°	90°

Usage in battles

Stock Gameplay:

As with any vehicle, the ADATS finds itself at a disadvantage while stock. Without access to the thermal vision devices, players will need to be more alert in order to spot enemies. While other modifications like artillery or smoke grenades can be helpful, the lack of thermals is a much larger issue. However the ADATS is relatively well off stock compared to most high tier vehicles, as the stock 25mm belts include APDS rounds, and the radar is capable of spotting air targets for you.

Spaded Gameplay:

The ADATS is an excellent multi-purpose support vehicle when spaded. Being able to target both enemy tanks and enemy aircraft, it can be a great tool for the team. However, there are some limitations to the vehicle, namely the low missile count and lack of armor. While survivability is decent due to the empty turret, the armor is very thin and the missiles can sometimes explode when hit. This means that the ADATS does best sitting behind friendly tanks, in a support role. Additionally the missiles can run out quickly, as there are only 8 to engage both air and ground targets. ADATS players should try and conserve their missiles, as they are very valuable.

Close Range Engagements:

The ADATS is capable at close range, but it will die very easily to enemy fire. The 25mm bushmaster autocannon can penetrate the side armor of most enemy tanks, but it will not disable the enemy as quickly as their large cannons are capable of killing the ADATS. The ADATS missiles can be useful at close range as well.

Long Range Engagements:

The ADATS is more capable at long range, where it can rely on thermal vision and the very fast ADATS missiles to disable enemy targets. The only issue at long range is the low amount of missiles, so shots should be taken with care. Additionally, the ADATS can be quickly disabled if the hull is exposed, so staying hull down is advised. The radar should also be turned off and on as needed, as it provides a good indicator of where you are for enemy ground vehicles, but is very useful in spotting air targets.

Gameplay summary:

The ADATS is an excellent support vehicle, able to defend teammates from both enemy air and ground threats. The ADATS missiles are excellent at disabling any target, although the low ammo count should be considered. The ADATS is also capable of locking an enemy aircraft without alerting their RWR, by turning off the radar.

One must take excellent care in their method of positioning, however, due to the implementation of the hullbreak mechanic on this vehicle. You can no longer use your turret as a sponge against MBTs to soak up damage, as a single round can easily send you back to the hanger, even if it were a glancing hit.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	M792	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE		Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	M791	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine	ESS	Artillery Support	Laser rangefinder	NVD

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Has access to 8 x multi-purpose missiles, can effectively eliminate both aircraft and tanks
• Missiles can penetrate up to 900 mm of armour
• Missiles are incredibly fast with a speed of 1,200 m/s
• Powerful 25 mm cannon with good APDS for ground targets and HE ammunition for use against air targets
• Gunner operates the turret and weapons from behind protective hull instead of being in the turret itself
• Built on the chassis of M3 Bradley- good mobility and acceptable armour
• Modifications are researched fairly quickly
• Effective radar with good range
• Can lock on to aircraft with the radar disabled as the ADATS tracks using an electro-optical targeting system, making sneak attacks easy
• Missiles can even be fired without lock on and retain their proximity fuse against aircraft
• Longest range SAMs in the game; 10 km, making it the only SAM system that can match the Ka-50's Vikr ATGMs for range

Cons:

• Thin armour is not effective against larger cannons
• High profile makes it hard to conceal, it is easily spotted
• Can be destroyed if directly rammed by a plane (hull-break)
• The three crew members are all situated within the hull, and can all be rendered unconscious if a shot penetrates the hull
• The only way to penetrate the frontal armour of enemy tanks is with missiles
• The missiles are essentially giant exposed ammo-racks
• No stabiliser makes firing on the move difficult and increases time to aim the weapons when suddenly breaking
• Missiles cannot be fired on the move, only guided
• Suffers heavily from the Hull Break mechanic

History

The ADATS was developed at the end of the 1980s as a general-purpose weapon capable of bringing down low-flying airborne targets as well as armoured opponents. Hence the abbreviation: Air Defence Anti-Tank System. The system was comprised of radar for detecting and tracking targets, a complex radio kit for coordinating multiple vehicles, and eight MIM-146 guided missiles in transport and launch containers. The US Army version was built on the Bradley IFV chassis and fitted with a 25 mm autocannon. Notwithstanding the fact that it was selected after a US Army competition for the Forward Area Air-Defence program, it was found to be excessively expensive to manufacture and never made it to serial production on the Bradley chassis.

-From Devblog

Media

Videos

New anti-air defence discusses the ADATS at 0:59 - 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

• [Devblog] Bradley ADATS: One to Rule Them All

USA tank destroyers
M10	M10 GMC
M36	M36 GMC · M36B2
T95	T28 · T95
M109	M109A1
ATGM	LOSAT · M901
Wheeled	M3 GMC · T55E1
Other	M8 HMC · M50 · M56
China	▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2)