Based on the rapid-fire principles set forth by Richard J. Gatling in the 1860s, this externally powered gun's rate of fire depends upon two selectable firing modes: 4,000 (GUN LOW) and 6,000 (GUN HIGH) rounds per minute. Muzzle velocity is 3,400 ft (1,036 m) per second, with an effective range from half a mile out to 19,700 ft (6,002 m). The system lifetime is about 150,000 rounds with a 15,000-round mean failure rate.
%n%n
The weapon sports a McDonnell Douglas director gunsight (with a conventional back-up gunsight) and is primarily intended for close-up visual-ID dogfight encounters or air-to-ground close air support. The gun barrel is elevated approximately two degrees to improve target tracking and has a lifetime of approximately 40,000 rounds.
