M197 (20 mm)

Description

Write an introduction to the article in 2-3 small paragraphs. Briefly tell us about the history of the development and combat using the weaponry and also about its features. Compile a list of air, ground, or naval vehicles that feature this weapon system in the game.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• AH-1F
• Tzefa D/E
• ▅AH-1E
• AH-1S
• AH-1S Kisarazu
• AH-1Z

General info

The M197 is a lightweight M61 Vulcan toned down with only 3 barrels (as opposed to 6) and shooting at 750 rpm (vs 6,000 rpm) to reduce the recoil strain on platforms utilising the weapon.

Available ammunition

• Default: HEI-T* · HEF-I · HEF-I · AP-I
• Universal: HEI-T* · AP-I · HEF-I · AP-I
• Air targets: HEI-T* · HEF-I · HEF-I · AP-I
• Armored targets: HEI-T* · AP-I · AP-I · AP-I
• Stealth: HEF-I · HEF-I · HEF-I · AP-I

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	53	50	39	28	20	14
Universal	53	50	39	28	20	14
Air targets	53	50	39	28	20	14
Armored targets	53	50	39	28	20	14
Stealth	53	50	39	28	20	14

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
	10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
HEI-T*	4	4	4	4	4	4
HEF-I	2	2	2	2	2	2
AP-I	53	50	39	28	20	14

Shell details
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
						0%	50%	100%
HEI-T*	1,030	0.1	0.2	0	119.2	79°	80°	81°
HEF-I	1,030	0.15	0.2	0.1	16	79°	80°	81°
AP-I	1,030	0.15	N/A	N/A	N/A	47°	56°	65°

Comparison with analogues

Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.

Usage in battles

Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Armoured targets belt can penetrate most MBTs from the top
• High ammunition count (750 rounds)

Cons:

• Gun overheats quickly

History

In late 1967, the United States Army noticed from combat experience in Vietnam that the M134 Minigun was inadequate for use on their gunships such as the AH-1G Cobra. To increase the effective firepower of the Cobra, the US Army mounted a variant of the M61 Vulcan cannon used on Air Force fighter aircraft, but with a lower rate of fire to reduce recoil and modifications to prevent the muzzle blast from damaging any internal components. The resulting variant of the Vulcan was the M195 cannon which was mounted as part of the M35 Helicopter Armament Subsystem on the wings of the AH-1G Cobra. However, the M195 still generated significant recoil for the Cobra so a new cannon with a similar rate of fire, but only three barrels was developed, receiving the designation M197. The M197 became standard armament for Cobra series starting with AH-1S Cobra in the M97 Armament system and continues to serve to the latest variant, the AH-1Z Zulu Cobra. The M197 also was developed into the GPU-2/A gun pod which contains the cannon, 300 rounds of ammunition, and a Ni-Cad rechargeable battery to serve as a independent power supply. This gun pod was used on the both Marine Crops OV-10 Bronco and the Air Force A-37 Dragonfly fixed wing attack aircraft.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

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

• M195 (20 mm): Original Cobra Vulcan variant
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.