GAU-19
Encyclopedia
The GECAL 50, officially designated by the United States military as the GAU-19/A, is an electrically driven Gatling gun
that fires the .50 BMG
(12.7×99mm) cartridge. Due to its weight and size, it is not a field-portable weapons system, but it is often installed on helicopters, ground vehicles, and water vessels.
armament kit version fires at 1,300 rounds per minute. The average recoil force when firing is 500 lbs.
, then by Lockheed Martin
, and now by General Dynamics
. Early prototypes had six barrels, but a three-barreled configuration is now standard.
The GAU-19/A was originally designed as a larger, more potent version of the M134 Minigun
. Due to the loss of nine helicopters in Grenada GE started building prototypes of the weapon in both a three barreled and a six barreled configuration. Soon it was recommended as a potential armament for the V-22 Osprey. The magazine would be located underneath the cabin floor and could be reloaded in-flight. However, plans to mount the gun were later dropped.
In 1999, the United States sent 28 GAU-19s to Colombia
. Oman
is known to use the GAU-19/A mounted on their HMMWVs. In 2005, the GAU-19/A was approved to be mounted on the OH-58D Kiowa
helicopter. It may also be used on the Army's new Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter. The navy of Mexico uses MDH MD-902 series helicopters with the GAU-19/A system mounted for anti-narcotics operations.
, on PC Kagayuki class: Used by the Mexican Military: Used on Army HMMWV.
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
that fires the .50 BMG
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
(12.7×99mm) cartridge. Due to its weight and size, it is not a field-portable weapons system, but it is often installed on helicopters, ground vehicles, and water vessels.
Technical specifications
The GAU-19/A is designed for a linkless feed, but can be fed from a standard M9 linked belt if a delinker feeder is used. The rate of fire is selectable to be either 1,000 or 2,000 rounds per minute. The HMMWVHigh Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle , better known as the Humvee, is a military 4WD motor vehicle created by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles formerly served by smaller Jeeps such as the M151 MUTT, the M561 "Gama Goat", their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions, the CUCV,...
armament kit version fires at 1,300 rounds per minute. The average recoil force when firing is 500 lbs.
History
The GECAL 50 was first manufactured by General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, then by Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, and now by General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
. Early prototypes had six barrels, but a three-barreled configuration is now standard.
The GAU-19/A was originally designed as a larger, more potent version of the M134 Minigun
Minigun
The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
. Due to the loss of nine helicopters in Grenada GE started building prototypes of the weapon in both a three barreled and a six barreled configuration. Soon it was recommended as a potential armament for the V-22 Osprey. The magazine would be located underneath the cabin floor and could be reloaded in-flight. However, plans to mount the gun were later dropped.
In 1999, the United States sent 28 GAU-19s to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
is known to use the GAU-19/A mounted on their HMMWVs. In 2005, the GAU-19/A was approved to be mounted on the OH-58D Kiowa
OH-58 Kiowa
The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine, single-rotor, military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. Bell Helicopter manufactured the OH-58 for the United States Army based on the 206A JetRanger helicopter. The OH-58 has been in continuous use by the U.S...
helicopter. It may also be used on the Army's new Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter. The navy of Mexico uses MDH MD-902 series helicopters with the GAU-19/A system mounted for anti-narcotics operations.
Users
: Used by Drug Enforcement troops, and the Colombian national police: Used by Japan Coast GuardJapan Coast Guard
The , formerly the Maritime Safety Agency, is the Japanese coast guard. Comprising about 12,000 personnel, it is under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and is responsible for the protection the coast-lines of Japan...
, on PC Kagayuki class: Used by the Mexican Military: Used on Army HMMWV.
See also
- M61 VulcanM61 VulcanThe M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft...
- MinigunMinigunThe Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
- XM214 Microgun
- M197 Gatling gunM197 Gatling gunThe M197 electric cannon is a three-barreled electric Gatling gun developed primarily for use by United States Army helicopter gunships.Development of the M197 began in 1967 after experience in the Vietnam War revealed the inadequacy of the 7.62 mm Minigun for gunship use...
- Yak-B 12.7mm machine gunYak-B 12.7mm machine gunThe Yakushev-Borzov YakB-12.7 mm is a remotely controlled 12.7x108mm caliber four-barrel Gatling gun developed by the Soviet Union for the Mil Mi-24 attack gunship and low-capacity troop transporter with 1470 rounds, which can also be mounted in GUV-8700 machine-gun pods with 750 rounds.It has a...
—a Soviet designed 12.7 mm aircraft gun. - Slostin machine gunSlostin machine gunThe Slostin was a Soviet-made self-powered Gatling type machine gun, developed directly after World War II but never put into production. It was gas-operated, with stationary breech and movable barrels, intended for 7.62x54mmR ammunition, and it was mounted on PM M1910 wheeled tripods. Each barrel...
- Hua Qing MinigunHua Qing MinigunThe Hua Qing Minigun is an externally-powered rotary barrel gatling gun of Chinese origin. The weapon is chambered in the 7.62x54Rmm round and was introduced at the 2009 Anti Terrorist Trade Show at Beijing. It is for use by Chinese infantry.-See also:...
- List of multiple barrel firearms