GECAL 50 / GAU-19

Back to firearms list

Summary

Country🇺🇸 United States
CategoryMachine gun
ManufacturerGeneral Dynamics

Technical specifications

GECAL 50 / GAU-19
Fire Rate1.000 - 2.000 rounds/min.
Caliber.50 BMG (12.7 x 99 mm OTAN)
Magazinedrum rounds
Length1369 mm (53.9 in)
Weight63.0 kg (138.9 lb)
Range6000 m (19685 ft)

Description

The GECAL 50, also known as the GAU-19/A, was first manufactured by General Electric, then by Lockheed Martin, and now by General Dynamics. Design work began in 1982. Early prototypes had six barrels, though a three-barreled configuration became standard. Originally conceived as a more potent version of the M134 Minigun, development was prompted by the loss of helicopters in Grenada, leading to prototype building in both three and six-barreled configurations. The six-barreled version was designed for 4,000 rounds per minute and could potentially fire up to 8,000 rounds per minute.

In December 1992, the US Navy issued a letter of qualification for integration on naval aircraft. Approval for mounting on the OH-58D Kiowa helicopter occurred in 2005, and it was also considered for the ARH-70. In October 2010, General Dynamics began developing a lighter version, the GAU-19/B, in response to an urgent needs statement. Flight testing started by April 2011, and the U.S. Army ordered 30 GAU-19/B versions in January 2012 for helicopters, with delivery completed by the following month. The GAU-19/B received safety confirmation for use on the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in August 2012.

The GAU-19 is an electrically driven rotary heavy machine gun utilizing a three-barrel configuration that fires the .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) cartridge. It is designed to accept standard NATO .50 caliber M9-linked ammunition and takes 0.4 seconds to reach its maximum firing rate. Both variants are designed to be reliable to 40,000 mean rounds between failure and can be configured for an ammunition capacity of 500–1,200 rounds.

The GAU-19/A allows for selectable rates of fire at either 1,000 or 2,000 rounds per minute. The average recoil force varies depending on the firing rate, noted as 382 lb/ft, 495 lb/ft, or 629 lb/ft. The GAU-19/B is a later version announced in January 2012, providing the same firepower from a lighter platform weighing 48 kilograms (106 lb). It is optimized for a firing rate of 1,300 rounds per minute with an average recoil force of 562 lb/ft.

Operational use includes the United States sending 28 GAU-19s to Colombia in 1999. Oman is known to utilize the GAU-19/A mounted on their HMMWVs. The Mexican Navy employs the system on their MDH MD-902 series helicopters for anti-narcotics operations. The GAU-19/B was ordered and delivered to the U.S. Army in 2012 specifically for use on helicopters. Both GAU-19 variants have been integrated onto various platforms, including naval vessels (using tripods and remote weapons stations), vehicles (via turrets and remote operation), and both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft (externally mounted, door/ramp fired). A self-contained gun pod has also been developed.

The countries and organizations known to use the GAU-19 variants include Colombia, Czechia, Egypt, Iraq, Japan, Mexico, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, and the United States. They are used by:

  • Colombia (by Drug Enforcement troops, National Police, AH-60L ARPIA III/IV, AC-47T)

  • Czechia (GAU-19B)

  • Japan (Coast Guard on PC Kagayuki class)

  • Mexico (Air Force and Navy on Humvees, UH-60 Black Hawks, MD Explorer)

  • Oman (Army on HMMWV)

  • Saudi Arabia (on AH6i)

  • Thailand (GAU-19/B for AH6i)

  • UAE (on S70M Blackhawks, Bell 407, naval vessels, HMMWVs)