Watch The F-35 Fire Its Gun Pod For The Very First Time

THE DRIVE ^ | July 29, 2016 | Tyler Rogoway

[sukhoi-30mki]

The F-35A has already fired its internal GAU-22 25mm cannon both on the ground and in the air, and now the gun pod intended for the B and C models, which lack an internal cannon, is being test-fired on the aircraft for the very first time. The gun pod is housed in a semi-low observable (stealthy) enclosure attached to the F-35B and C’s centerlines, between the weapons bays. The gun’s “common” enclosure design can also be used to house other bolt-on systems in the future.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

A F-35B loaded with GBU-12 laser guided bombs, AIM-9X Sidewinders, and a gun pod.

The GAU-22 is actually a lighter, four-barrel (instead of five) version of the GAU-12 Equalizer cannon that's pod-mounted on the AV-8B Harrier and also found on the AC-130U gunship. The F-35’s gun pod holds 220 rounds of 25mm ammunition in a helical magazine that spirals around the gun itself and has a rate of fire of around 3,000 rounds per minute. This equates to about 50 rounds per second, or half the rate of fire of the M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon found on all other American jet fighters.

For what the GAU-12 lacks in rapidity it makes up for in destructive power. Its 25mm ammunition has a far greater effect than its 20mm little cousin. This makes it more ideal for attacking ground targets, but less so for close-in dogfights with other aircraft.

With 220 rounds available in the F-35’s gun pod, the pilot has 4.4 second of “trigger time” until the magazine runs empty. This equates to about four short trigger pulls if the pilot is miserly. The F-35A, with its internal cannon, carries even less ammunition—only 182 rounds—equating to about three trigger pulls at best.

[doorgunner69]

So, when they swap pods around, how do you boresight the thing?

With so few rounds, you do not want to "walk" your fire onto the target, wasting ammo.

[diogenes ghost]

"What the heck was wrong with the F-22? It already had everything."

Nothing, except it was expensive as hell. And had no air-to-ground capability.

F-35 is a black hole of stupidity, but the F-22 is overkill for 90% of missions it can perform, which is one.

[Mariner]

"What has been explained to me is that the F-35 is intended to act as a queen bee while multiple drones are able to take orders from it."

Correct. This is the plan.

It's RADAR is unique in that it also acts as a transceiver to control said drones and receive information from them too.

Force multiplication built in.

[Mariner]

"Or are you saying the F-35 acts as an AWACS to true drones, like the Predator? "

More like an armed X-47.

[gaijin]

Thank you for always including photos:

A LOT of people start related threads, and they omit that part.

I freaking HATE that.

[Forgotten Amendments]

Ike warned of this white elephant.

[Chode]

gun pod, with 220 rounds, for ground support... ya gotta be kiddin me.

somewhere, PukinDog is laughing

[sukhoi-30mki]

I guess the USN/USMC are “OKAY” with the compromise of a lower ammo load given the heavier calibre and hitting power of a 25 mm round.

[Chode]

and one engine, over water, feh...

[DesScorp]

Bolt-on guns suck.

[Sequoyah101]

Oh gosh. How very thrilling. Not.

How long and how many billions did that take?

What a hunk of junk.

[Objective Scrutator]

How do the liberal hippies reconcile their Sanders idolization with the fact that he helped fund this piece of junk?

[doorgunner69]

and one engine, over water, feh...

I hear you, but the A-4, F-8, A-7 and others seem to have gotten through that.

[doorgunner69]

I suspect some modern day equivalent of McNamara's (spit) whiz kids did an exhaustive analysis totaling many pages to come up with the finding..................

On the plus side, a gun pod can be swapped out for another caliber gun or weapon yet to be developed. A built in gun stays put.

[Chode]

sure did, and did it very well... they were also the last of their breed

to me this thing is a committee designed camel that will prolly never do any one thing well let alone be known as one of the great planes

and the fan jobs, well, more stuff to go wrong along with less room for fuel and ordnance

all this stuff might look good on paper but they still have to tell men to fly them and some very brave men they will be

just seems like money that could have been better spent elsewhere

but what do i know, i'm just an old greybeard wi 20/20 hindsight

[smokingfrog]

220 rounds
Why bother?

[Lurker]

I noticed that, too.

L

[Yo-Yo]

You would think that in the days of super computers, radars, IRST, and who knows what other sensors the F-35 has, a computer fire solution program would be written so that in air-to-air mode the pilot pulls the trigger and maneuvers to put the pipper on the target, and the gun only actually fires when it predicts the target will be hit, thus saving ammunition.

Further, in air to ground mode a ground target could be designated in the same way that it is designated for any laser guided bomb or missile, and again the pilot pulls the trugger but the gun only fires when the rounds are predicted to hit the designated target.

Since "super ammunition" is being used for effect, you aren't relying on volume of fire to cause damage, so this sort of system could use the lower rate of fire single barrel 25mm Bushmaster cannon or derivative, also saving space and weight over the 25mm GAU-22.