30mm GAU-8/A Gatling Gun

30mm GAU-8/A Gatling Gun

30mm Seven-barrel Gatling Gun

The GAU-8/A 30mm Gatlin gun iis installed on the U.S. Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and the Navy’s Goalkeeper Close-In Weapon System. The GAU-8/A provides a reliable, high-rate-of-fire, combat-proven weapon for close air support and shipboard defense missions.

Each of the gun’s seven barrels contains its own breech bolt assembly, which fires once per gun revolution. This ensures long barrel life because firing loads are distributed over all seven barrels. Continuous rotary motion reduces impact loads on gun components, leading to long parts life and high reliability.

The A-10 aircraft is specifically designed to provide close air support. The GAU-8/A gun provides rapid response to threats that are in close proximity to friendly ground forces and is well suited for engagements inside missile envelopes.

In the Goalkeeper application, the GAU-8/A fires a lethal, high-kinetic-energy 30mm Missile-Piercing Discarding Sabot round.

GAU-8/A Gatling Gun Technical Specifications

Weight	620 pounds (281 kg)
Rate of fire	Up to 4,200 shots per minute
Dispersion	5 milliradians diameter, 80 percent circle
Muzzle velocity	3,400 feet (1,036m) per second
Average recoil force	10,000 pounds (44.5 kN)
Drive system	Hydraulic, electric, pneumatic
Feed system	Linked or linkless