GAU-7 cannon

{{Notability|Product|date=July 2022}}

{{Infobox weapon

|name=Ford-Philco GAU-7 cannon

|origin=United States

|type=Gatling-type machine gun

|is_ranged=yes

|designer= Ford-Philco

|manufacturer=

|cartridge= 25mm caseless

|caliber= 25mm

|action=

}}

The Ford-Philco GAU-7/A was an abortive program initiated by United States Air Force in the late 1960s to develop a new cannon for the proposed F-14 ADC interceptor and replace the M61 Vulcan on the then-upcoming F-15 Eagle. The GAU-7/A was a 25 mm Gatling gun using telescoped ammunition with a combustible case developed by the Brunswick Corporation.{{cite report |title=Basic design analysis of GAU-7/A telescoped ammunition (Final Report March 71-January 72) |publication-place=Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida, United States of America |date=1 June 1972 |language=English |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADB024728.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200336/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADB024728.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |last=Fisher |first=Edward B. |id=AFATL-TR-77-107 |department=Air Force Armament Laboratory |publisher=Armament Development and Test Center (United States Air Force) |chapter=2.2 GAU-7/A Design, II Computer Simulation Development |pages=2–3 }}{{cite report|first1=H. |last1=Williams |first2=K. |last2=Gilbert |title=Development and Test of Storage and Feed System for GAU-7/A Gun (Final rept. Mar 71-Jan 72) |date=6 January 1972 |department=Emerson Electronics and Space Division/Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) |publisher=Emerson Electric Co./United States Department of Defense |publication-place=Fort Belvoir, Virginia, United States of America |language=English |format=PDF |pages=3–71 |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/AD0775394 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806104448/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/AD0775394 |url-status=live |archive-date=August 6, 2020 }}{{cite report |first=Dale M. |last=Davis |title=Historical Development Summary of Automatic Cannon Caliber Ammunition: 20-30 Millimeter (Final Report: 1952 - 1983) |language=English |date=1 January 1984 |publication-place=Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida, United States of America |pages=102–112 |chapter=XIII: GAU-7 Projectiles |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA140367.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508142939/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA140367.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |department=Air Force Armament Laboratory |publisher=Armament Development and Test Center (United States Air Force) }} It was intended to have greater range and hitting power than the 20 mm Vulcan, while the caseless ammunition would have alleviated the problems of either storing or ejecting spent cartridges, both of which present considerable problems for jet aircraft.{{cite web|title=Caseless ammunition|publisher=NationMaster}}{{clarify|date=June 2021}}

Despite great expenditure, the project and its ammunition proved to be a failure, and it was canceled in 1974. The F-15 therefore retained the M61A1 cannon, as have most U.S. fighter aircraft since 1956.https://raigap.livejournal.com/247024.html