Difference between revisions of "FMC T-160 (20 mm)"

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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
* Excellent damage which allows for critical damage or complete destruction of enemy aircraft
+
* Excellent damage which allows for critical damage or complete destruction of enemy aircraft in very short order
 
* Very high rate of fire ensures maximum amount of fire on a target, especially for small engagement windows common in jet combat
 
* Very high rate of fire ensures maximum amount of fire on a target, especially for small engagement windows common in jet combat
 
* High muzzle velocity reduces the need to lead a target and makes deflection shots much easier
 
* High muzzle velocity reduces the need to lead a target and makes deflection shots much easier
* All shells are useful in combat; there are no "wasted slots" in ammunition belts (as compared to some belts for the [[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)|'''''Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)''''']]
+
* All shells are useful in combat; there are no "wasted slots" in ammunition belts (as compared to some belts for other 20 mm cannons, such as the [[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)|'''''Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)''''']]
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''

Revision as of 05:04, 30 October 2019

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

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.

Available shells

The FMC T-160 has a total of five available ammunition belts:

  • Default: P / HEF-I / HEF-I / API-T

The Default belt is not optimal compared to all others because of the inclusion of a practice shell, although with the characteristics of the T-160 cannon it is not a major detriment. It is still recommended that other belts are used once the modification is researched and purchased.

  • Universal: HEF-I / API-T

Universal is always a good mix of both high explosive and armour piercing shells, and is a good choice for most situations.

  • Air Targets: HEF-I / HEF-I / HEF-I / API-T

The Air Targets belt is an excellent choice as the T-160 is almost exclusively for use against aircraft. A large amount of HEF-I shells will allow for a better chance of breaking critical parts of an aircraft as well as setting fires.

  • Armored Targets: API-T / AP-I / AP-I

The Armored Targets belt is entirely composed of AP-I shells which can give good performance against more heavily protected enemies. These can provide a method of destroying light pillboxes as well as medium tanks, although considering the very low ammunition available for the T-160 cannons it is not recommended to attack ground targets unless absolutely necessary.

  • Stealth: HEF-I / HEF-I / HEF-I / AP-I

The Stealth belts are essentially the exact same as the Air Targets belt with the exception that no tracer shell is present. If skilled with the T-160 cannon, these belts can be devastating by concealing when the cannons are fired.

Comparison with analogues

  • M39A1 (20 mm): The FMC T-160 cannon is an early version of the M39 cannon, and in-game they perform identically. Learning how to use them effectively on the F-86F-2 will prove to be beneficial for flying the F-100D.
  • AN/M3 (20 mm): The FMC T-160 has a much higher rate of fire over the AN/M3 cannons (1500 v. 750) as well as having a higher muzzle velocity (1,030 m/s v. 853 m/s). This makes aiming easier with the T-160 as well as having a higher burst mass.
  • Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 (20 mm): These perform similarly, although the T-160 still has an advantage with rate of fire (1500 v. 996). The T-160 also has better ammunition belts than the Browning-Colt Mk12 due to less AP shells and more HEF shells.
  • NR-23 (23 mm): The NR-23 has relatively high rate of fire at 900 rounds/minute and does have slightly more explosive power with the FI-T shells, but it has an abysmal muzzle velocity at 690 m/s so the T-160 can be much easier to use in comparison.
  • DEFA 552 (30 mm): The DEFA 552 has a comparable rate of fire at 1200 rounds/minute and has much more explosive mass than the T-160 shells, but it also has a much lower muzzle velocity of 810 m/s.

Usage in battles

The FMC T-160 is a highly effective weapon against nearly any opponent it can face, but it is also very demanding on the pilot. In battle, the T-160 will greatly reward those who put effort into learning how the cannon works and employing it in the most advantageous positions. Knowing when to open fire and when to hold back is the key to success, and failing to respect the T-160 can be frustrating as it is a very punishing weapon for mistakes.

The T-160 is best used at medium to closer ranges, at around 400 to 900 meters distance to a target. The very high muzzle velocity of 1,030 m/s means that at these ranges there will be essentially no time at all for the target to avoid fire. If a target is unaware they can be wiped from the sky with the T-160 and not know what hit them. While engagements directly behind an aircraft can be beneficial, it can also be difficult to hit a target that is constantly evading. This is where the extreme trigger discipline will be required as the firing time for the T-160 can be measured in only a few seconds. The ammunition can easily be spent all in a single engagement so it is necessary to aim carefully.

Where the T-160 truly shines is in deflection shooting, as a target presents a larger area to hit and the high muzzle velocity makes it far easier to lead a target in a turn. Wings are quickly snapped off and entire airframes destroyed from quick bursts of the T-160 in a deflection shot, but aiming can be a challenge if new to the cannon. Experience will be the key to learning how to use the T-160 to its fullest potential and developing a sense for where the shells will land will be the determining factor in how successful a pilot is with the T-160.

Due to the very fast paced nature of higher tier jet combat, the T-160 is an excellent cannon in this environment. Against other fighters it can be effective in dealing damage quickly during high speed passes and diving attacks. When split-second engagement windows appear, the T-160 can be used to good effect and take out enemies that would otherwise have evaded. The T-160 also can be used against heavily defended bombers, such as the Tu-4. A quick pass can easily cause fatal damage and start fires that will ultimately destroy the bomber, while minimizing exposure to defensive armaments.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent damage which allows for critical damage or complete destruction of enemy aircraft in very short order
  • Very high rate of fire ensures maximum amount of fire on a target, especially for small engagement windows common in jet combat
  • High muzzle velocity reduces the need to lead a target and makes deflection shots much easier
  • All shells are useful in combat; there are no "wasted slots" in ammunition belts (as compared to some belts for other 20 mm cannons, such as the Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)

Cons:

  • Lower ammunition count compared to some other cannons (only 115 rounds per gun)
  • High rate of fire can be a detriment for pilots who are not careful with their aim and waste ammunition
  • Very high chance to overhead and jam if fired for any extended period of time; around 2 seconds without "New 20 mm cannon" modification
  • Can be challenging to adapt to as rate of fire/muzzle velocity is very different from earlier armaments, primarily Browning M3 (12.7 mm) and AN/M3 (20 mm)

History

Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of this weapon. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(weapon-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.

Media

An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, as well as 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:

  • reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
  • 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;
  • encyclopedia page on the weapon;
  • other literature.


USA aircraft cannons
20 mm  AN/M2 · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 0 · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 · FMC T-160
  M3 · M24A1 · M39 · M39A1 · M39A2 · M39A3 · M61A1 · M195 · M197 · Mk 11 · Mk 11 mod 5 · T31
30 mm  M230E-1 · XM140 · GAU-8/A · GAU-13/A · LR30
37 mm  M4 · M9 · M10
40 mm  M75 · M129
75 mm  M10 · T13E1
  Foreign:
20 mm  Hispano 404 (France) · Hispano Mk.II (Britain) · MG 151 (Germany) · Type 99 Model 1 (Japan)
30 mm  ADEN Mk.4 (Britain)