The weapon would be capable of firing
more than 7,000 rounds per 60 seconds
and by utilizing multiple barrels, it
minimized the chance of erosion and
capped heat generation. In the end it became an efficient
killing machine that could be relied
upon for years.
The M-61 Vulcan saw its first real action
in 1965 in vietnam. At that time it was employed on AF-105 Thunderchief and was also seen on the F-15, F-16 and F-22. It was also known to be used on
side-firing installations on the Fairchild AC-11 and the Lockheed AC-130
gunships.
Today with general dynamics now running
operations the company now produces the
improved versions of M-61A1 and M-61A2. Among others which are considered
lighter and more practical for current
warfare. Armed forces typically use gatling guns
to saturate a target zone with machine
gun bullets or cannon rounds.
Helicopter-mounted gatling guns are
extremely good at suppressing enemy
defenses. A mere second's worth of firing
will send scores of rounds downrange, resulting in the suppression of a larger
area than a conventional machine gun an
expert on popular mechanics recently
wrote. Navies use ship mounted gatling guns. Meanwhile as a defense against
low-flying aircraft and cruise missiles.
The u.s navy's phalanx close-in weapon
system or CIWS mounted in guided missile
cruisers and destroyers is designed to
fill the sky in the path of an incoming
missile with 20 millimeter rounds. increasing the probability of hit and
saving the warship.
However other countries are already
looking to supplant the long-running
success of the M-61 Vulcan. For example it was reported that a new
gun system under development in china
features a mind-bending 20 barrels, making it one of the most powerful and
weirdest gatling guns ever. The expert continued china is likely
designing the gun to counter the threat
of drone swarms, throwing up a wall of
lead as a defense against dozens or even
hundreds of armed drones.
While the 20-barrel gatling gun isn't as
elegant of an anti-drone solution as
those used in many western countries
such as jamming or the use of lasers an
instant wall of lead would certainly do
the job. He went on to note that most gatling
guns top out at six or seven barrels
with the dutch goalkeeper ship defense
system and the chinese type 730
utilizing seven barrels.
