Description
Technical Manual (TM 9-1005-286-20-2) for 20mm M167A1 Towed Air Defense Artillery Gun, M168 Cannon, M42A1 Carriage, M61 Sight, and AN/VPS-2 Radar March 1978 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 9-1005-286-20-2. This manual covers the 20mm M167A1 Towed Air Defense Artillery Gun, M168 Cannon, M42A1 Carriage, M61 Sight, and AN/VPS-2 Radar, with listed NSN 1005-01-014-0837.
Army reference listings identify TM 9-1005-286-20-2 as an Organizational Maintenance Manual for the towed 20mm M167A1 system, including the M168 cannon, M42A1 gun carriage, M61 sight, and AN/VPS-2 radar.
Historical Significance
The M167A1 was part of the Vulcan Air Defense System, often 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 was a short-range air defense gun intended to protect forward-area combat elements and rear-area critical assets, with secondary usefulness against lightly armored ground targets.
The M167 was developed during the Cold War as the Army moved from older gun-based systems, such as the Quad .50, toward high-rate 20mm Vulcan-based air defense weapons. The towed M167 gave airborne, airmobile, and tactical units a transportable air-defense gun built around the M168 20mm cannon and supported by sighting and radar equipment.
The M167A1 System
The M167A1 was more than a 20mm cannon on a carriage. It combined the M168 Vulcan cannon, M42A1 carriage, M61 sight, and AN/VPS-2 range-only radar into a complete air defense weapon system. The M167 was a towed anti-aircraft gun armed with the 20mm M168, firing 20x102mm ammunition with selectable cyclic rates of 1,000 or 3,000 rounds per minute, and using a range-only radar to assist manual targeting.
That complete system connection gives this manual strong collector value. It documents the maintenance side of a Cold War air defense platform that bridged classic antiaircraft artillery and later missile-based short-range air defense systems.
What This Manual Covers
As TM 9-1005-286-20-2, this publication served as an organizational maintenance manual for the M167A1 system and its major components. It is especially relevant for collectors who want the field-support and maintenance side of the Vulcan system, not just a general overview.
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 displays
- museum and archival reference collections
Military technical manuals were official working documents intended to support the identification, use, servicing, and field support of the equipment they covered, which makes them especially useful for collectors, historians, researchers, and restorers looking for authentic military reference material.
Key Features
- Technical Manual TM 9-1005-286-20-2
- 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 1978
- 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 9-1005-286-20-2, covering the 20mm M167A1 Towed Air Defense Artillery Gun, M168 Cannon, M42A1 Carriage, M61 Sight, and AN/VPS-2 Radar, dated March 1978, 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
- Chaparral/Vulcan air defense collectors
Approx length 16.5", Approx width 11", Approx height .5", Approx weight 3lbs.
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