page_title: M163 VADS
section_title: Specifications
hierarchical_section_title: M163 VADS / Specifications
caption_attribution_description: The 20 mm M168 Vulcan gun on an M163A1 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun during Operation Desert Storm.
context_page_description: The M163 Vulcan Air Defense System is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun that was used by the United States Army. The M168 gun is a variant of the General Dynamics 20 mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, the standard cannon in most U.S. combat aircraft since the 1960s, mounted on either an armored vehicle or a trailer.
context_section_description: Armour layout:
  front: 38mm
  sides: 45mm to 32mm
  rear/top: 38mm
  bottom: 29mm
  M168 gun on the M163:
  Effective range:
  M246 (air targets): 1,200m
  Mk149 (air targets): 2,500m
  M56 (ground targets): 3,000m
  Maximum firing range: M246: 1,800m (self-destruct)
  Maximum rate of fire: 1,000rpm unlimited, 3,000rpm in burst of 10,30, 60, or 100 rounds
  Elevation: +80° to −5° at 45°/second
  Traverse: 360° at 60°/s
  Ammunition:
  M167: 500 rounds.
  M163: 1,100 rounds loaded, 1,000 rounds stowed
caption: A close-up of the 20 mm Vulcan cannon on the M163 VADS.
exif: {}