USN orders additional 20mm cannons for Super Hornets
A USN technician performs maintenance on an M61A2 gun aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. (Photo: USN/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ruben Reed)
A total of 76 additional M61A2 Vulcan cannons will be provided by November 2024 to arm USN F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems is providing the USN with 76 more M61A2 Vulcan 20mm rotary cannons to equip F/A-18E/F Super Hornet production aircraft, under a $27.94 million firm-fixed-price contract.
‘This contract [from Naval Air Systems Command] provides obsolescence management and engineering support,’ the DoD noted in a 26 January announcement.
Work will be carried out at 19 US and two Canadian locations, with an expected completion date of November 2024.
In-service USN Super Hornets are already armed with a single internal 20mm M61A2 cannon firing up to 412 rounds.
Two barrel variants are available for installation on the F/A-18E/F: one weighs 92kg and the other is heavier at 103kg.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Air Warfare
-
![Saab’s flight-tested AI agents signal new era of crewed-uncrewed fighter systems]()
Saab’s flight-tested AI agents signal new era of crewed-uncrewed fighter systems
Saab is developing artificial intelligence (AI) agents for crewed and uncrewed aircraft, targeting potential operational deployment within months, while expanding its training capabilities, partnerships and ambitions for wider military applications.
-
![October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age]()
October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age
Israel’s $1 billion Apache helicopter order highlights the continued demand for crewed attack aviation, while growing integration with uncrewed systems could shape future modernisation and procurement decisions.
-
![US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable]()
US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable
The US Navy plans to preserve Super Hornet and Growler tooling as production winds down, with restart costs unassessed and final F/A-18 deliveries expected in late 2027.
-
![Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence]()
Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence
The rise of drones has reshaped the threat landscape for all European militaries. For industry, future defensive strategies must carefully balance a mix of passive and active measures to address the evolving danger, based around a highly integrated and responsive network of sensors and effectors.
-
![October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges]()
October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges
Recent procurement developments in France and Lithuania highlight the growing demand for loitering munitions, with global annual spending forecast to increase nearly 50-fold between 2020 and 2029.
-
![Germany could secure greater influence through sixth-generation fighter partnership with Sweden and Spain]()
Germany could secure greater influence through sixth-generation fighter partnership with Sweden and Spain
Germany is assessing potential pathways for a future sixth-generation fighter capability, including discussions with GCAP partners and Sweden.
