Unmounted M61 Vulcan

The M61 Vulcan is a 20 mm hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style cannon with an extremely high rate of fire. It has been the principal cannon armament of United States military aircraft for five decades. The M61 was originally produced by General Electric, and after several mergers and acquisitions is currently produced by General Dynamics.^[1] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (800x602, 92 KB) Summary Image of an M61 Vulcan gatling gun. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (800x602, 92 KB) Summary Image of an M61 Vulcan gatling gun. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Hydraulics is a branch of science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks. ... Pneumatics, from the Greek πνευματικός (pneumatikos, coming from the wind) is the use of pressurized air in science and technology. ... The barrel of a firearm is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed. ... An 1865 Gatling gun. ... Military aircraft are airplanes used in warfare. ... “GE” redirects here. ... General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD) is a defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2006 it is the sixth largest defense contractor in the world[2]. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. ...

Development

At the end of World War II, the United States Army began to consider new directions for future military aircraft guns. The higher speeds of jet-engined fighter aircraft meant that achieving an effective number of hits would be extremely difficult without a much higher volume of fire. While captured German designs (principally the Mauser MG213C) showed the potential of the single-barrel revolver cannon, the practical rate of fire of such a design was still limited by ammunition feed and barrel wear concerns. The Army wanted something better, combining extremely high rate of fire with exceptional reliability. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... Military aircraft are airplanes used in warfare. ... A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... The MG 213 was a 20 mm aircraft-mounted revolver cannon developed for the Luftwaffe during World War II. It was never put into service, but formed the basis for several post-war developments by the Allies, including the Aden and DEFA cannons. ... A revolver cannon is a type of autocannon. ...

In response to this requirement, General Electric Armament Division resurrected an old idea: the multi-barrel Gatling gun. The original Gatling gun had fallen out of favor because of the need for an external power source to rotate the barrel assembly, but the new generation of turbojet-powered fighters offered sufficient electrical power to operate the gun, and electric operation offered superior reliability to a gas operated weapon. With multiple barrels, the rate of fire per barrel could be lower than a single-barrel revolver cannon while still giving a superior total rate of fire. “GE” redirects here. ... An 1865 Gatling gun. ... For delivered electrical power, see Electrical power industry. ... Gas-operation is one of the firearm actions used in automatic firearms. ...

The Army issued GE the contract in 1946 for "Project Vulcan", a six-barrel weapon capable of firing 7,200 rounds per minute.^{[citation needed]} Although European designers were moving towards heavier 30 mm weapons for better hitting power, the U.S. initially concentrated on a powerful .60 caliber cartridge designed for a pre-war anti-tank rifle. The thought was that the cartridge's high muzzle velocity would be beneficial for improving hit ratios on high speed targets. The first GE prototypes of the .60 caliber T45 were ground-fired in 1949. It achieved 2,500 rpm, which was increased to 4,000 rpm by 1950. By the early 1950s, the USAF decided that high velocity alone might not be sufficient to ensure target destruction. As result, 20 mm and 27 mm alternatives based on the .60 caliber cartridge's case were also tested. These variants of the T45 were known as the T171 and T150 respectively, and were first tested in 1952. Eventually, the 20 x 102 mm cartridge was determined to have desired balance of projectile/explosive weight with muzzle velocity. A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... The 20mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon (or more commonly today, autocannon) and not a heavy machine gun. ...

The development of the F-104 Starfighter revealed that the T171 Vulcan (later redesignated M61) suffered problems with its linked ammunition, being prone to misfeed and presenting a foreign-object damage (FOD) hazard with discarded links. A linkless feed system was developed for the upgraded M61A1, which subsequently became the standard cannon armament of U.S. fighters. It is likely to remain in service for at least another decade. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a single-engined, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1958 until 1967. ... FOD or Foreign Object Damage is an aviation term used to describe damage done to an aircraft due to collision with small foreign objects. ...

General Electric later sold its aerospace division to Martin Marietta. This deal included GE Armament Systems along with the design and production tooling for the M61 and GE's other rotary cannon. After Martin's merger with Lockheed, the rotary cannon became the responsibility of Lockheed Martin Armament Systems. Lockheed Martin Armament Systems was later acquired by General Dynamics, who currently produce the M61 and its various offspring.^[1] “GE” redirects here. ...

Description

The Vulcan is a Gatling gun: each of the cannon's six barrels fires once in turn during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The multiple barrels provide both a very high rate of fire — around 100 rounds per second — and contribute to long weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. Mean time between jams or failures is in excess of 10,000 rounds, making it an extremely reliable weapon. The success of the Vulcan Project and its subsequent progeny, the very-high-speed Gatling gun, has led to guns of the same configuration being referred to as Vulcan Cannon, which can sometimes confuse nomenclature on the subject. An 1865 Gatling gun. ...

Most aircraft versions of the M61 are hydraulically driven and electrically primed. The gun rotor, barrel assembly and ammunition feed system are rotated by a hydraulic drive motor through a system of flexible drive shafts. The round is fired by an electric priming system where an electrical current from a firing lead passes through the firing pin to the primer as each round is rotated into the firing position. The self-powered version, the GAU-4 (called M130 in Army service), is gas-operated, tapping gun gas from three of the six barrels to operate the mechanism. The self-powered Vulcan weighs about 10 lb (4.5 kg) more than its electric counterpart, but requires no external power source to operate. The gas-operated system for implementing automatic reloading of a firearm is one of five such systems, the others being recoil-operated, gatling, chain, and blowback. ...

M61 ammo belt

The initial M61 used linked, belted ammunition, but the ejection of spent links created considerable (and ultimately insuperable) problems. The original weapon was soon replaced by the M61A1, with a linkless feed system. Depending on the application, the feed system can be either single-ended (ejecting spent cases and unfired rounds) or double-ended (returning casings back to the magazine). A disadvantage of the M61 is that the bulk of the weapon, its feed system, and ammunition drum makes it difficult to fit it into a densely packed airframe. The feed system must be custom-designed for each application, adding 300-400 lb (140-190 kg) to the complete weapon. Most aircraft installations are double-ended, because the ejection of empty cartridges can cause a foreign-object damage (FOD) hazard for jet engines and because the retention of spent cases assists in maintaining the center of gravity of the aircraft. The first aircraft to carry the M61A1 was the D model of the F-104, starting in 1959. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1776x1565, 197 KB) Licensing Source: Credited US Air Force photo Scanned from Page 124 of the following book. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1776x1565, 197 KB) Licensing Source: Credited US Air Force photo Scanned from Page 124 of the following book. ... The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a single-engined, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1958 until 1967. ...

A lighter version of the Vulcan developed for use on the F-22 Raptor, the M61A2, is mechanically the same as the M61A1, but with thinner barrels to reduce overall mass to 202 lb (91.6 kg). The rotor and housing have also been modified to remove any piece of metal not absolutely needed for operation and replaces some metal components with lighter weight materials. The F/A-18E/F also uses this version.^[2] F-22 redirects here. ... Four F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets assigned to the Black Aces of Strike Fighter Squadron Forty One (VFA-41) fly over the Western Pacific Ocean in a stack formation. ...

The Vulcan's rate of fire is typically 6,000 rounds per minute, although some versions (such as that of the AMX and the F-106 Delta Dart) are limited to a lower rate, and others have a selectable rate of fire of either 4,000 or 6,000 rounds per minute. The M61A2's lighter barrels allow a somewhat higher rate of fire up to 6,600 rounds per minute. The AMX International AMX Ghibli is a surface attack aircraft for battlefield interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance missions. ... The Convair F-106A Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. ...

Until the late 1980s the M61 primarily used the M50 series of ammunition in various types, typically firing a 3.5 oz (100 gram)) projectile at a muzzle velocity of about 3,380 ft/s (1,035 m/s). A variety of Armor-Piercing Incendiary (API), High Explosive Incendiary (HEI), and training rounds are available. Around 1988 a new round was introduced, the PGU-28, which is now standard for US Navy and USAF aircraft. The PGU-28 is a "low-drag" round designed to increase muzzle velocity, which rises to 3,450 ft/s (1,050 m/s). It is a SAPHEI (semi armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary) round, providing substantial improvements in range, accuracy, and power over the preceding M-56A3 HEI round. The PGU-28 has not been without problems, however. A 2000 USAF safety report noted 24 premature detonation mishaps (causing serious damage in many cases) in 12 years, compared to only two such mishaps in the entire recorded history of the M56 round. The report estimated that the current PGU-28/B had a potential failure rate 80 times higher than USAF standards permit.[1] A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1988: January January 26 - the French defence ministry approves full-scale development of the Dassault Rafale January 30 - a Boeing 747 sets a new around-the-world record of 36 hours 54 minutes April April 23 - Kanellos Kanellopoulos recreates the mythical... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 2000: // January 30 - Kenya Airways Flight 431 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 169. ...

Disadvantages

Despite its reliability and tremendous rate of fire, the Vulcan has been increasingly criticized in recent years for its limited performance.

The ballistic characteristics of the 20 mm round are relatively poor, with the projectile losing energy quickly, and its destructive power and accuracy are lacking compared to the heavier 25-30 mm rounds favored by European and Russian air forces. Efforts to develop a larger-caliber replacement for the M61 have thus far had limited success. The USAF spent a great deal of money in 1970s on the 25 mm GAU-7 cannon for the F-15 Eagle, using caseless ammunition, but it proved to be a failure and was abandoned in favor of the Vulcan. The five-barrel GAU-12 Equalizer 25 mm gun used in the AV-8B Harrier II is a Vulcan derivative, but despite greater hitting power (since it fires a heavier round at virtually the same muzzle velocity), it had yet to find wide application. A four-barrel variant of the GAU-12, the GAU-22/A, is being developed for the F-35 Lightning-II.^[3] The GAU-8 Avenger outfitted for the A-10 Thunderbolt II (or the Warthog) has largely been a success in the anti-tank role and others. It fires a 30mm depleted uranium round and has seven barrels vs the six on the Vulcan. Seal of the Air Force. ... The Ford-Philco GAU-7/A was an abortive program initiated by United States Air Force in the late 1960s to develop a new cannon to replace the M61 Vulcan on the then-upcoming McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. ... F-15 redirects here. ... The 4. ... The General Electric GAU-12/U Equalizer is a 25 mm, five-barrel Gatling gun used by the United States and several other NATO nations. ... See also Hawker Siddeley Harrier The Harrier II is a second generation, vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) light_attack jet aircraft used by the United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, Spanish Armada and Italian navy. ... Harrier can mean: Harrier vertical take-off and landing fighter/attack aircraft and derivatives: Hawker-Siddeley Harrier - 1st generation Harrier BAE Sea Harrier - Maritime strike/air defence fighter AV-8 Harrier II - 2nd generation Harrier BAE Harrier II - 2nd generation Harrier used by the UK Harrier (dog) Harrier (bird), several... The F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine, stealth-capable military strike fighter, a multi-role aircraft that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air-to-air combat. ... The GAU-8 Avenger The General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30 mm, hydraulically-driven seven-barrel Gatling-type rotary cannon that is mounted on the United States Air Forces A-10 Thunderbolt II. It is the largest, heaviest and most powerful aircraft cannon in the United...

Another criticism is that despite its high rate of fire, the Gatling-type weapon is hampered by the time it takes for the weapon to spin up to its maximum rotation speed (about 0.5 seconds). As a result, a one-second burst only fires about 70-75 rounds, which some experts feel is not enough of an advantage over revolver cannons like the ADEN/DEFA 30 mm weapons to justify the additional weight and complexity. To overcome this shortfall, the M61A2, with its lower inertia can be powered by a hydraulic motor running on 5,000 P.S.I. (34 MPa) of hydraulic pressure instead of the 3,000 lbf/in² (21 MPa) previously used on the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. A revolver cannon is a type of autocannon. ... The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN is a 30mm cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British RAF and FAA. Development The ADEN (named for the Armament Development Establishment, where it was designed, and Enfield, where it is produced) was developed in the late 1940s as a... The GIAT DEFA 550 is a series of very widely used French aircraft guns. ... A pressure gauge reading in PSI (red scale) and kPa (black scale) The pound-force per square inch (symbol: lbf/in²) is a non-SI unit of pressure based on avoirdupois units. ... The megapascal, symbol MPa is an SI unit of pressure. ... F-15 redirects here. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ...

Applications

The Vulcan was first used in the F-104 Starfighter. The gun was also used in the F-105 Thunderchief in combat against Soviet-designed MiG fighters over Vietnam. It was installed in Air Force's A-7D version of the A-7 Corsair II where it replaced the Naval versions' standard dual cannon, and subsequently adopted by the Navy on the A-7E and in future fighters. Most significantly, it was designed into of the F-4E Phantom II, as all previous versions the F-4 lacked a cannon as it was believed that missiles had made guns obsolete. Combat experience in Vietnam showed that a gun could be more effective than guided missiles in many combat situations, and that a gun pod was less satisfactory than an internal gun. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a single-engined, high-performance, supersonic interceptor aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1958 until 1967. ... The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, commonly known as the Thud by its crews, was a single-seat supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. ... The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft design that was introduced to replace the A-4 Skyhawk in US Naval service and based on the successful supersonic F-8 Crusader aircraft produced by Chance Vought. ... “F-4” redirects here. ...

The Vulcan was later fitted into the weapons bay of some F-106 Delta Dart models and the F-111 Aardvark. It was also adopted as standard in the teen-series air superiority fighters, the F-15 Eagle, the F-14 Tomcat, F-16 Fighting Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet. Other aircraft include the Italian/Brazilian AMX International AMX, and the F-22 Raptor. It was fitted in a side-firing installation on the AC-119 and some marks of the AC-130 gunships, and was used in the tail turrets of the Convair B-58 Hustler and Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers. The Convair F-106A Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. ... The General Dynamics F-111 is a medium-range strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and tactical strike aircraft designed in the 1960s. ... F-15 redirects here. ... The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable geometry wing aircraft. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ... The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a modern all-weather carrier-capable strike fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. ... The AMX International AMX Ghibli is a surface attack aircraft for battlefield interdiction, close air support and reconnaissance missions. ... F-22 redirects here. ... The Fairchild AC-119G Shadow and AC-119K Stinger were developed during the Vietnam War. ... The AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground attack airplane. ... The term gunship is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light vessel armed with heavy guns. ... The Convair B-58 Hustler was a American high-speed jet bomber capable of Mach 2 supersonic flight. ... “B-52” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Bomber (disambiguation). ...

Two gun pod versions, the SUU-16/A (Army M12) and improved SUU-23/A (Army M25), were developed in the 1960s, often used on gunless versions of the F-4. The SUU-16/A uses the electric M61A1 with a ram-air turbine to power the motor. This proved to cause serious aerodynamic drag at higher speeds, while speeds under 400 mph (644 km/h) did not provide enough air flow for maximum rate of fire. The subsequent SUU-23/A uses the GAU-4/A self-powered Vulcan, with an electric inertia starter to bring it up to speed. Both pods ejected empty casings and unfired rounds rather than retaining them. Both pods contained 1,200 rounds of ammunition, with a loaded weight of 1,615 lb (733 kg) and 1,720 lb (780 kg) respectively. Unfortunately, during service in the Vietnam War the pods proved to be relatively inaccurate: the pylon mounting was not rigid enough to prevent deflection when firing, and repeated use would misalign the pod on its pylon, making matters worse. A gun pod is a detachable external pod or pack allowing one or more machine guns or automatic cannon to be carried by a military aircraft. ... A ram air turbine (RAT) is a small propeller and connected generator used as an emergency power source for aircraft. ... An object moving through a gas or liquid experiences a force in direction opposite to its motion. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

Main article: U.S. aircraft gun pods

A variant with much shorter barrels, designated the M195 was also developed for use on the M35 Armament Subsystem for use on the AH-1G Cobra helicopter. This variant fed from ammunition boxes fitted to the landing skid and was developed to provide the AH-1 helicopter with a longer ranging suppressive fire system before the adoption of the M97 Universal Turret mounting the M197 cannon. One of the first American attempts at a gun pod was the forward-firing . ... UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters eqipped with M60D machine guns near Najaf, Iraq in May 2005 The helicopter itself has added much to the modern battlefield, changing land warfare tactics across the board. ... The Bell AH-1 Cobra is an attack helicopter. ... UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters eqipped with M60D machine guns near Najaf, Iraq in May 2005 The helicopter itself has added much to the modern battlefield, changing land warfare tactics across the board. ... The M197 electric cannon is a three-barreled electric Gatling gun developed primarily for use by US Army helicopter gunships. ...

The M61 is also the basis of the US Navy Mk 15 Phalanx CIWS system and the M163 VADS Vulcan Air Defense System (the M168 variant is used). Both are considered inadequate for current missile and aircraft threats, and are being replaced by surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems like the FIM-92 Stinger and RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile. The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Block 1 CIWS The Phalanx CIWS (Close-in weapon system, pronounced see-wiz) is an anti-missile system that was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division. ... Phalanx CIWS A Close-in weapon system (CIWS) is a naval shipboard weapon system for detecting and destroying incoming anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft at short range (the threat(s) having penetrated the ships available outer defences). ... The Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) is a self-propelled automatic anti-aircraft gun used by the United States military. ... Akash Missile Firing French Air Force Crotale battery Bendix Rim-8 Talos surface to air missile of the US Navy A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ... The FIM-92 Stinger is a man portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile developed in the United States and used by all the US armed services, with whom it entered service in 1981. ... RIM-116 test firing RAM Launcher on German Gepard class fast attack craft Wiesel The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the United States Navy, German Navy, Hellenic Navy, and South Korean Navy. ...

Specifications (M61A1)

• Type: six-barrel rotary cannon
• Caliber: 20 mm (0.787 in)
• Operation: hydraulically operated, electrically fired
• Length: 73.8 in (1.88 m)
• Weight (excluding feed system): 248 lb (112 kg)
• Rate of fire: 6,000 rounds per minute (lab terms)
• Muzzle velocity: 3,450 ft/s (1,050 m/s) (with PGU-28/B round)
• Projectile weight: (HEI) 3.5 oz (100 g)

An 1865 Gatling gun. ... Excavator. ...

References

See also

• M197 Gatling gun
• GAU-12 Equalizer
• GSh-6-23 (the closest Soviet/CIS equivalent of the M61, used on a variety of Russian fighters)
• GSh-30-1 (another Soviet/CIS cannon, used in Su-27 Flanker and MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters)
• Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 (another Soviet/CIS cannon, used in the Mikoyan MiG-27 fighter)
• Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2 (another Soviet/CIS cannon)
• Shipunov 2A42 (another Soviet/CIS cannon)

The M197 electric cannon is a three-barreled electric Gatling gun developed primarily for use by US Army helicopter gunships. ... The General Electric GAU-12/U Equalizer is a 25 mm, five-barrel Gatling gun used by the United States and several other NATO nations. ... The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23 (also known by its Russian service designation, 9-A-768) is a powerful, fast-firing six-barreled Gatling gun used by some modern Soviet/Russian military aircraft. ... Soviet redirects here. ...  Member state  Associate member Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Working language Russian Type Commonwealth Membership 11 member states 1 associate member Leaders  -  Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev Establishment December 21, 1991 Website http://cis. ... The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 (also known by the service designation 9A-4071K) is a 30mm cannon designed for use on Soviet and later Russian military aircraft, entering service in the early 1980s. ... Soviet redirects here. ...  Member state  Associate member Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Working language Russian Type Commonwealth Membership 11 member states 1 associate member Leaders  -  Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev Establishment December 21, 1991 Website http://cis. ... Su-27 Flanker redirects here. ... The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Russian: ) is a 4th generation jet fighter aircraft designed for the air superiority role in the Soviet Union. ... The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 is a Russian 30mm cannon used by Soviet and later CIS military aircraft. ... Soviet redirects here. ...  Member state  Associate member Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Working language Russian Type Commonwealth Membership 11 member states 1 associate member Leaders  -  Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev Establishment December 21, 1991 Website http://cis. ... The Mikoyan MiG-27 (Russian: ) (NATO reporting name Flogger D) is a ground attack aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan design bureau in the Soviet Union and later licence-produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics as the Bahadur (Valiant). It is based on the MiG-23 fighter aircraft, but optimized... The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2 is a powerful twin-barrel cannon used on certain Russian military aircraft. ... Soviet redirects here. ...  Member state  Associate member Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Working language Russian Type Commonwealth Membership 11 member states 1 associate member Leaders  -  Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev Establishment December 21, 1991 Website http://cis. ... The Shipunov 2A42 is a Soviet/Russian 30 mm automatic cannon. ... Soviet redirects here. ...  Member state  Associate member Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Working language Russian Type Commonwealth Membership 11 member states 1 associate member Leaders  -  Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev Establishment December 21, 1991 Website http://cis. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

M61 Vulcan

• Evolution of the M61 Vulcan Gatling Gun on Army.mil
• M61 page M61A1/A2 fact sheet on gdatp.com (manufacturer's site)
• M61 A1 Vulcan - 20 mm gatling gun system on F-16.net
• M61 database item on FAS.org