History
The M197 went into service on later marks of the AH-1 Cobra, using either the M97 or A/A49E-7 armament subsystems, and was also fitted in a ventral turret on the U.S. Marine Corps YOV-10D Bronco NOGS. It is also the basis of the GPU-2/A gun pod, which incorporates the cannon, a battery and electric drive motor, and 300 rounds of linkless ammunition.
In the Cobra, the weapon is supplied with a magazine of 700 linked rounds, with a total capacity including feeder system of 750 rounds. It has a cyclic rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute. Standard practice is to fire the cannon in 30 to 50-round bursts.
The M197 remains in use in the latest AH-1W Cobra and AH-1Z Viper gunships. Although the weapon's rotary drive is theoretically quite reliable, its ammunition feed has been anything but: Marine pilots initially reported an alarmingly high jam rate (sometimes greater than 30%). The USMC and the manufacturer are aware of the problem and in 2011 a link less feed system developed by Meggit Defense Systems was incorporated into the AH-1W and the Zulu's. The system is capable of holding 650 +/-3 rounds in the storage unit with approximately 40 rounds in the feed chute.
The M197 is also mounted as a chin turret in Italy's Agusta A129 Mangusta CBT helicopter, with a capacity of 500 rounds.
The weapon's current contractor is General Dynamics Armament Systems.
Read more about this topic: M197 Gatling Gun
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