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
More from Air Warfare
-
![Callen-Lenz pushes ahead with Nyan OWE as it hails operational success]()
Callen-Lenz pushes ahead with Nyan OWE as it hails operational success
The one-way-effector uncrewed aerial vehicle has also been tested by the British Army, following on from its contract award notice in February 2026.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Locally produced loitering munition destined for UAE Navy, says MBDA]()
Eurosatory 2026: Locally produced loitering munition destined for UAE Navy, says MBDA
The contract signed between MBDA and Fly-R will see diamond-shaped loitering munitions developed and prepared in the UAE. How does this move fit into wider market trends in the region?
-
![Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up]()
Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up
Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years]()
Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years
Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe]()
Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe
Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are an increasingly important tool for Europe’s law enforcement and public security agencies, with the past two years seeing rapid growth in operational deployment, procurement and regulatory acceptance.
