20 mm modèle F2 gun

20 mm modèle F2 gun
Type Autocannon
Place of origin France
Specifications
Weight 332 kg (732 lb) (without ammunition)

Caliber 20×139mm
Action delayed blowback[1]
Elevation −15° to + 65°
Rate of fire 720 round/min
Muzzle velocity 1,050 m/s (3,400 ft/s)
Effective firing range 1,500 m (4,900 ft) against aerial targets

The 20 mm modèle F2 gun is a naval defence weapon used by the French Navy.

History

The need for a newer 20 mm defence cannon than the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon began to grow noticeably during the 1980s. The companies DCN and GIAT were contracted to design the F2 20 mm cannon, which essentially a navalised version of the M693 gun used by the French Army, and sold for export.

Description

The 20 mm F2 is a mounted monotube gun, with two 150-cartridge boxes on each side of the piece. An electrical control system allows for a choice of three modes of fire: single shot, eight-shot burst, or free fire. There is an electrical trigger in the right hand of the gunner. A manual selector allows the gunner to change the box feeding the weapon during the firing, making mixed firing available. After each shot, the empty cartridge is ejected from beneath the weapon.

The gun is manoeuvred by the body of the gunner, who is attached to the weapon. Firing is guided through the same optical visor as used with the Bofors 40 mm gun and the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon.

Usage

F2 gun aboard Forbin.

The gun has been exported to Belgium (Tripartite minesweepers), Indonesia (Tripartite minesweepers), Malawi (Kasunga), Netherlands (Tripartite minesweepers), Pakistan (Tripartite minesweepers), and Saudi Arabia (NAJA 12 class).

In the French Navy, they are used on

The F2 cannon is also used in a chin-mount on the South African CSH-2 Rooivalk attack helicopter, similar to the 30 mm M230 chain gun mounting on the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Canon mitrailleur de 20mm Mle F2.
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