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The DEFA cannon (''Direction des Études et Fabrications d'Armement'') is a family of widely-used French-made aircraft revolver cannon firing
The DEFA 553 is a gas-operated five-chamber revolver cannon using pyrotechnic cocking and electrical ignition. It fires a range of 30 mm ammunition of various types, and is capable of continuous fire or 0.5-second or 1-second bursts.
The 553 was superseded by the DEFA 554, which incorporates a number of detail improvements. The DEFA 554 uses three, rather than two, of the chambers for reloading, increasing the rate of fire. Barrel life and mechanical reliability are improved, and an electrical control unit allows the pilot to select two rates of fire: 1,800 rounds per minute for air-to-air use or 1,200 rounds per minute for air-to-ground attacks. The 554 also provides three
The DEFA 550 series was the standard cannon armament of all gun-armed French fighters from 1954 until the advent of the Dassault Rafale in the 1980s. A pair of these weapons, with 125–135 rounds per gun, is standard fit on the Brazilian ground-attack aircraft AMX International AMX, the French Dassault MD 450 Ouragan, Dassault Mystere, Mirage III/V, Dassault Étendard IV and Dassault Super Étendard, Sud Aviation Vautour, Mirage F1, SEPECAT Jaguars, and the Mirage 2000 series. It was also used on Israeli Douglas A-4E/F/H/N Skyhawks, IAI Nesher, IAI Kfir, and
Nexter website: DEFA 30M factsheet
South Africa Air Force: DEFA cannon factsheet
30 mm caliber
30 mm caliber is a specific size of popular autocannon ammunition. Such ammunition includes NATO standard 30×113mmB and 30×173mm (STANAG 4624), Soviet 30×155mmB, 30×165mm, and 30×210mmB, Yugoslav 30×192mm, Anglo-Swiss 30×170mm, and ...
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
standard rounds.
Design history
The initial DEFA 551 was developed in the late 1940s. It is based on the German Mauser MG 213C, an experimental revolver cannon developed for the ''Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...
''. The MG 213 never reached production, but inspired the DEFA, the very similar British ADEN cannon, and the smaller American M39 cannon. As the ''DEFA 552'' it entered production in 1954. In 1968 an upgraded version, Canon 550-F3, was developed, entering production in 1971 as the ''DEFA 553''. The new version provided a new feed system, nitro-chrome plated steel barrel, forged drum casing, and improved electrical reliability.
Overview
The DEFA 553 is a gas-operated five-chamber revolver cannon using pyrotechnic cocking and electrical ignition. It fires a range of 30 mm ammunition of various types, and is capable of continuous fire or 0.5-second or 1-second bursts.
The 553 was superseded by the DEFA 554, which incorporates a number of detail improvements. The DEFA 554 uses three, rather than two, of the chambers for reloading, increasing the rate of fire. Barrel life and mechanical reliability are improved, and an electrical control unit allows the pilot to select two rates of fire: 1,800 rounds per minute for air-to-air use or 1,200 rounds per minute for air-to-ground attacks. The 554 also provides three Pyrotechnic cocking charge
A pyrotechnic cocking charge is a device used to cock or re-cock a gas-operated automatic cannon, such as the Mauser BK-27 or the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23. Such devices are not necessary in an externally powered cannon, such as the electrically d ...
s rather than one, allowing the pilot to cock the weapon after take-off and have two cartridges to re-cock the weapon if necessary in flight.
Service use
The DEFA 550 series was the standard cannon armament of all gun-armed French fighters from 1954 until the advent of the Dassault Rafale in the 1980s. A pair of these weapons, with 125–135 rounds per gun, is standard fit on the Brazilian ground-attack aircraft AMX International AMX, the French Dassault MD 450 Ouragan, Dassault Mystere, Mirage III/V, Dassault Étendard IV and Dassault Super Étendard, Sud Aviation Vautour, Mirage F1, SEPECAT Jaguars, and the Mirage 2000 series. It was also used on Israeli Douglas A-4E/F/H/N Skyhawks, IAI Nesher, IAI Kfir, and IAI Lavi
The IAI Lavi (Hebrew: לביא, "Young Lion") was a single-engined fourth-generation multirole jet fighter developed in Israel, by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), during the 1980s. The decision to develop the Lavi was controversial, both with ...
, the Italian Fiat G.91Y
The Fiat (later Aeritalia) G.91Y is an Italian ground-attack and reconnaissance aircraft which first flew in 1966. Although resembling its predecessor, the Fiat G.91, the aircraft was in fact a complete redesign, a major difference with it bein ...
and Aermacchi MB-326K, the Indonesian A-4, and the South African Atlas Cheetah and Impala Mk.II. Various gun pod installations are available from CASA, Dassault Aviation, and Matra
Matra (an acronym for Mécanique Aviation Traction) was a French industrial conglomerate. During its years of operation, it was engaged in a wide range of business activities, primarily focused around automobiles, bicycles, aeronautics and wea ...
.
The DEFA 550 is very similar to the British ADEN cannon, and can use the same ammunition.
The DEFA 550 series has given way to the GIAT 30
The GIAT 30 is a series of 30 mm cannon developed to replace the DEFA 550 series weapons on French military aircraft.
Introduced in the late 1980s, the GIAT 30 is a revolver cannon with electric ignition and automatic recocking. Unlike the DEF ...
series used on the Dassault Rafale, although it is likely to remain in widespread use for many years.
Variants
* DEFA 551 for the Dassault Mystère IV, the Dassault Mystère IIC, and the Sud Aviation Vautour * DEFA 552 for theDassault Super Mystère B2
Dassault Group (; also GIM Dassault or Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault SAS) is a French group of companies established in 1929 with the creation of Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (now Dassault Aviation) by Marcel Dassault, and led by son ...
, the Dassault Étendard IV, and the Aeritalia G.91Y
* DEFA 552A for the Mirage III/ 5/50, the Nesher/Dagger/Finger, the IAI Kfir, and the IAI Lavi
The IAI Lavi (Hebrew: לביא, "Young Lion") was a single-engined fourth-generation multirole jet fighter developed in Israel, by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), during the 1980s. The decision to develop the Lavi was controversial, both with ...
* DEFA 553 for the Dassault Mirage F1, the Alpha Jet, the SEPECAT Jaguar, the Dassault Super Etendard, the Mirage 2000D RMV, the Aermacchi MB-326K, the CASA C-101, the Atlas Cheetah, the Impala Mk II, the IA-58B/C, and the IA-63
* DEFA 554 for the single-seat Mirage 2000, the AMX A-1, the IA-58D, and the IA-63
Operators
Current operators
* : Mirage 2000, previously Super Étendard, Mirage F1, Jaguar, Mirage 5, Étendard IVM, Mirage III, Super Mystère B2, Mystère IV, Mystère IIC, and Vautour II * : Mirage 2000-9, previously Mirage 5, Mirage III, and MB-326K * : Mirage 2000I/TI, previously Mystère IV * : Mirage 2000-5 Mk2, previously Mirage F1 * : Kfir Block 60, previously Mirage 5 * : AMX, previously Mirage 2000C/B and Mirage III * : Mirage 2000-5, previously Mirage F1 * : Mirage 2000-5 * : Mirage F1 ASTRAC * : Mirage 5 ROSE and Mirage III * : Cheetah, previously Mirage F1, Kfir, Mirage 50 and Impala Mk II * : Super Étendard Modernisé, A-4 and IA-63, previously IA-58, Finger, Dagger, Mirage 5P, and Mirage III * : Mirage 2000P/DP, previously Mirage 5P * : Mirage 2000EM/BM and Mirage 5 * : Mirage F1 * : Kfir * : A-36 Toqui/C-101CC, previously Mirage 50, Mirage 5 and Mirage III * : Mirage F1, previously Mirage 5 * : Mirage F1, previously Mirage 5Former operators
* : Mirage F1 and Mirage III * : Cheetah, Mirage F1, Nesher, Mirage III and Impala Mk II * : A-4, Lavi, Kfir, Nesher, Mirage 5, Mirage IIIC, Super Mystère B2, Mystère IV, and Vautour II * : C-101CC and Mirage F1 * : Super Étendard and Mirage F1 * : Mirage F1 * : Mirage 50, Mirage 5 and Mirage III * : Mirage 5 * : Mirage 5 * : Mirage 5 and MB-326K * : Mirage III * : Mirage III * : Mirage III * : Super Mystère B2 * : G.91Y * : A-4 * : MB-326K * : MB-326KSee also
*Mauser BK-27
The BK 27 (also BK27 or BK-27) (German abbreviation for ''Bordkanone'', "on-board cannon") is a caliber revolver cannon manufactured by Mauser (now part of Rheinmetall) of Germany. It was developed in the late 1960s for the MRCA (Multi Role Comb ...
– comparable German design
* GIAT 30
The GIAT 30 is a series of 30 mm cannon developed to replace the DEFA 550 series weapons on French military aircraft.
Introduced in the late 1980s, the GIAT 30 is a revolver cannon with electric ignition and automatic recocking. Unlike the DEF ...
References
External links
Nexter website: DEFA 30M factsheet
South Africa Air Force: DEFA cannon factsheet
Video links
* of an ArgentinianIAI Dagger
The Israel Aircraft Industries Nesher (Hebrew: נשר, 'griffon vulture', often mistranslated as 'eagle') was the Israeli version of the French Dassault Mirage 5 multirole fighter.Gupta 1997, p. 105.
Having sustained aircraft losses during the S ...
during the Battle of San Carlos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Defa Cannon
30 mm artillery
Aircraft guns
Autocannon
Nexter Systems
Military equipment introduced in the 1950s