ADEN cannon

Template:Use dmy dates Template:EngvarB Template:Infobox weapon

The Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN cannon (ADEN being an acronym for "Armament Development, Enfield")<ref name=":ADEN dev">Template:Cite journal</ref> is a 30 mm revolver cannon used on many military aircraft, particularly those of the British Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm.<ref name = "JALW">Template:Cite book</ref> Developed post-World War II primarily to meet British Air Ministry's requirement for increased lethality in aircraft armament, the cannon is fired electrically, and is fully automatic once loaded.<ref name="HHC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Design and developmentEdit

File:30 mm mine shell test.png

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.<ref name=":Hunter Weapons">Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name=":Hunter Weapons"/>

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<ref name=":AMKAT 84" /><ref name=":Air Publication"/> was developed that offered a dramatic improvement in muzzle velocity from the MK 108's 500 m/s to the new design's Template:Convert. This was only slightly lower than contemporary 20 mm cannon like the Hispano Mk. V's Template:Convert, 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.<ref name="AEI">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />

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.<ref name="JALW" /> 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".<ref name="AEI" />

GIAT also introduced their version of the design as the DEFA cannon; the two weapons are very similar.<ref name="JALW" />

ADEN 25Edit

The ADEN Mk 5 became the basis for the planned ADEN 25, which was to be a somewhat larger weapon at Template:Convert long and weighing Template:Convert firing the new range of 25x137mm NATO STANAG 4173 ammunition (as developed for M242 Bushmaster) at a much higher muzzle velocity of Template:Convert. 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,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> and the project was cancelled in 1999. Harrier GR.7 was cleared for emergency use of the ADEN 25. 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 useEdit

Built-in armamentEdit

File:Quad ADEN 30mm Cannon (cropped).jpg

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

As external armamentEdit

File:Airpower-Saab-105-OE (cropped).jpg

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

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

British Hawker Siddeley Harrier and BAe Sea Harrier, as well as the US Marine Corps AV-8A/Cs, carried two 30 mm ADEN gun pods below the fuselage of the aircraft.
The Template:Interlanguage link and Matra SA-10 gunpods produced for Swedish Air Force by collaboration with FFV and S. A. Engins Matra used on Saab AJ 37 and Saab Sk 60B/C attack aircraft during the early 1970s used guns taken from scrapped Swedish Saab J 32Bs and Hawker Hunter J 34s. The FFV pod has also been sold to the Austrian Air Force for use on their Saab 105Ös.
A centreline gun pod containing ADEN gun and 100 rounds on the BAE Systems Hawk in RAF service. It is still in active service with, among others, the South African Air Force.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SpecificationsEdit

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

Type: Single-barrel aircraft autocannon
Action: Revolver drum with 5 chambers<ref name=":Saab 105">Template:Cite book</ref>
Operation: Gas operation<ref name="AEI" />
Cocking-system: Pneumatic<ref name="AEI" />
Priming: Electronic firing<ref name="AEI" />
Firing-system: Electrical 26 volts DC
Rifling: Progressive RH parabolic twist, 16 grooves<ref name="AEI" />
Cartridge: 30 × 111 mm<ref name=":AMKAT 84" /><ref name=":Air Publication"/>
Calibre: Template:Convert
Weight of complete weapon: Template:Convert, Template:Convert with 200 rounds<ref name="JALW" />
Length of complete weapon: Template:Convert<ref name="AEI" /><ref name=":Saab 105" />
Weight of barrel: Template:Convert<ref name="AEI" />
Length of barrel: Template:Convert<ref name="AEI" />
Recoil load: 31.4 kN
Rate of fire: 1,200–1,500 rpm (ADEN Mk. 4),<ref name=":Saab 105" /> 1,500–1,700 rpm (ADEN Mk.5)

AmmunitionEdit

File:Eldvapenammunition utbildningstavla (30 mm high capacity high explosive).jpg

Swedish 30 mm High Explosive Mk.3Z<ref name=":AMRÖJ" /><ref name=":Air Publication"/>
30 mm mgr m/55Template:Efn

File:Eldvapenammunition utbildningstavla (target practice).jpg

Swedish 30 mm Practice Mk.2Z<ref name=":AMRÖJ" /><ref name=":Air Publication"/>
30 mm övnprj m/55Template:Efn

Ammunition for the ADEN included.<ref name=":AMKAT 84"/><ref name=":Air Publication"/>

High Explosive (High Explosive Mk.3ZTemplate:Efn <ref name=": Air Publication"/>)

Projectile type: "High-Explosive, High-Capacity"<ref name=":AMRÖJ">Template:Cite book</ref>
Fuze type: Nose fuze<ref name=":AMRÖJ" />
Explosive filling: Template:Convert<ref name=":Saab 105" /> Torpex 5<ref name=":Air Publication"/> (Hexotonal)<ref name=":AMRÖJ" />
Cartridge weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84">Template:Cite book</ref>
Projectile weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Propellant weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
CU-pressure: 2930 bar<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Muzzle velocity: Template:Convert Template:Efn <ref name=":AMKAT 84" />

Armour-piercing (30 mm pprj m/55Template:Efn Sweden<ref name=": AMKAT 84"/>)

Projectile type: Armour-Piercing, Composite Rigid<ref name=":Saab 105" />
Fuze type: None<ref name=":Saab 105" />
Core type: Tungsten penetrator<ref name=":Saab 105" />
Cartridge weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Projectile weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Core weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":Saab 105" />
Propellant weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
CU-pressure: 2930 bar<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Muzzle velocity: Template:Convert Template:Efn<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />

Target practice (Practice Mk.2ZTemplate:Efn, UK )<ref name=": Air Publication"/>

Projectile type: Inert solid metal plug in place of fuze and explosive charge<ref name=":AMRÖJ" />
Cartridge weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Projectile weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Core weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMRÖJ" /><ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Propellant weight: Template:Convert<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
CU-pressure: 2930 bar<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />
Muzzle velocity: Template:Convert Template:Efn<ref name=":AMKAT 84" />