Introduction:
The GLAADS program was a test program incorporating the latest technologies of the early 1970s for an Air Defense Gun. The Objective was to create a follow on to the M163 with increased range and lethality but still being a “passive” system relying on FLIR instead of radar. A key to the system was also testing new computation models for tracking aircraft that would be able to better avoid sensor noise, which would increase hit probability over earlier linear projection models.
Initiated in 1972 the GLAADS program was an offshoot on to the LOFAADS (Low Altitude Forward Area Air Defense System) program of the late 60ties and early 70ties. The weapon was to have an effective range of 3km, the max caliber was to be 30mm its time of flight to 3km was to be between 2.2-3 seconds for AP and the reaction time was to be between 5-7 seconds. The idea being to use AP against long range threats and HE against close ones.
General Dynamics, General Electric and Philco-Ford competed to build the GLAADS test vehicle with Philco-Ford, the producer of the Vulcan winning out. The turret was mounted on to the, left over, second pilot of the MICV-65 program a steel version of the XM701 vehicle in 1975 for tests. The fire control system Ford devised for GLAADS became the basis for the M247 SGT York’s FCS.
The GLAADS’s FCS was the materialization of the AFAADS(Advanced Forward Area Air Defense System) fire control computer concept: A FLIR scanning system with an continual laser range finder for tracking and an automated closed-loop fire control, designed to enable a dual-gun system in the 20-40mm caliber range to hit targets flying 300+ m/sec with a reaction time in the 5-7 seconds.
The PFB-25 is a descendant of the TRW-6425 designed by Eugene Stoner, like the Oerlikon KBA already in game. The weapon is dual feed, enabling the fire of AP against long range targets.
This is really cool! I’d never heard of this vehicle or this program before, but I’d love to have this added to the US anti-air line. This could fill one of the many gaps in that part of the tree very nicely. +1
+1 though since it has tracking capabilities, it might not be able to bridge the Great US SPAA Gap™ all that much if at all. Would still be nice to have as an alternative to the M163 though.
As sergeant York, ADATS, and numerous projects at all.
Its like a story, how, during WW2, Grumman make almost all carrier aircraft, so when he propose some beautiful plane, with reasonable price (Bearcat, if i remember that correctly, but i can be wrong), it been denied, for reasons of the Antimonopoly Committee.
So in the end, Navy been stuck with worse, and more costly plane.
The purpose of GLAADS was to develop a capable fire control system that could react quickly and accurately to incoming aircraft, which they succeeded at making. The failure of the M247 is entirely down to Ford’s poor choices, and the ADATS came at a bad time when the cold war had just ended, thus it was deemed unnecessary.
The Bearcat was adopted and saw service in very late WW2 and Korea. I’m not sure which aircraft you’re talking about there.
That’s not entirely true, however. Plenty of other manufacturers had aircraft in USN service well before the anti-monopoly laws came into place.
Gaijin’s video on Grumman itself isn’t entirely accurate either. The Panther saw the most service in Korea because most of the Banshees were all the way over in Europe for atlantic and mediterranean squadrons, thanks to the F2H’s exceptional performance at high altitude and range. it was regarded by the USN as a better fighter than the F9F Panther.
Thank you and sorry about that, my ulterior motive was to give Sgt York its real-life capabilities (issues reports) which I think might move it up from 9.0 so the obvious and cool looking stop-gap choice would be GLAADS at 8.3-8.7 where I think it will be the US equivalent of 2S38, even if slightly weaker. ~500 rounds of 25mm APDS at 1100 RPM is going to be fun, fingers crossed.
