Engineering:ADEN cannon

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ADEN cannon
30mm ADEN Mk 4 cannon-IMG 6280-white (cropped).jpg
30 mm ADEN Mk 4 on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
TypeRevolver cannon
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
Used bySee users
Production history
DesignerArmament Development Establishment
Designed1946
ManufacturerRoyal Small Arms Factory
Produced1953–present
Specifications
Mass196 kg (432 lb) with 200 rounds
Length1,590–1,639 mm (5 ft 2.6 in–5 ft 4.5 in)[1]
Barrel length1,080 mm (3 ft 7 in)[1]
Shell30×111mm belted[2][3]
Calibre30 mm (1.2 in)
Actiongas operated revolver
Rate of fire1,200–1,700 rpm
Muzzle velocity795 m/s (2,610 ft/s)

The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN cannon (ADEN being an acronym for "Armament Development, Enfield")[4] is a 30 mm revolver cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm.[5] Developed post-World War II primarily to meet British Air Ministry's requirement for increased lethality in aircraft armament, the cannon was fired electrically and is fully automatic once it is loaded.[6]

Design and development

British testing of German 30 mm mine shell on a Bristol Blenheim. Single shot test.

During World War II, the German firm Mauser began development of a radically new 20 mm autocannon using a motorised firing mechanism in order to improve the rate of fire. The weapon was designed for 20mm mine shell rounds (designated the Mauser MG 213 and for 30mm rounds (the Mauser MK 213). However, production of the MK 213 never commenced due to development problems such as excessive barrel wear, not to mention the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive campaign against German industry.[7] At the end of the war only 5 prototypes (V1 to V5) of either 20 mm MG 213 or 30 mm MK 213 were finished.[7]

In the post-war era, the MK 213 became well known in armament circles, and a number of companies took up development. This included the Armament Development Establishment in the UK and GIAT in France. A common 30×111mm round[2][3] was developed that offered a dramatic improvement in muzzle velocity from the MK 108's 540 m/s to the new design's 790 m/s (2,600 ft/s). This was only slightly lower than contemporary 20 mm cannon like the Hispano Mk. V's 840 m/s (2,800 ft/s), making the new round suitable for use during dogfights as well as against larger targets. The mechanism improved the rate of fire from the Mk. V's 750 rpm to 1,300 rpm, a significant improvement.[1] The new weapon was quickly developed and production was set up at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield. The name ADEN was created by combining the two first initials of Armament Development Establishment with the first two letters of Enfield, producing ADEN.[2]

The ADEN cannon entered service on the British Hawker Hunter in 1954, and was subsequently used on every British gun-armed aircraft until the advent of the Panavia Tornado in the 1980s.[5] The last version to see production was the Mk. 4. An improved version, the Mk. 5, incorporates a multitude of small changes to improve reliability and increase rate of fire to 1,500–1,700 rounds per minute. No new Mk 5s were built, but many older weapons were converted, being redesignated "Mk 5 Straden".[1]

GIAT also introduced their version of the design as the DEFA cannon; the two weapons are very similar.[5]

ADEN 25

The ADEN Mk 5 became the basis for the planned ADEN 25, which was to be a somewhat larger weapon at 90 in (2.3 m) long and weighing 203 pounds (92.1 kg) firing the new range of 25x137mm NATO STANAG 4173 ammunition (as developed for M242 Bushmaster) at a much higher muzzle velocity of 3,445 feet per second (1,050 m/s). The lighter ammunition was also to produce a higher rate of fire, 1,650 to 1,850 rounds per minute. The ADEN 25 was selected for British Harrier GR.5 aircraft. After initial weight issues and persistent problems integrating the cannon with the pod, and the pod with the Harrier GR.5 aircraft, the MoD considered the cost of fixing the problems excessive.[8] and the project cancelled in 1999. As a result, RAF Harrier GR.7 and GR.9 aircraft did not carry a cannon, no attempt apparently having been made to retrofit the older ADEN 30 mm pods. Fleet Air Arm BAE Sea Harriers retained the 30 mm weapon until their retirement in 2006.

Aircraft use

Built-in armament

A quad 30 mm ADEN cannon pack removed from a Hawker Hunter

As external armament

FFV 30 mm ADEN gun pod fitted to a Saab 105Ö

The ADEN gun has seen use in several gun pods including:

Specifications

The Aden is belt feed using a disintegrating belt of open type links.

  • Type: Single-barrel aircraft autocannon
  • Action: Revolver drum with 5 chambers[10]
  • Operation: Gas operation[1]
  • Cocking-system: Pneumatic[1]
  • Priming: Electronic firing[1]
  • Firing-system: Electrical 26 volts DC
  • Rifling: Progressive RH parabolic twist, 16 grooves[1]
  • Cartridge: 30 × 111 mm[2][3]
  • Calibre: 30 mm (1.18 in)
  • Weight of complete weapon: 87.1 kg (192 lb), 196 kg (432 lb) with 200 rounds[5]
  • Length of complete weapon: 1,590–1,639 mm (5 ft 2.6 in–5 ft 4.5 in)[1][10]
  • Weight of barrel: 12.25 kg (27.0 lb)[1]
  • Length of barrel: 1,080 mm (3 ft 6.5 in)[1]
  • Recoil load: 31.4 kN
  • Rate of fire: 1,200–1,500 rpm (ADEN Mk. 4),[10] 1,500–1,700 rpm (ADEN Mk.5)

Ammunition

Swedish 30 mm High Explosive Mk.3Z[11][3]
30 mm mgr m/55[lower-alpha 1]
Swedish 30 mm Practice Mk.2Z[11][3]
30 mm övnprj m/55[lower-alpha 2]

Ammunition for the ADEN included.[2][3]

High Explosive (High Explosive Mk.3Z[lower-alpha 3] [3])
Armour-piercing (30 mm pprj m/55[lower-alpha 5] Sweden[2])
  • Projectile type: Armour-Piercing, Composite Rigid[10]
  • Fuze type: None[10]
  • Core type: Tungsten penetrator[10]
  • Cartridge weight: 511 g (18.0 oz)[2]
  • Projectile weight: 270 g (9.52 oz)[2]
  • Core weight: 150 g (5.29 oz)[10]
  • Propellant weight: 47 g (1.66 oz)[2]
  • CU-pressure: 2930 bar[2]
  • Muzzle velocity: 795 m/s (2,610 ft/s)[lower-alpha 4][2]
Target practice (Practice Mk.2Z[lower-alpha 6], UK )[3]
  • Projectile type: Inert solid metal plug in place of fuze and explosive charge[11]
  • Cartridge weight: 440 g (15.5 oz)[2]
  • Projectile weight: 220 g (7.76 oz)[2]
  • Core weight: 80.5 g (2.84 oz)[11][2]
  • Propellant weight: 46 g (1.62 oz)[2]
  • CU-pressure: 2930 bar[2]
  • Muzzle velocity: 795 m/s (2,610 ft/s)[lower-alpha 4][2]

Users

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
 Australia
 Bahrain
 Belgium
  • Belgian Air Component
 Chile
 Denmark
 Finland
 Iraq
 India
 Indonesia
 Jordan
 Kenya
 Kuwait
 Lebanon
 Netherlands
 Malaysia
 Oman
 Peru
 Qatar
 Rhodesia (now  Zimbabwe)
 Saudi Arabia
 Singapore
 South Africa
 South Korea
 Somalia
  • Somali Air Corps
 Spain
  • Spanish Naval Air Arm
 Sweden
  Switzerland
 Thailand
  • Royal Thai Navy Flying Unit
 United Arab Emirates
 United Kingdom


Notes

  1. ↑ Full designation: 30 mm skarp patron m/55 mingranat m/55. Swedish production is painted yellow and British production is painted buff.[12][7]
  2. ↑ Full designation: 30 mm skarp patron m/55 övningsprojektil m/55. Early production is painted black and later production is painted brown.[12][7]
  3. ↑ Full designation: "Cartridge, 30mm, Aden gun, High Explosive Mk. 3Z"[3]
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 at 20 °C (68 °F)
  5. ↑ Full designation: 30 mm skarp patron m/55 pansarprojektil m/55[2]
  6. ↑ Full designation: "Cartridge, 30mm, Aden gun, Practice Mk. 2Z"[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 "ADEN 30 mm Cannon MK 4 & 5". United Kingdom: AEI Systems Ltd. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140102201822/http://www.aei-systems.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Aden30mm-Mk456.pdf. Retrieved 4 February 2011. 
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 AMKAT, Ammunitionskatalog, Data och bilder, Flygvapnet. Sweden: Försvarets materielverk, FMV. 1984. 
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Air Publication, 110L-0201-1, 30mm ammunition and fuzes, (Aden Gun), General and technical information. United Kingdom: Ministry of Defence, Prepared by the Ministry of Technology. 1970. 
  4. ↑ "ADEN development". Flight (28 January 1955): 109. https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1955/1955%20-%200109.PDF. Retrieved 2021-05-27. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lennox, Duncan (2001). "Guns: ADEN 30 mm cannon (United Kingdom)". Jane's air-launched weapons. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-0866-6. http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Air-Launched-Weapons/ADEN-30-mm-cannon-United-Kingdom.html. 
  6. ↑ "Aden 30mm Gun Installation". Hawker Hunter. http://www.hawkerhunter.com/6787/. Retrieved 4 February 2011. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Volume 2, Part 3, Hunter Weapons, The 30mm ADEN Gun, Rocket Projectiles, Air To Air Missiles, Bombs, etc.. pp. 2–6. 
  8. ↑ ADEN Aircraft Cannon, http://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_pdf.cfm?DACH_RECNO=1059 
  9. ↑ "SAAF orders new Aden gun pod". 2011-03-23. https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/aerospace-aerospace/saaf-orders-new-aden-gun-pod/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Saab 105, Flyghistorisk revy. Sweden: Svensk Flyghistorisk Förening. 2013. pp. 80, 81. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 (in Swedish) Ammunitionsröjning, FV akanam. Data och bilder, Kursutgåva 1975. Sweden: Försvarets materielverk, Huvudavdelningen för flygmateriel, Vapenbyrån. 1975 (published 1975-05-21). p. 8. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Flygvapnets eldvapenammunition. Sweden: Försvarets materielverk, FMV. 1957. 

External links



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