 | New 30mm Cannon for AC-130| OFF-Topic / Misc. Discuss New 30mm Cannon for AC-130 in the Current forums; New 30mm Cannon for AC-130
by James Dunnigan
June 30, 2005
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
SOCOM (U.... |
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07-02-2005, 01:39 AM
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#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: MK UK
Posts: 1,625
| New 30mm Cannon for AC-130
New 30mm Cannon for AC-130
by James Dunnigan
June 30, 2005
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
SOCOM (U.S. Special Operations Command) is replacing the 25mm and 40mm guns on its AC-130 gunships, with two 30mm Bushmaster cannon. The Mk44 30mm Bushmaster cannon weighs 344 pounds and fires at 200 or 400 rounds per minute (up to 7 per second). The cannon has 160 rounds available, before needing a reload. That means the gunner has 25-50 seconds worth of ammo, depending on rate of fire used. Each 30mm round weighs about 25 ounces (depending on type.) The anti-armor shell weighs about half a pound. The armor piercing round will go through 25mm of steel at 2,000 meters range. This will get through the top armor of most vehicles, and spray the inside with fragments. At that range, time of flight is about 1.7 seconds. Explosive anti-personnel rounds are also available. From higher altitudes (up to 6,000 meters), the AC-130 fire control system and night vision sensors, enable the 30mm gunners to accurately hit targets with high explosive shells.
The existing 25mm and 40mm guns are being phased out of military service, and the new 30mm gun is easier to operate. The first four AC-130s converted to use the 30mm guns, will be available later this year, with the rest of the 21 AC-130s converted next year. | 
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07-02-2005, 07:19 AM
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#2 | | Minister of Whoopass
Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi
Posts: 12,975
Country:  | Freakin awesome.....
__________________  "Boyington was a Drunk, but He was a Drunk We'd Follow Straight Into Hell..."
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07-02-2005, 07:53 AM
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#3 | | "Shooter"
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA
Posts: 12,563
Country: | Wow! They were deadly before. It's funny too, because I had a memory hit me yesterday of the AC-130 I saw fire years ago. More of the event, but I can't go there. It's just hard to imagine it being more deadly!
__________________  http://www.vg-photo.com Wherever their bones may lie, the courage of heroes is consecrated in the hearts and engraved in the history of the free. Lt Col Honner DSO MC, 39th Commander speaking of the dead from the battle of Kokoda. | 
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07-02-2005, 10:27 AM
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#4 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country:  | it's a shame though, i've always like 40mm cannons, i don't know why..........
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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07-02-2005, 10:29 AM
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#5 | | Konfused with a 'K'
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Turin, Italy
Posts: 20,412
Country:  | Wouldnt have anything to do with Hurricane Mk.IID's would it? 
__________________  with my one last gaping breath id apologise for bleeding on your shirt... | |
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07-02-2005, 10:31 AM
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#6 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | not at all
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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07-02-2005, 11:40 AM
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#7 | | the old Sage
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Platonic Sphere
Posts: 9,003
Country: | guys can you confirm that this armament is the same or very similiar to the deadly package in the A-10 Thunderbolt ? | |
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07-02-2005, 11:44 AM
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#8 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | i do not believe it is, the HUGE cannon fitted to the thunderbolt is the GAU-8 Avenger, as shown in the picture below, that huge drum is the magazine..........
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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07-03-2005, 03:36 PM
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#9 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,057
Country: | I have that picture in a book, it's awesome.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004  To those in that club. | |
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07-03-2005, 03:53 PM
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#10 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 272
| the avenger is so big, that they built the plane around it | |
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