In our February Ordnance & Munitions Forecast, we present our annual review of the key aircraft weapons systems for close-air support - aircraft cannon and air-to-ground rockets. As in previous years, we find the tried-and-true designs continue to dominate the international market. The ADEN, Bordkanone 27, and DEFA cannon designs are all direct descendants of the classic Mauser MG213C of World War Ⅱ. The General Dynamics M61 Vulcan designs (including the GAU-12/U Equalizer and the GAU-19/A) trace their lineage directly back to Dr. Richard J. Gatling's 1861 invention of the Gatling gun. However, one relatively young upstart continues to have a significant impact on the international market. The M230 aircraft cannon, with its radical Chain Gun® operating mechanism, can claim a prodigious combat record as the gun system of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
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