The M75 is a 40mm automatic

grenade launcher A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially-designed large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, smoke or gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grenade cartridges. The mos ...

that was used primarily as an aircraft weapon in United States service and was one of the first weapons to use the high velocity 40x53mm grenade.

Overview

Development of the M75 began in the late 1950s by the

Philco-Ford Philco (an acronym for Philadelphia Battery Company) is an American electronics manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia. Philco was a pioneer in battery, radio, and television production. In 1961, the company was purchased by Ford and, from 196 ...

Corporation (later referred to in this time period as Ford Aerospace). While 40mm low velocity grenades were being developed for infantry use, the M75 was to be an aircraft weapon using a higher velocity grenade for additional range. While an aircraft

gun pod A gun pod is a detachable pod or pack containing machine guns, autocannons, revolver cannons, or rotary cannons and ancillaries, mounted externally on a vehicle such as a military aircraft which may or may not also have its own guns. Description ...

designated the XM13 was developed for it, it would see far greater use as a helicopter weapon, mainly during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. The most notable systems the M75 was part of were the M5 used on the

UH-1 Iroquois The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...

and the turreted M28 system used on the

AH-1 Cobra The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake. The A ...

. In the last case the weapon was quickly replaced by the improved M129 launcher.

Design

The weapon is described as an "air-cooled, electrically powered, rapid firing weapon."United States, 1969. p. F-4 All portions of the firing cycle are powered this way so the unit requires an external power source. Other important features are the reciprocating barrel and cam assembly that drive the other components of the system. All phases of the weapon cycle are positively controlled by the drum cam assembly in which a planetary gear train is enclosed, responsible for reducing the motor's high speed to the desired rate for the gun. The 28 Volts DC motor is mounted on the turret bracket and drives the drum cam through a flexible shaft in order to isolate it from the weapon's recoil. The weapon accepts linked ammunition, which was fed from rotary drums in the case of the M5 and M28 systems, and from boxes in the case of the XM9 systems. The M5 could also use a box magazine.

Derivative

While the M75 had no variants, Philco-Ford developed an improved derivative, the M129, which quickly supplanted the M75. The M129 was effectively a redesign of the older weapon to incorporate a concentric cam and improved mount, as well as a higher rate of fire of 400 rpm. The major problem with the M75 was the torque created due to the barrel being below the operating drum. In the M129 the barrel is concentric with the drum and the excessive torque is thus eliminated. The M129 was used in the

XM8 The Heckler & Koch XM8 is a lightweight assault rifle system developed from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The rifle was designed by German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K), and shares design and engineering with their G36 rifle. ...

and the aforementioned M28 helicopter armament systems, as well as, the XM51 for the ill-fated

AH-56 Cheyenne The Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne was an attack helicopter developed by Lockheed for the United States Army. It rose from the Army's Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) program to field the service's first dedicated attack helicopter. Lock ...

, and being trialed as a door gun for the UH-1 series with the XM94 system. Operation of the weapon is extremely similar to that of the M75, with the reciprocating barrel and cam assembly still presenting itself, and the weapon still being electrically driven.United States, 1969. p. H-7-8

References

Citations

Sources

* Gervasi, Tom. ''Arsenal of Democracy III: America's War Machine, the Pursuit of Global Dominance''. New York, NY: Grove Press, Inc, 1984. . * Gunston, Bill. ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft Armament''. New York, NY: Orion Books, 1988. . * United States. Headquarters, Department of the Army. ''FM 1-40 Attack Helicopter Gunnery.'' Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 1969.

External links

M75 40mm Grenade Launcher - Global Security

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Aircraft guns Automatic grenade launchers 40×53mm grenade launchers Machine guns of the United States