DIVAD Proposals

[RyanCrierie]

Sperry's Proposal for the DIVAD system:



Was based off their earlier T37 VIGILANTE AA Gun, but rechambered in 35mm NATO instead of 37mm.

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General Electric's Proposal for the DIVAD system:


Utilizing their GAU-8A AVENGER cannon system.

[Ranger6]

Two interesting alternatives to the Divads disaster -- I wonder if these multi-barreled guns would have been better choices in terms of lethality to enemy aircraft/helicopters.

Did the GE proposal have any radar? I can't tell from my monitor whether or not the object behind the CO's cupola is an open hatch or a radar antenna.

Good post, but we need more details!

[RyanCrierie]

Some more info:

After presentations to the Army Vice Chief of Staff and the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Department approved the operational requirement for the new self-propelled weapon. Originally referred to as the Advanced Radar-directed Gun Air Defense System (ARGADS), it later became the Division Air Defense (DIVAD) gun system. At this time, the caliber had not been selected and the request for proposal only specified 30mm to 40mm leaving the choice of the gun to the industry.

Studies at the Ballistic Research Laboratory, the Air Defense School, as well as other agencies had listed five weapons as candidates to arm the new system. These were the 30mm Mauser F gun then under development, the General Electric 30mm GAU-8 multi-barrel cannon used in the Air Force A10 attack plane, the Oerlikon 35mm twin guns in production for the German Gepard antiaircraft tank, a 35mm version of the Sperry 37mm T250 Vigilante Gatling type gun, and an adaptation of the Bofors 40mm L/70 twin guns.

.........

It was intended that each contractor would utilize as many items of standard equipment as possible to minimize cost and improve reliability. In both cases, the gun system was to be installed on government-furnished modified M48A5 tank chassis.

The Raytheon proposal adapted the turret from the Dutch version of the German flakpanzer Gepard to the M48A5 chassis. This turret, used on the Dutch CA-1 Cheetah antiaircraft tank, was armed with twin Oerlikon KDA 35mm cannon. Fire control equipment utilized the Hollandse Signaalapparaten radar and a Contraves computer. The Raytheon study showed that the turret and fire control systems were compatible with the M48A5 chassis and that it had 94 per cent maintenance line replaceable unit commonality with its European counterpart in NATO.  Raytheon  and  their  subcontractors  were licensed to manufacture the system in the United States.

Not surprisingly, the General Electric Company proposal adapted their successful 30mm GAU-8 seven barrel cannon to an antiaircraft turret. In this mount, the externally powered GAU-8A was manned by a crew of two. Both the commander and the gunner had firing controls and either could operate the entire system. Nicknamed the Avenger, the proposed weapon had an effective kill range of 4000 meters as a design goal. Originally, the radar was an improved version of the one developed for the earlier Vulcan air defense system with which the fire control equipment had some items in common. Later, a more advanced radar system was proposed.

...

The Sperry entry in the DIVAD competition made use of their previous experience in developing the Vigilante antiaircraft weapon system. It utilized basically the same Gatling type gun modified from its original 37mm caliber to fire the 35mm NATO round. A two man turret crew, seated side by side, manned the weapon system which, like the other entries, was fitted to the M48A5 tank chassis. The 35mm gun mounted at the left side of the aluminum armor turret had two rates of fire. These were 3000 rounds/minute for engaging aircraft and 180 rounds/minute for use against ground targets. The weapon was fed from a magazine containing 1464 rounds of ammunition. In addition to the Sperry integrated radar/IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe) system, other sensors provided independent 360 degree direct or television viewing for the crew.

General Dynamics armed their vehicle with twin Oerlikon KDA 35mm cannon. These weapons could be fired in either the automatic or semiautomatic mode and their combined rate of fire was 1100 rounds/minute. The magazines held 600 ready rounds and were accessible for rapid reloading. The twin gun mount was installed in the front center of the welded aluminum armor turret. A high performance electrohydraulic turret drive and stabilization system provided a shoot-on-the-move capability. The radar fire control was derived from the Phalanx system already in production. Independently stabilized optical sights, including a laser range finder, provided a separate means of target engagement for the two man turret crew seated directly behind the gun mount.

[Firefly]

What did go wrong with this project, it seems to hold a lot of potential.

[dan_inbox]

What did go wrong with this project, it seems to hold a lot of potential.

A lot of things.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M247_Sergeant_York

[smurf]

A lot of things.

Which of these were specific to the competition winner?
Was it a matter of trying to do too much, and they would all have failed, or did the judges make a bad choice?

[PMN1]

M1 based AA system

http://www.knox.army.mil/armormag/backissues/1990s/1996/ja96/4agds96.pdf

[smurf]

Thanks for that one, PMN1.  Very interesting

[robunos]

M1 based AA system

http://www.knox.army.mil/armormag/backissues/1990s/1996/ja96/4agds96.pdf

yes, very interesting indeed, however, with the inclusion of the ADATS system, won't this be seen by some as re-inventing the M60A3 / shillelagh all over again?

[PMN1]

Thanks for that one, PMN1.  Very interesting

It came from here

http://warships1discussionboards.yuku.com/topic/4112/t/The-Last-War-Chapter-73-.html

[Triton]

Ford Aerospace M247 Sergeant York DIVAD (Division Air Defense)

http://www.primeportal.net/artillery/brent_sauer/m247_sgt_york_divad/