View source for M167 VADS

{{More citations needed|date=June 2008}}
{{Infobox weapon
 | name              = M167 VADS
 | image             = JASDF JM167A1 barrels right front view at Tsuiki Air Base November 26, 2017 02.jpg
 | image_size        = 300px
 | caption           = A JASDF JM167A1 mounted on an AA gun mount at Tsuiki Air Base.
 | origin            = United States
 | type              = [[Rotary cannon]]
<!-- Type selection -->
 | is_ranged         = yes
<!-- Service history -->
 | service           = {{plainlist|
* 1965–1994 (United States)
* 1960s–present (other countries)
}}
 | used_by           = [[#Operators|See ''Operators'']]
 | wars              = [[War in Darfur]]<br />[[Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile]]<br />[[Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)]]<br />[[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen]]
<!-- Production history -->
 | designer          = [[Rock Island Arsenal]]<ref name="jane">{{cite book | title=Jane's Land-Based Air Defence 1992-93 | date=1992 | publisher=Jane's Information Group | isbn=9780710609793 | editor-last1=Foss | editor-first1=Christopher | editor-last2=Cullen |editor-first2=Tony F.| page=215}}</ref>
 | design_date       = 1964
 | manufacturer      = {{plainlist|
* Armament Systems Department, [[General Electric]]<ref name="jane" />
* Daewoo Heavy Industries Ltd <ref name="jane" />
}}
 | unit_cost         = 
 | production_date   = 
 | number            = 
 | variants          = [[#Variants|See ''Variants'']]
<!-- General specifications -->
 | spec_label        = 
 | weight            = {{convert|1583|kg|lb|abbr=on}} including carriage
 | length            = {{plainlist|
* {{convert|472.4|cm|in|abbr=on}} in travel configuration
* {{convert|386.1|cm|in|abbr=on}} emplaced <ref>{{cite book | title= Operator's Manual (Crew) for Gun, Air Defense Artillery, Towed, 20mm, M167A1 | date=22 May 1986 | page= 1{{hyphen}}1 | publisher         = Headquarters, Department of the Army | url               = https://archive.org/details/TM9-1005-286-10}}</ref>
}}
 | part_length       = 
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
<!-- Please fill in missing specifications if possible. -->
 | cartridge         = [[20×102mm]]
 | caliber           = [[20 mm caliber|20 mm]] (0.787 in)
 | barrels           = 6-barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 9 grooves)
 | action            = [[Hydraulic machinery|Hydraulically operated]], electrically fired, [[rotary cannon]]
 | rate              = 1000 or 3000 rounds per minute<ref name="fm-44-1-2 page 2-4">{{cite book|title=FM 44-1-2: Air Defense Artillery Reference Handbook |publication-date=30 June 1978 |publisher=Headquarters, Department of the Army| url=https://archive.org/details/fm441278airdefenseartileryreference./ |page=2{{hyphen}}4}}</ref>
 | velocity          = 1030 m/s <ref name="jane" />
 | range             = 1200m (Aerial) or 4500m (Ground) <ref name="fm-44-1-2 page 2-4" />
 | max_range         = 
 | feed              = 500rd linked feed <ref name="FM 44-3">{{cite book |title=FM 44-3: U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Employment, Chaparral/Vulcan |publication-date=30 September 1981 | publisher=Headquarters, Department of the Army| page=4{{hyphen}}4 | url = https://archive.org/details/fm-44-3}}</ref>
 | sights            = 
}}
The '''M167 Vulcan Air Defense System''' ('''VADS''')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=119|title=M167 Vulcan Towed / Static Air Defense System - United States|website=Militaryfactory.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m167.htm|title=M167 VADS Vulcan Air Defense System|first=John|last=Pike|website=Globalsecurity.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://weaponsystems.net/weaponsystem/EE02+-+M167+Vulcan.html|title=M167 Vulcan - Weaponsystems.net|website=Weaponsystems.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://militaryedge.org/armaments/20mm-m167-vads/|title=20mm M167 VADS|date=23 January 2014|website=Militaryedge.org|access-date=2 April 2018|archive-date=3 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403051650/https://militaryedge.org/armaments/20mm-m167-vads/|url-status=dead}}</ref> is a towed, short-range [[United States Army]] [[anti-aircraft gun]] designed to protect forward area combat elements and rear area critical assets. It was also used to protect [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] warplane [[airfield]]s and [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] helicopter airfields. The heart of the M167 is the M168 Cannon, a variant of the [[M61 Vulcan]] [[20 mm caliber|20×102 mm]] rapid-fire rotary cannon.

It was also effective against lightly [[armoured warfare|armored]] ground targets. The M167 gun has now been withdrawn from service by U.S. military units, but is still used by other countries.

==History==
The two versions of the Vulcan Air-Defense System, the towed M167 and self-propelled [[M163 VADS]], were developed by the United States Army Weapons Command at [[Rock Island Arsenal]] in 1964. They were accepted as a replacement for the [[M45 Quadmount]] in 1965, and first production M167s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1967.<ref name="jane"/>

Starting in 1994, the M167 was replaced in U.S. service by the [[M1097 Avenger]] missile launcher and in 2005, by a ground-based version of the [[Phalanx CIWS]] self-defense gun<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/003558.html|title=CIWS now does surface targets, too – Murdoc Online|website=Murdoconline.net|access-date=2009-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412090513/http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/003558.html|archive-date=2009-04-12|url-status=dead}}</ref>  which the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] uses on its ships. The Phalanx CIWS uses the same basic 20&nbsp;mm rapid-fire Gatling gun as the M167.

==Design==
[[File:JASDF VADS1 Kai in Hamamatsu Air Base 20140928-01.JPG|thumb|right|300px|A JASDF VADS on display at the JASDF's Hamamatsu base.]]

The M167 VADS consists of a 20mm M168 cannon, linked ammunition feed system, and a fire control system in powered turret, mounted on an M42A1 towed carriage.<ref name="jane" />

The M167A2 VADS was modified with an improved fire-control subsystem. The improvement was obtained by replacing the disturbed reticle sight with a director reticle sight, the sight current generator with a digital processor, and the azimuth drive assembly with a harmonic drive.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://man.fas.org/dod-101/sys/land/docs/bnD010AB.htm |title=M167A2 VADS Basis of Issue Plan - BOIP |website=Federation of American Scientists|access-date=26 September 2022}}</ref> It also had an extra wheel put on each side which prevented flipping by providing a longer lever.

Sudan and Yemen used M167 guns seated upon the Soviet [[BTR-152]] APC.<ref>Steven Zaloga, ''Soviet wheeled armoured vehicles'', Concord: Hong Kong, 1990</ref><ref>Ye. Prochko, ''Bronetransporter BTR-152'', Bronyekollektsya 5(38)/2001 {{in lang|ru}}</ref>

==Operators==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2018}}

===Current operators===
* {{BOT}} (7)<ref name="IISS2022">{{cite book |last1=International Institute for Strategic Studies |title=The military balance. 2022 |date=2022 |location=Abingdon, Oxon |isbn=978-1032279008 |author1-link=International Institute for Strategic Studies }}</ref>{{rp|455}}
* {{CHI}}<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|405}}
* {{ECU}} (10)<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|413}}
* {{EGY}} (72) {{citation needed| date=April 2023}}
* {{HON}} (30) {{citation needed| date=April 2023}}
* {{ISR}}<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|349}}
* {{JPN}}<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|279}}
* {{KOR}} (60)<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|284}}
* {{SAU}} (30) Used by the National Guard<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|368}}
* {{flag|Sudan}} (16)<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|498}}
* {{THA}} (24)<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|312}}
* {{URU}} (6) <ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|432}}
* {{YEM}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mitzer |first1=Stijn |last2=Oliemans |first2=Joost |title=The Oryx Handbook of Pre-war Yemeni Fighting Vehicles |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2015/09/pre-war-yemeni-fighting-vehicles_20.html |website=Oryxspioenkop.com |date=20 September 2015}}</ref> - Used by Houthi forces<ref name="IISS2022" />{{rp|377}}

===Former operators===
* {{BEL}}
* {{MAR}} (40, 42 delivered)
* {{USA}}

==See also==
* [[M163 VADS]]
* [[M61 Vulcan]]
* [[Phalanx CIWS]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m167.htm M167 VADS] at GlobalSecurity.org
* {{HathiTrust |title= Direct support and general support maintenance manual for gun, air defense artillery, towed, 20-mm, M167A1, cannon M168, gun carriage M42A1, sight M61 (NSN 1005-01-014-0837). |htid=uva.x002217646}}

{{commons category|M167 Vulcan}}

[[Category:Anti-aircraft guns of the United States]]
[[Category:20x102mm]]