ADEN cannon The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN is a 30mm cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British RAF and FAA. The ADEN (named for the Armament Development Establishment, where it was designed, and Enfield, where it is produced) was developed in the late 1940s as a replacement for the older Hispano-Suiza HS 404 20mm cannon used in British aircraft of World War II. It is based (as are the French DEFA and American M39 cannon) on the mechanism of the German Mauser MG213C, an experimental revolver cannon designed for the Luftwaffe, but never used in combat. The ADEN entered service on the Hawker Hunter in 1954, and subsequently used on every British gun-armed aircraft until the advent of the Panavia Tornado in the 1980s. It remains in use on the Harrier and Sea Harrier. The current version is the ADEN Mk 4. Although its muzzle velocity of 2,430 ft/s (741 m/s) is considerably lower than the Hispano's 2,789 ft/s (850 m/s), the substantially heavier projectile makes the ADEN more lethal, and it has a higher rate of fire of about 1,300 round sper minute. An improved version, the ADEN Mk 5, incorporates a multitude of small changes to improve reliability and increase rate of fire slightly 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. The ADEN Mk 5 became the basis for the planned ADEN 25, which was to be a somewhat larger weapon (90 in / 2.29 m long, 203 lb / 92 kg) firing the new range of NATO 25mm ammunition (as in the American GAU-12 Equalizer) at a much higher muzzle velocity of 3,445 ft/s (1,050 m/s). The lighter ammunition was also to produce a higher rate of fire, 1,650 to 1,850 rounds per minute. Unfortunately, severe development problems plagued the ADEN 25, which proved unable to meet its target weight. It was finally cancelled in 1999, forcing British Harriers and Shars to retain the 30mm weapon. Aircraft using the ADEN 30 as in-built armament have included the English Electric Lightning, Folland Gnat (and HAL Ajeet), Hawker Hunter, Gloster Javelin, Saab Lansen, Saab Draken, Supermarine Scimitar, and Australian versions of the F-86 Sabre. Several podded versions exist, including the installations scabbed below the fuselage of British Harrier (and USMC AV-8A/Cs) and Sea Harriers and the Swedish FFV Aden, which is used (among others) on the BAe Hawk. The FFV Aden contains the weapon and 150 rounds of ammunition, is 151.57 in (3.85 m) long, and weighs 802.5 lb (364 kg) fully loaded. The ADEN is very similar to the French DEFA cannon, and the two weapons use the same range of 30mm ammunition. Specifications Type: single-barrel automatic cannon Caliber: 30 mm (1.18 in) Operation: revolver chamber Length: 1.59 m (62.6 in) Weight (complete): 87.1 kg (192 lb) Rate of fire: 1,200 - 1,700 rpm Muzzle velocity: 741 m/s (2,430 ft/s) Projectile weight: 220 g (7.76 oz) Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADEN_cannon