F-35A fires 25 mm gun during ground test

[Zarvan]

Evaluators fire the GAU-22/A 25 mm gun from static ground test F-35A aircraft AF-2, at the Edwards Air Force Base, California, gun harmonising range on 14 August. Source: F-35 Integrated Test Force
Key Points

• An F-35 test article fired 181 rounds from its Gatling gun during a 14 August ground test
• The gun is scheduled to be fully operational in 2017

A Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter test article fired 181 rounds from its GAU-22/A Gatling gun during a 14 August ground test at Edwards Air Force Base, California, the Pentagon's F-25 Joint Program Office (JPO) announced.

"The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force aims to complete ground testing this month and start airborne gun testing in the fall," JPO officials said in a 20 August press statement.

The four-barrel, 25 mm Gatling gun is embedded in the F-35A's left wing and will provide strafing capability against air-to-ground and air-to-air targets.

The gun is scheduled to be fully operational in 2017. The first phase of testing began 9 June. The test aircraft, AF-2, was equipped with a production version of the gun. Ground tests used software to replicate being in flight, according to the JPO statement. A non-exploding target practice round, PGU-23/U, was used for all tests.

The GAU-22/A will next year be tested from a production-model F-35 when fully integrated with the aircraft's avionics and mission systems. Test pilots will have the opportunity to observe muzzle flash, human factors, and flying qualities during that round of trials.

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F-35A fires 25 mm gun during ground test - IHS Jane's 360