Bell-Boeing is rethinking the requirement for a nose-mounted turreted gun system for the V-22 Osprey military tiltrotor, should funding be restored for installation of the weapon.
The gun issue is part of a V-22 study addressing the integration of a radar, forward looking infrared device, refuelling probe and gun-feed/ammunition handling system in the Osprey's nose section.
Current plans call for the gun system to be a defensive weapon with in-flight reload capability and internal storage of spent rounds. The US Marine Corps wants a minimum of 750 rounds and selectable firing rates.
"The primary purpose of the gun study is to identify a weapon costing less than $500,000," says USMC Lt Col Douglas Isleib, V-22 deputy programme manager.
A range of weapons of between 7.62mm and 30mm has been considered "-but we've pretty much determined-that 7.62mm or 0.50-calibre is probably the way to go", says Isleib.
General Dynamics Armament Systems has provided data on the GAU-19A and company officials believe it remains the weapon of choice for the USMC's MV-22 and the CV-22 special operations variants. It is not possible to say when the gun will be funded, despite the fact that "-it remains one of the USMC's highest priorities".
Originally, the V-22 was to have been armed with a 12.7 mm (0.50- calibre) weapon, but budgetary constraints forced the USMC to drop the plan. It had been estimated that it would cost $100 million to develop and integrate a weapon on the aircraft.
Source: Flight International
