XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System

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XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
U.S. Missile / Launcher Systems:
MGM-51 "Shillelagh" Anti-Tank Missile System
U.S. Vehicle-Mounted / Mechanized Guns & Howitzers:
152mm M551 / M551A1 (Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle)
U.S. Vehicle-Mounted / Mechanized Guns & Howitzers:
105mm / 152mm M60 / M60A1 / M60A2 / M60A3 / M1 Main Battle Tank
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
  • XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer Visual Effects Simulator used with MGM-51 Shillelagh Missile System
$1,975.00

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Description

1966 Reflectone XM35 M551 Sheridan Shillelagh Visual Effects Simulator, P/N 11603350, S/N 051

Item Overview

This 1966 Reflectone Visual Effects Simulator, or VES, was the turret-mounted optical component of the XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer for the M551 Sheridan’s MGM-51 Shillelagh missile system. Installed ahead of the Sheridan gunner’s telescope, it produced a simulated missile launch and flight in the gunner’s field of view. This allowed crews to practice acquiring a target and tracking a guided missile without firing live ammunition. The fitted case contains the VES subsystem and its associated cabling rather than a complete XM35 trainer.

Identification and Features

The identification plate names the Otis Elevator Company’s Reflectone Division and records part number 11603350, serial number 051, and government contract N61339-66-C-0053. Reflectone specialized in military training devices and produced the XM35 system for the Army during the early introduction of the M551 Sheridan. The fiscal-year 1966 contract and low serial number place this example within the XM35’s first production period.

  • Component: Visual Effects Simulator
  • Manufacturer: Otis Elevator Co., Reflectone Division
  • Part number: 11603350
  • Serial number: 051
  • Contract: N61339-66-C-0053
  • Parent trainer: XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer
  • Later launcher-side designation: M41
  • End-item application: M551 Sheridan
  • Weapon system represented: MGM-51 Shillelagh
  • Included configuration: Cased VES subsystem with cabling

Historical Background

The Army developed the XM35 while preparing the M551 Sheridan and MGM-51 Shillelagh for service. The trainer received a limited-production classification in October 1965, and Reflectone received an order for 67 systems in February 1966. The contract date and serial number 051 are consistent with this example being unit 51 from that first production order, although a surviving serial-number roster has not been located to confirm its exact position in the run. This early production history makes the VES a direct artifact of the Army’s effort to introduce guided-missile training alongside a new armored vehicle.

Function and Operation

The VES mounted in front of the gunner’s normal telescope and added a controlled optical representation of the Shillelagh missile’s launch and flight. During an exercise, the gunner used the tank’s sighting position and controls to keep the target centered while following the simulated missile engagement. The visual display reproduced the tracking task without launching a missile, allowing repeated practice with the sight picture and guidance procedure. Instructor controls and remote target equipment managed the complete exercise and provided information on the simulated engagement.

XM35 Conduct-of-Fire Trainer

The XM35 was a complete training system rather than a single optical instrument. It combined launcher-side equipment associated with the Sheridan, the Visual Effects Simulator, instructor-control equipment, and a remote target unit. Together, these components simulated firing and tracking the Shillelagh missile. The launcher-side and target portions of the system were later standardized as the M41 and M42 trainers. Army testing began in 1966, and early equipment received design improvements for better reliability and durability. By March 1969, the Army reported that the latest modified design was suitable for its training role.

M551 Sheridan and Shillelagh Weapon System

Development of the M551 Sheridan began in 1959 as the Army sought a light, air-transportable armored reconnaissance and assault vehicle. Its main armament was the 152mm M81 gun-launcher, which could fire conventional ammunition or launch the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided missile. During a missile engagement, the gunner kept the sight on the target while the fire-control system measured the missile’s position and sent steering corrections. Production deliveries of the Sheridan began in 1966, the same year represented by this VES contract.

History of Use

The XM35 gave Sheridan crews a repeatable way to learn the Shillelagh tracking sequence before conducting live-fire exercises. A 1967 Army-sponsored field study examined the trainer’s effectiveness, including its visual missile representation and simulated miss information. The equipment supported individual gunner instruction and crew-level conduct-of-fire practice while reducing the need for missiles, specialized ranges, and repeated live launches. The M551 entered operational deployment in 1969, while the XM35 and later M41/M42 equipment supported training for its missile-capable fire-control system.

Condition

This example consists of the cased Visual Effects Simulator subsystem and associated cabling. The identification plate remains readable and shows the manufacturer, part number, serial number, and contract information. The instructor-control unit, remote target equipment, M42 target unit, Sheridan turret, gunner’s telescope, and other parts required to form a complete trainer are not included. Included components are limited to the equipment shown in the inventory photographs.

Ideal For

This early Reflectone simulator is well suited to a collection or display devoted to Cold War armor, military simulation, guided weapons, or the M551 Sheridan. Its documented connection to the first XM35 production period also gives it strong value as an example of the specialized equipment used to prepare crews for the Army’s first operational gun-launched antitank missile system.

  • M551 Sheridan displays
  • MGM-51 Shillelagh collections
  • Military training-device exhibits
  • Cold War armored-vehicle museums
  • Reflectone equipment collections
  • Fire-control and optical-system displays

Approx length 28", Approx width 38", Approx height 15", Approx weight 150 lbs.

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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