The A-10's GAU-8/A Avenger Cannon
The GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30 mm, Gatling cannon (7 barrel) fitted on the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II close-support combat aircraft. Initially built by General Electric, the gun is currently being manufactured and supported by General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products since 1997. It entered service in 1977, along with the A-10.
The Avenger is considered as one of the most powerful machine guns ever mounted on an aircraft, with a staggering firing speed of 3900 rounds per minute (65 rounds per second) and a muzzle velocity of 3500 feet per second. In terms of accuracy, the gun is rated at "5 mil, 80 percent", meaning that 80% of rounds fired at 4,000 feet (1,200 m) will hit the target within a 20 feet (6.1 m) radius circle.
Typically, the gun’s combat load is around 1100 rounds, which is a mixture of both armored piercing incendiary (API) and high explosive incendiary (HEI) ammunition, a ratio of 4:1 respectively. The API round has a lightweight body which contains a sub-caliber high density penetrator of Depleted Uranium (DU). Meanwhile, the HEI round constitutes an explosive mixture with a body of naturally fragmenting material that is effective against lighter vehicles and material targets.
The gun is as heavy as two SUV cars combined, around 1800 kilograms (including the barrels, feeding system, and drum), and is almost as long as those two SUVs lined up, a total length of more than 6 meters.
