ADEN cannon
ADEN cannon | |
---|---|
Type | Revolver cannon |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Service history | |
Used by | See users |
Production history | |
Designer | Armament Development Establishment |
Designed | 1946 |
Manufacturer | Royal Small Arms Factory |
Produced | 1953–present |
Specifications | |
Mass | 196 kg (432 lb) with 200 rounds |
Length | 1,590–1,639 mm (5 ft 2.6 in – 5 ft 4.5 in)[1] |
Barrel length | 1,080 mm (3 ft 7 in)[1] |
Shell | 30×111mm belted[2][3] |
Calibre | 30 mm (1.2 in) |
Action | gas operated revolver |
Rate of fire | 1,200–1,700 rpm |
Muzzle velocity | 795 m/s (2,610 ft/s) |
The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN cannon (ADEN being an acronym for "Armament Development, Enfield")[4] is a 30 mm revolver cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm.[5] Developed post-World War II primarily to meet British Air Ministry's requirement for increased lethality in aircraft armament, the cannon was fired electrically and is fully automatic once it is loaded.[6]
Design and development
During
In the post-war era, the MK 213 became well known in armament circles, and a number of companies took up development. This included the
The ADEN cannon entered service on the British Hawker Hunter in 1954, and was subsequently used on every British gun-armed aircraft until the advent of the Panavia Tornado in the 1980s.[5] The last version to see production was the Mk. 4. An improved version, the Mk. 5, incorporates a multitude of small changes to improve reliability and increase rate of fire to 1,500–1,700 rounds per minute. No new Mk 5s were built, but many older weapons were converted, being redesignated "Mk 5 Straden".[1]
GIAT also introduced their version of the design as the DEFA cannon; the two weapons are very similar.[5]
ADEN 25
The ADEN Mk 5 became the basis for the planned ADEN 25, which was to be a somewhat larger weapon at 90 in (2.3 m) long and weighing 203 pounds (92.1 kg) firing the new range of 25x137mm NATO STANAG 4173 ammunition (as developed for M242 Bushmaster) at a much higher muzzle velocity of 3,445 feet per second (1,050 m/s). The lighter ammunition was also to produce a higher rate of fire, 1,650 to 1,850 rounds per minute.
The ADEN 25 was selected for British Harrier GR.5 aircraft. After initial weight issues and persistent problems integrating the cannon with the pod, and the pod with the Harrier GR.5 aircraft, the MoD considered the cost of fixing the problems excessive,
Aircraft use
Built-in armament
- CAC Sabre
- English Electric Lightning
- Folland Gnat
- Gloster Javelin
- HAL Ajeet
- Hawker Hunter
- Saab Draken
- Saab Lansen
- SEPECAT Jaguar
- ST Aerospace A-4S Skyhawk
- Supermarine Scimitar
- Supermarine Swift
As external armament
The ADEN gun has seen use in several gun pods including:
- British BAe Sea Harrier, as well as the US Marine CorpsAV-8A/Cs, carried two 30 mm ADEN gun pods below the fuselage of the aircraft.
- The Saab J 32Bs and Hawker Hunter J 34s. The FFV pod has also been sold to the Austrian Air Force for use on their Saab 105Ös.
- A centreline gun pod containing ADEN gun and 100 rounds on the BAE Systems Hawk in RAF service. It is still in active service with, among others, the South African Air Force.[9]
Specifications
The Aden is belt feed using a disintegrating belt of open type links.
- Type: Single-barrel aircraft autocannon
- Action: Revolver drum with 5 chambers[10]
- Operation: Gas operation[1]
- Cocking-system: Pneumatic[1]
- Priming: Electronic firing[1]
- Firing-system: Electrical 26 volts DC
- Rifling: Progressive RH parabolic twist, 16 grooves[1]
- Cartridge: 30 × 111 mm[2][3]
- Calibre: 30 mm (1.18 in)
- Weight of complete weapon: 87.1 kg (192 lb), 196 kg (432 lb) with 200 rounds[5]
- Length of complete weapon: 1,590–1,639 mm (5 ft 2.6 in – 5 ft 4.5 in)[1][10]
- Weight of barrel: 12.25 kg (27.0 lb)[1]
- Length of barrel: 1,080 mm (3 ft 6.5 in)[1]
- Recoil load: 31.4 kN
- Rate of fire: 1,200–1,500 rpm (ADEN Mk. 4),[10] 1,500–1,700 rpm (ADEN Mk.5)
Ammunition
Ammunition for the ADEN included.[2][3]
- Projectile type: "High-Explosive, High-Capacity"[11]
- Fuze type: Nose fuze[11]
- Explosive filling: 52.5 g (1.85 oz)[10] Torpex 5[3] (Hexotonal)[11]
- Cartridge weight: 440 g (15.5 oz)[2]
- Projectile weight: 220 g (7.76 oz)[2]
- Propellant weight: 46 g (1.62 oz)[2]
- CU-pressure: 2930 bar[2]
- Muzzle velocity: 795 m/s (2,610 ft/s) [d] [2]
- Projectile type: Armour-Piercing, Composite Rigid[10]
- Fuze type: None[10]
- Core type: Tungsten penetrator[10]
- Cartridge weight: 511 g (18.0 oz)[2]
- Projectile weight: 270 g (9.52 oz)[2]
- Core weight: 150 g (5.29 oz)[10]
- Propellant weight: 47 g (1.66 oz)[2]
- CU-pressure: 2930 bar[2]
- Muzzle velocity: 795 m/s (2,610 ft/s)[d][2]
- Projectile type: Inert solid metal plug in place of fuze and explosive charge[11]
- Cartridge weight: 440 g (15.5 oz)[2]
- Projectile weight: 220 g (7.76 oz)[2]
- Core weight: 80.5 g (2.84 oz)[11][2]
- Propellant weight: 46 g (1.62 oz)[2]
- CU-pressure: 2930 bar[2]
- Muzzle velocity: 795 m/s (2,610 ft/s)[d][2]
Users
- Danish Air Force
- Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU)
- Kenyan Air Force
- Royal Rhodesian Air Force (later to Air Force of Zimbabwe)
- Somali Air Corps
- Swedish Air Force – designated 30 mm akan m/55
- Royal Thai Navy Flying Unit
Notes
- ^ Full designation: 30 mm skarp patron m/55 mingranat m/55. Swedish production is painted yellow and British production is painted buff.[12][7]
- ^ Full designation: 30 mm skarp patron m/55 övningsprojektil m/55. Early production is painted black and later production is painted brown.[12][7]
- ^ Full designation: "Cartridge, 30mm, Aden gun, High Explosive Mk. 3Z"[3]
- ^ a b c at 20 °C (68 °F)
- ^ Full designation: 30 mm skarp patron m/55 pansarprojektil m/55[2]
- ^ Full designation: "Cartridge, 30mm, Aden gun, Practice Mk. 2Z"[3]
See also
- VENOM LR 30 mm – British 21st century derivative of ADEN, 113mm long variant
- DEFA cannon – comparable French design, 113mm long
- GIAT 30 - comparable French design, 113mm & 150mm long
- Oerlikon KCA - comparable Swiss design, 173mm long
- VENOM 30 mm – British 173mm long variant
- Mauser BK-27 – comparable German design, 27mm diameter
- R-23 cannon – comparable Russian design, 23mm
- M39 cannon – comparable US design, 20mm diameter
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "ADEN 30 mm Cannon MK 4 & 5" (PDF). United Kingdom: AEI Systems Ltd. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w AMKAT, Ammunitionskatalog, Data och bilder, Flygvapnet. Sweden: Försvarets materielverk, FMV. 1984.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Air Publication, 110L-0201-1, 30mm ammunition and fuzes, (Aden Gun), General and technical information. United Kingdom: Ministry of Defence, Prepared by the Ministry of Technology. 1970.
- ^ "ADEN development" (PDF). Flight (28 January 1955): 109. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7106-0866-6. Archived from the originalon 26 January 2013.
- ^ "Aden 30mm Gun Installation". Hawker Hunter. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- ^ a b c d Volume 2, Part 3, Hunter Weapons, The 30mm ADEN Gun, Rocket Projectiles, Air To Air Missiles, Bombs, etc. pp. 2–6.
- ^ ADEN Aircraft Cannon, archived from the original on 19 October 2017
- ^ "SAAF orders new Aden gun pod". defenceweb.co.za. 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Saab 105, Flyghistorisk revy. Sweden: Svensk Flyghistorisk Förening. 2013. pp. 80, 81.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ammunitionsröjning, FV akanam. Data och bilder, Kursutgåva 1975 (in Swedish). Sweden: Försvarets materielverk, Huvudavdelningen för flygmateriel, Vapenbyrån (published 21 May 1975). 1975. p. 8.
- ^ a b Flygvapnets eldvapenammunition. Sweden: Försvarets materielverk, FMV. 1957.