Gaijin at this point could add the M163 PIVADS upgrade which gave it upgraded radar and access to DM63 APDS
3 years later, and it still dogchit. You need to click multiple times and hope it locks even at under 2km range. Typical Gaijin uselessness.
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Can confirm still 2025 doesnt work in realistic battles. Works fine in test drive. Multiple matches and even helicopters 200m from me just looking at me and no lock.
This thread popped up for me again at the perfect time, as I’ve been playing the Israeli M163 VADS “Hovet” all day today. The only times I struggled to lock were when enemies were flying somewhat perpendicular to the radar or low. I experienced this in test drives too, acts like most radars in that regard. Other than those two any instance that happened under those 2 circumstances, I didn’t experience any issues locking or tracking at all.
Edit: as of early 2026 I’ve still yet to experience this. Still think it’s user error.
The m163 with questionable radar should be lowered to BR 7.3 for Arcade.
- sure it has rapid fire, but the range is weak compared to 30mm and even 23mm Russian guns
And for Japan, there is no reasonable 7.7 lineup.
For arcade, huh, well maybe but I don’t play ground arcade so i don’t know how well it would do there with spotting and waves of planes and all that, but sure maybe. While we’re at it there’s also the 20mm APDS it should get (like 66mm of flat point blank pen I think), would make it more capable of defending itself from ground vehicles. The Japanese version is the VADS which can get it.
NO!
Gaijin will just raise the BR when players complain an spaa is killing their tanks. :(
The exact APDS belt is already ingame on a Japanese boat that uses the Vulcan. It’s a really poor round, nothing that would reasonably raise its BR. The VADS series specifically used this as I understand it.
It can be found on this ingame:
Here are its poor stats:
Nothing major really, the rounds would shatter, be awful at angles, and lose power fast over distance. However it would a ~10% velocity increase making hitting air targets easier, and the damage pen would make taking out tracks and barrels from attackers much easier. It would only be slightly better than the Shilka with that belt if you ask me, but it’d still be a better anti air than TD, and wouldn’t be a potent TD if anything given its lack of a STAB, having an easily machine-gunned gunner, and squishy armor. It would be an overall buff not only for self defense against ground targets, but also aircraft.