#vulcan

The Machbet (Hebrew: מחבט, or “racket”) is an Israeli upgrade of the M163 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) developed by Israeli Aircraft Industries, or IAI. Compared to the preceding M163 and Hovet, the Machbet retains the 20 mm M168 cannon but trades out the antiquated AN/VPS-2 tracking radar for a new FLIR/IR optical tracker and is equipped with a quad FIM-92 Stinger launcher, allowing it to combat enemy aircraft at distances beyond the gun’s effective range. The Machbet also has thermals and a laser rangefinder to aid with spotting and targeting enemy aircraft.