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)
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.
The use of air power by both sides in the ongoing conflict has been extensively focused on, influencing policy and procurement around the world. But are the lessons from the front line universally applicable, or should other nations be planning for very different scenarios?
Six Super Tucano aircraft were ordered in July 2024, with Paraguay the fifth South American country to add the aircraft to modernise its fleet.
The takeover of the Italian firm by Baykar solidifies the company’s efforts to forge closer ties with Italian industry, bolsters its partnership with Leonardo to produce UAVs and secures its foothold in Europe.
The F-15EX Eagle II had already been singled out for further funding in January 2025, when it was chosen to replace the A-10 aircraft for the US National Guard.
Spain’s Defence Minister told the Senate Defense Commission on 27 June of the decision to acquire Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) trainers as the country seeks to replace its Northrop F-5M aircraft.
The company has tested over 15 mission sets for the drone, with the rotorcraft used to demonstrate the viability of armed forces utilising large uncrewed aerial systems’ (UAS) for autonomous missions in the future.
Connect with us on socials
