The General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30 mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-style autocannon that is primarily, and most famously mounted in the United States Air Force's Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. Designed to destroy a wide variety of ground targets, the Avenger delivers 30mm rounds at a high rate of fire. The GAU-8/A is also used in the Dutch Goalkeeper CIWS ship weapon system, which provides defense against short-range threats such as highly maneuverable missiles, aircraft, and fast-maneuvering surface vessels. The GAU-8/A was designed by General Electric and has been produced by General Dynamics since 1977.
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In this Dossier
GAU-8 in the context of Rifling
Rifling is the term for helical grooves machined into the internal surface of a firearms's barrel for imparting a spin to a projectile to improve its aerodynamic stability and accuracy. It is also the term (as a verb) for creating such grooves. The opposite of rifling is smoothbore.
Rifling is measured in twist rate, the distance the rifling takes to complete one full revolution, expressed as a ratio with 1 as its base (e.g., 1:10 inches (25.4 cm)). A shorter distance/lower ratio indicates a faster twist, generating a higher spin rate (and greater projectile stability).