Description
Technical Manual (TM 9-1005-286-20-1) for 20mm M167A1 Towed Air Defense Artillery Gun, M168 Cannon, M42A1 Carriage, M61 Sight, and AN/VPS-2 Radar March 1977 NSN 1005-01-014-0837
Add a strong piece of Cold War U.S. Army air defense artillery documentation to your collection with this Technical Manual TM 9-1005-286-20-1. This manual covers the 20mm M167A1 Towed Air Defense Artillery Gun, M168 Cannon, M42A1 Carriage, M61 Sight, and AN/VPS-2 Radar, dated March 1977 and listed with NSN 1005-01-014-0837.
Historical Significance
The M167A1 belongs to the Vulcan Air Defense System, commonly known as VADS. The VADS family included the self-propelled M163 and the towed M167, both designed to provide short-range air defense against low-flying aircraft and helicopters. The M167 towed Vulcan was a short-range air defense gun intended to protect forward area combat elements and rear-area critical assets.
The M167 was developed during the Cold War as the Army continued to modernize air defense artillery. It was developed in the mid-1960s as a replacement for the quad .50 caliber M55, giving air defense units a towed 20mm Gatling-type cannon system rather than an older multiple-machine-gun mount.
This March 1977 organizational maintenance manual reflects the support side of that system. It belongs to the period when the Army maintained detailed technical publications for crew-served and support-maintained air defense weapons. Manuals like this were official working documents used to support identification, servicing, and field support of the equipment they covered, making them useful to collectors, historians, researchers, and restorers.
The M167A1 Air Defense System
The M167A1 combined several major components into a complete towed air defense weapon system:
- 20mm M167A1 Towed Air Defense Artillery Gun
- M168 Cannon
- M42A1 Carriage
- M61 Sight
- AN/VPS-2 Radar
The M168 cannon was the 20mm Vulcan weapon used in the M167 system. WeaponSystems.net describes the M167 as armed with a six-barrel 20mm M168 cannon firing the 20x102mm cartridge, with selectable cyclic rates of 1,000 or 3,000 rounds per minute. The system used manual fire control aided by a range-only radar.
The AN/VPS-2 radar adds another important layer of collector interest. The AN/VPS-2 range-only radar was an integral part of the Vulcan system in the air defense role, used to support firing data for aircraft engagements.
What This Manual Covers
As TM 9-1005-286-20-1, this publication served as an organizational maintenance manual for the M167A1 system. It is especially relevant for collectors who want the maintenance and support side of the Vulcan system, not just a general overview of the weapon.
This manual is especially useful for:
- M167A1 Vulcan Air Defense System documentation
- M168 20mm cannon reference
- M42A1 carriage maintenance research
- M61 sight documentation
- AN/VPS-2 radar reference
- Cold War air defense artillery collections
- Chaparral/Vulcan air defense system displays
- museum and archival reference collections
Key Features
- Technical Manual TM 9-1005-286-20-1
- Covers the 20mm M167A1 Towed Air Defense Artillery Gun
- Covers the M168 Cannon
- Covers the M42A1 Carriage
- Covers the M61 Sight
- Covers the AN/VPS-2 Radar
- Dated March 1977
- Listed with NSN 1005-01-014-0837
- U.S. Army organizational maintenance manual
- Connected to the Vulcan Air Defense System
- Strong Cold War short-range air defense subject
- Excellent reference for VADS, 20mm Vulcan, air defense artillery, and U.S. Army technical manual collectors
About This Manual
This listing is for Technical Manual TM 9-1005-286-20-1, covering the 20mm M167A1 Towed Air Defense Artillery Gun, M168 Cannon, M42A1 Carriage, M61 Sight, and AN/VPS-2 Radar, dated March 1977, with NSN 1005-01-014-0837.
This listing is for the manual only unless otherwise stated. No gun, cannon, carriage, radar, sight, trailer, ammunition, tools, repair parts, storage case, or additional accessories are included unless specifically shown or noted.
Ideal For
This manual is a strong fit for:
- M167A1 VADS collectors
- Cold War air defense artillery displays
- 20mm cannon reference collections
- U.S. Army technical manual libraries
- M168 cannon and M42A1 carriage researchers
- M61 sight and AN/VPS-2 radar reference collections
- museum and archival reference collections
Approx length 11", Approx width 8", Approx height 1", Approx weight 2lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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