XM-246

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XM-246


XM-246

Hello everyone :), what I would like to introduce today is XM-246 anti-air tank.

Introduction

In the late 1970s, the M163 and MIM-72 in the United States were already outdated at that time. Therefore, the US Army requested the development of a new self-propelled anti-aircraft gun to replace them. The project was initially called the “Advanced Radar Guided Artillery Air Defense System” (ARGADS), later renamed “Division Air Defense” (DIVAD). The project required the use of tank chassis to carry powerful anti-aircraft guns, so that they could provide the necessary anti-aircraft firepower to accompany the Army’s air defense.

At that time, the project required the use of existing M48 tanks as chassis to carry anti-aircraft guns, so many companies proposed their own solutions. General Dynamics provided XM246 as one of them, and the well-known M247 was also competing in the project The turret system of XM246 is similar to Gepard, but the weapon positions are not on either side of the turret, but are arranged side by side in the center of the turret.

XM246

The radar and fire control system of this turret come from CIWS. The search radar is installed in a mushroom like device on the top of the turret, while the tracking radar is installed on the right side of the gun. In order to improve combat efficiency, the turret also includes independent and stable optical sights and laser rangefinders for manual combat. The entire turret is made of aluminum metal.

The project was ultimately screened out, leaving only XM246 and XM247, and the two companies quickly manufactured test vehicles based on their own design schemes. After the shooting target experiment, their ultimate winner was M247. Despite being highly advanced, the DIVAD project was ultimately forced to be cancelled due to various issues that prevented large-scale production.

In game

XM246 is a high-performance self-propelled anti-aircraft gun equipped with two 35mm KDA machine guns, which have full power against air and ground, and can effectively shoot down enemy aircraft and destroy lightly armored targets. The chassis uses an M48 tank, which has good passability and maneuverability, and sufficient ammunition reserves. He has a radar search system, so it is recommended to place him on BR 8.3.
Spefications

  • Crew:3
  • Main weapon:2 × 35mm KDA auto gun(600 rounds)
  • Ammo:HEI、API、APDS
  • Secondary weapon:M60 machine gun(1000 rounds)
  • Engine:AV-1790-5B(750hp)
  • Max speed:45km/h
  • Maximum travel: 463 kilometers
  • Vehicle protection: homogeneous steel armor
  • Auxiliary equipment: laser rangefinder, NVD, smoke bomb launcher
Pictures

1706442392_768_XM-246
1706442392_824_XM-246
XM-246
Image_1715986951365

Sources
12 Likes

US SPAA!!! Sweet!!!

6 Likes

A +1 from me, the US needs all the SPAA it can get considering the current rather lackluster state of the SPAA branch

9 Likes

Always loved this thing. +1

5 Likes

Definitely a +1 for the GePatton

4 Likes

This is f**king ugly and i love ugly. Also perfect for a sidegrade or squadron option

6 Likes

It say better as due to the fact it uses el gep gun it gets apds

4 Likes

This would be a great addition. The US has a decent sized BR gap from 7.7-9.0 which is a BR range where most other nations have already something like this to fill (e.g Gepard, Chieftain Marksman, Type 87). It’s a pretty standard type of AA for the tier and would probably play like a cross between Gepard (guns & ammo) and Chieftain Marksman (lower speed, armoured hull). It’s perfectly suited to bridge the gap and we can pretty easily guess how it would play from all the similar vehicles we already have. I’m always in favour of filling capability gaps wherever possible, and this would slot in very nicely with my 8.3 & 8.7 US lineups.

3 Likes

8.3 8.7 gap filler all day long. Nothing wrong with more spaa options

3 Likes

This is not an 8.3 vehicle, it’s at least a 9.0.
It had its own proxy round produced with the “Motorola Proximity Fuze” replacing the point detonating fuze in the HEI round.

It should feature belts with HEI and SAPHEI interspersed, plus smaller SAPHEI belts like the Gepard.
It has similar special armor to the M3 Bradley meaning a spaced composite of thin High Hardness steel plate with air gaps backed with a 1" Aluminium plate. The turret was produced by FMC.

7 Likes

consider we already had m247, it would better stay at 8.3 without vt to fill the gap

1 Like

Do you have more information, some documents on the XM246, and the proximity rounds? I can’t find anything

1 Like

I agree, otherwise it’ll end up being folder’d

Unfortunately, it seems they removed the article about the MPF from Archive.org, but you can find info on XM246 even if it is sparse.

But from my notes it was supposed to be smarter than the M822 round in that it would take range to the target into account so its burst pattern would have maximal effect instead of “just” exploding near a target: Similarly to the M822 if it were on collision course it would use it’s point detonating sensor instead of exploding near the target.

But in game it would be no different, only less explosive mass than the M822.112g vs 120g and less fragments. So, an initially faster but less powerful M822 round.

2 Likes

I would prefer if they put the GLAADS at 8.3, give the M247 its real max engagement range of up to 10km and move it up to 9.3-9.7 and then put the XM246 at 9.0 either folded with M247 or not.

4 Likes

Given that the GLAADS doesn’t have a radar and likely no APDS rounds, it’ll be an even worse SIDAM and I don’t think it’d fit at 8.3…maybe 8.0?

Altough XM246 could get those proximity fuse rounds, I think it’d better fit at 8.3 given its similarities to the other “Gepard-style” SPAA, with the T249 DIVAD getting those proximity rounds and going to ~9.0 (since it was rechambered from 37 mm to 35 mm with the same ammo as Gepard, XM246…)
image

GLAADS does have AP, that was part of the concept to use AP against long range targets and HE against close so half its ammo would be AP if Gaijin implements it right. Its IRST I think will be enough to have it at 8.3 just fine.
image

The Sperry DIVAD was never built, that picture is marketing material, old fashion photoshop.


The Vigilante 37mm was offcause build but had a very low ammo count but would likely have far better range than M163 but it was designed to shoot like 5 or 6 times before it needed to reload.

3 Likes

35mm SPAA for US? (Ooooo and even APDS!)
Perfect gap filler option! Major +1 (given the horrendous state of the USA SPAA line especially)

Wow that’s amazing, too bad Gajin hates America’s SPAA line.

2 Likes

Need to find out It’s vertical and horizontal speeds along with its maximum and min elevation