Tag Archives: xm

Weapon I-D: The Happy MiniGunner

XM196 and M134 (U.S. Army), GAU-2 and GAU-17 (U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy), all General Electric/Dillion Aero/Garwood Industries 7.62mm x 51mm (7.62-NATO, 308 Winchester) miniguns.  Minigun pods M18 for U.S. Army(USA), and SUU-11 for U.S. Air Force(USAF), are essentially the same. 

In 1964, the USAF units in Viet Nam began experimenting with C-47 Dakotas, arming them with machine guns firing out the side of the fuselage.

This was due to successful state-side testing of a C-131 gunship.  Originally, single barreled Browning machine guns were tried but quickly abandoned in favor of the minigun.

Each AC-47D Spooky unit experimented with their own mounting systems for the SUU-11 gun pods, eventually a standardized system combining SUU-11s with MXU-470 ammo-drums was settled on.

A prototype A-37 Dragonfly (YAT-37D) firing its GAU-2 minigun.

A production A-37 Dragonfly.

Silent U.S. Army film by last name Sandri, 17th Air Cav minigun armed OH-6A Cayuse (the OH-58A Kiowa could also be armed with similarly mounted minigun), somewhere in Viet Nam, January 1967.  The side mounted minigun itself could be elevated and slightly traversed by the pilot:

U.S. Air Force photo.

In September 1967, the first AC-130A gunship was sent to Nha Trang Air Base in Viet Nam. Most ‘official’ sources say it had two miniguns, but this photo clearly shows four miniguns, two above the forward wheel-well sponson, and two above the rear mounted 20mm Vulcans.

Silent U.S. Army film by last name Lambert, AH-1G Cobra gets its chin mounted minigun, as well as wing mounted M18 gun pods, loaded for Operation Delaware, Viet Nam, May 1968:

U.S. Army silent film by last name Hansen, 10OCT1968, Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) minigunner, Mekong delta area of Viet Nam:

Another silent U.S. Army film by last name Hansen, ACV armed with minigun on search & destroy mission.  Most Army operated ACVs did not have miniguns, having a second M2 .50-cal mounted where the minigun is mounted on this ACV (Navy ACVs had a single gun position on the roof, while Army ACVs had two gun positions on the roof):

Photo via Dick Detra.

UH-1C Huey ‘Satisfaction’ (66-15179) stationed on Dau Tieng and LZ Sally, Viet Nam, from April 1967 through June 1968, and armed with dual miniguns.

Bell Helicopter photo.

M134 mounted on Huey.  The gun could be remotely aimed by the pilot/gunner.  When mounted on the opposite side of the helicopter the ammo feed chute was strung over the top of the M134.

General Electric photo.

Huey armed with two door/pintle mounted miniguns.

Bell Helicopter photo.

Royal Australian Air Force 9 Squadron UH-1H Bushranger over Viet Nam.  Notice the M134 is mounted forward of the the rocket launcher.

Photo via Australian War Memorial.

A better view of the Bushranger gunship set-up.

U.S. Marine Corps photo.

In 1969, while waiting for their AH-1J Cobras, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) got some AH-1Gs.  This one is still waiting for its chin turret guns, but does have the M18 minigun pod.

USAF photo.

In 1969, as a stop-gap while waiting for C-130 Hercules to be converted to the new AC-130A Specter, the USAF converted C-119 Boxcars to AC-119G Shadows and AC-119K Stingers.

USAF photo.

The four miniguns, mounted using the SUU-11/MXU-470 system, were located above and in between the forward and rear 20mm Vulcans.

U.S Army silent film by last name Lambert, AH-1G gets ammo-upload August 1969, Viet Nam.  In contrast to the AH-1G in the film from 1968, this Cobra has the chin mounted 40mm grenade launcher as well as chin mounted minigun, and M18 minigun pods:

U.S. Air Force photo.

Photo dated March 1970, A-1H Skyraider nicknamed Bubbles’n Bust, no location given.  It carries two external fuel tanks and a single SUU-11 minigun pod.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Andy Sarakon.

USAF HC-130P refueling a HH-3 Jolly Green Giant, and a HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant, over Viet Nam, 16JUN1970.  Both rescue helicopters could carry window and ramp mounted miniguns.

USAF photo.

1970, a South Viet Nam Air Force (VNAF) UH-1D with door mounted minigun.

USAF photo.

Late 1970s, a USAF Opposition Forces minigun armed UH-1N over Hurlburt Field, Florida.

USMC photo by Sergeant Bennett.

USMC GAU-2 minigun (notice the muzzle brakes on the barrels), Camp Pendleton, California, February 1981.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Carl Hawkins.

USAF pilot checks the nose mounted GAU-2 minigun on this A-37 Dragonfly during wargame Team Spirit 1985, in Republic of Korea.  There is a red dust cover over the gun barrel port.

USAF photo by Dennis Carlson.

Kirkland Air Force Base (AFB) in New Mexico, Airman Vanessa Dobos is a happy minigunner, she became the first female minigunner for the USAF, in August 2002.

Canadian Forces photo by Master Corporal Robert Bottril.

Dillon Aero 7.62mm M134 Minigun mounted on a Canadian CH-146 Griffon (modified Bell 412), 13FEB2009, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Canadian Forces photo by Master Corporal Robert Bottrill.

Canadian Forces pepper a target-range with their new Dillon Aero 7.62mm M134 Minigun, 13FEB2009, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

USMC photo by Corporal Ryan Rholes.

USMC ‘higher-ups’ check out a USA CH-47 armed with a window mounted M134 minigun, Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, June 2010.

USMC photo by Corporal Ryan Rholes.

USMC photo by Corporal Ryan Rholes.

GAU-17 armed UH-1Y Venom somewhere in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, September 2010.

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer First Class Dustin Q. Diaz.

Minigun on a patrol boat during the U.S. Navy’s (USN) Riverine Crewman Course on Cape Fear River, North Carolina, September 2013.

New York Army National Guard video, by Sergeant Harley Jelis, minigun used on United Kingdom Royal Navy ship (Royal Fleet Auxiliary Cardigan Bay) somewhere in the Persian Gulf, June 2014:

Video by Lance Corporal Christopher D. Thompson, USMC minigun live-fire training near Yuma, Arizona, 01APR2016:

USMC photo by Lance Corporal Frank Cordoba.

Even robots are happy minigunners, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, June 2016.

USMC photo by Sergeant Royce Dorman.

Future happy minigunners, onboard USS Anchorage during Seattle Seafair, Washington,  August 2017.

Alaska Air National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña.

Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G with GAU-2 minigun, March 2019.

Alaska Air National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña.

Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk armed with two GAU-2 miniguns, March 2019.

Alaska Air National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña.

Alaska Air National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña.

GAU-2 barrel spin check, March 2019.

Weapon I-D, 2019: GERMANY FINALLY ADOPTS THE MINIGUN!

USMC photo by Corporal Eric Tso.

The MV-22B Osprey uses a remote controlled GAU-17 minigun, protruding from its belly, Oahu, Hawaii, April 2020.

USMC photo by Corporal Matthew Kirk.

The R/C GAU-17 gunner uses a video game controller to aim and fire the weapon.

USMC photo by Corporal Matthew Kirk.

USMC video by Corporal Matthew Kirk, GAU-17 remote operated minigun onboard MV-22B Osprey, April 2020:

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Hayden Legg.

USAF’s new HH-60W Jolly Green Giant-2, which can carry .50-cals or miniguns in its currently vacant pintle mounts, November 2020.

USN photo by Michael Williams.

March 2021, a happy Swedish special forces soldier fires the minigun during USN special ops training on Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.

Heritage Flight’s O-2 Skymaster with rocket pods and SUU-11 gun pods.

Weapon I-D: DOOR GUNNER .50 CAL