Army·Weapon system retired·In Memoriam
Vulcan Crewmember
16R
Served: 1969–1993
Operated the M163 — a 6-barrel 20mm Gatling gun (the M61 from the F-4 Phantom), bolted to an M113. Designed to spray low-flying aircraft and helicopters at point-blank range.
The Story
In the late 1980s, units field-modified Vulcans with external Stinger racks so the crew could fight dismounted when the 20mm ran dry — an honest admission that the gun alone couldn't keep up with the Hind.
Epitaph
“Gatling gun on tracks. Honest about what it couldn't do.”
Sources
- Wikipedia — M163 VADSen.wikipedia.org