GAU-8 Avenger

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	Weapon: GAU-8 Avenger Type: Autocannon Country of Origin: United States Year Adopted: 1977 Caliber: 30x173mm Action: Rotary Machine Gun Overall Length (mm): 6060.0 Overall Length (in): 238.58 Weight (kg): 281.00 Weight (pounds): 619.5 Effective Range (m): 1220 m Effective Range (yards): 1334.21

The GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-type rotary cannon developed by General Electric (now managed by General Dynamics). Specifically engineered for the A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft, the GAU-8 was designed in the 1970s to deliver devastating firepower against tanks and armored vehicles. The cannon uses a linkless feed system and fires the powerful 30x173mm depleted uranium or high-explosive incendiary rounds, capable of piercing heavy armor.

Production of the GAU-8 began in the mid-1970s, with thousands of units manufactured for A-10 aircraft. Each A-10 is essentially built around the cannon, which measures nearly 20 feet long and weighs over 600 pounds fully loaded. The gun's maximum rate of fire is around 3,900 rounds per minute, though in practice it is limited to about 3 seconds of sustained fire to conserve ammunition and reduce barrel wear. The GAU-8's precision, high velocity, and sheer destructive capacity made it central to NATO doctrine during the Cold War and into the 21st century.

The GAU-8 Avenger gained notoriety for its effectiveness during conflicts such as the Gulf War, where A-10 aircraft armed with the cannon destroyed large numbers of Iraqi armored vehicles. Its signature buzzing roar and unmatched capability to shred tanks from the air earned it iconic status among military aircraft weaponry. Despite proposals to retire the A-10, the GAU-8 continues to serve as a symbol of U.S. air support dominance and remains one of the most formidable autocannons ever fielded.