Gun data computer
The gun data computer was a series of artillery computers used by the U.S. Army for coastal artillery, field artillery and anti-aircraft artillery applications. For antiaircraft applications they were used in conjunction with a director computer.
M1: This was used by seacoast artillery for major-caliber seacoast guns. It computed continuous firing data for a battery of two guns that were separated by not more than 1,000 feet (300 m). It utilised the same type of input data furnished by a range section with the then-current (1940) types of position-finding and fire-control equipment.
M3: This was used in conjunction with the M9 and M10 directors to compute all required firing data, i.e. , elevation and fuze time. The computations were made continuously, so that the gun was at all times correctly pointed and the fuze correctly timed for firing at any instant. The computer was mounted in the M13 or M14 director trailer.
azimuth
M4: This was identical to the M3 except for some mechanisms and parts which were altered to allow for different ammunition being used.
M8: This was an electronic computer (using vacuum tube technology) built by and used by coast artillery with medium-caliber guns (up to 8 inches or 200 millimetres). It made the following corrections: wind, drift, Earth's rotation, muzzle velocity, air density, height of site and spot corrections.
Bell Labs
: This was identical to the M8 except for some mechanisms and parts which were altered to accommodate anti-aircraft ammunition and guns.
M9
M10: A ballistics computer, part of the M38 fire control system, for anti-aircraft guns.
Skysweeper
M13: A ballistics computer for .
M48 tanks
M14: A ballistics computer for .
M103 heavy tanks
M15: A part of the M35 field artillery fire-control system, which included the M1 gunnery officer console and M27 power supply.
M16: A ballistics computer for tanks.
M60A1
M18: FADAC (Field Artillery Digital Automatic Computer),[2] an all-transistorized general-purpose digital computer[3] manufactured by Amelco (Teledyne Systems, Inc.,)[4] and North American—Autonetics.[5] FADAC was first fielded during 1960,[6][7] and was the first semiconductor-based digital electronics field-artillery computer.
[1]
M19: A ballistics computer for tanks.
M60A2
M21: A ballistics computer for tanks.
M60A3
M23: A mortar ballistics computer.
M26: A fire-control computer for helicopters, (AH-1F).
AH-1 Cobra
M31: A mortar ballistics computer.
M32: A mortar ballistics computer, (handheld).
The Battery Computer System (BCS) AN/GYK-29 was a computer used by the for computing artillery fire mission data. It replaced the Field Artillery Digital Automatic Computer (FADAC) and was small enough to fit into the HMMWV combat vehicle.
United States Army
The AN/GSG-10 TACFIRE system automated command and control functions. It was composed of computers and remote devices such as the Variable Format Message Entry Device (VFMED), the Digital Message Device (DMD) and the Firefinder Field Artillery target acquisition radar system linked by digital communications using existing radio and wire communications equipment. Later in its service life, it also linked with the Battery Computer System (BCS) which had more advanced targeting algorithms.
Field Artillery
Director (military)
Fire-control system
Kerrison Predictor
- US Navy system for 5-inch guns
Mark I Fire Control Computer
Numerical control
Project Manager Battle Command
Rangekeeper
TM 9-2300 Standard Artillery and Fire Control Materiel dated 1944
TM 9-2300 Artillery Materiel and Associated Equipment. dated May 1949
ST 9-159 Handbook of Ordnance materiel dated 1968