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

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

. It was developed from the GIAT M693, itself derived from Hispano-Suiza HS.820. It fires the same 20×139 mm round.

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, 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

The gun has been exported to Belgium (Tripartite-class minesweepers), Indonesia (Tripartite-class minesweepers), Malawi (''Kasunga''), Netherlands (Tripartite-class minesweepers), Pakistan (Tripartite-class minesweepers), and Saudi Arabia (NAJA 12 class). In the French Navy, they are used aboard: * * s * s * s * s * s * * * * * * *

References

External links

navweaps.com
20 mm artillery Autocannon Anti-aircraft guns of the Cold War Anti-aircraft guns of France Naval anti-aircraft guns KNDS France {{artillery-stub