Tri-Service

Video Shows F-35 Gatling Gun Firing At Full Capacity

This video shows the Gatling gun that will be fitted to the Royal Navy's new stealth fighter firing at full capacity - letting off 181 rounds in the process.

The four-barrelled gun is firing at a rate of three times the speed of sound

The cannon can shell out 3,000 rounds of high-explosive or armour-piercing ammunition a minute, each leaving the barrel at 3,400 feet per second – 2,318 mph.

In integrating a weapon into the stealthy F-35 aircraft, the gun must be kept hidden behind closed doors, reducing its radar cross section, until the trigger is engaged. The tests certify the gun’s ability to spin up and down correctly.

F-35 gatling gun — The gun was tested on the F-35A, the model being bought by the US Air Force

Although the GAU-22/A four-barrel Gatling gun is the same, where it is located on the F-35B aircraft is not. The Royal Navy's F35-B, due for delivery in 2017, will have its gun carried in an external pod due to internal space constraints.

The official release, from Lockheed Martin, said:

"An F-35A fired 181 rounds from its four-barrel, 25 millimetre Gatling gun during a ground test at Edwards Air Force Base earlier this month. The gun is embedded in the F-35A's left wing and will provide pilots with the ability to strafe air-to-ground or air-to-air targets."

The gun will be tested further next year on a standard production aircraft, and made available for operations in a future software release.