The 30 mm ADEN cannon is a British aircraft revolver cannon developed from the German MG 213 concept and built by Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield. Museum, military, and specialist records tie the gun to post-war British fighters, Falklands War Harrier operations, Indian Hunter cannon attacks in 1971, and later Hawk 127 gunpod use.
Times of India reporting on an IAF Longewala history describes the first Indian Hunter pair at Longewala as loaded with T-10 rockets and 30 mm ADEN guns; Bharat Rakshak's battle account describes Hunter rocket passes followed by 30 mm cannon attacks against Pakistani armor.
Sea Harriers in Operation Corporate carried twin 30 mm ADEN cannon, and Royal Navy reporting credits a 1 June 1982 Argentine C-130 kill to Sidewinder and cannon fire; IWM also identifies an ADEN Mk4 removed from a Harrier GR3 that saw action in the conflict.
AEI's ADEN 30 mm data sheet describes the gun as a compact self-powered revolver cannon suited to under-slung pods, under-fuselage blisters, or internal fuselage mounting. It also notes left- and right-hand feed options, which explains why the same gun family appears both as built-in aircraft armament and as podded Harrier or Hawk equipment.
30x113 mm ADEN ammunition.
AEI lists high-explosive incendiary, tracer, armour-piercing, practice, and armour-piercing tracer types.
Under-slung pod, under-fuselage blister, or internal fuselage mounting.
The data sheet says the gun can be mounted around the longitudinal axis to suit aircraft installation requirements.
ADEN records distinguish the production 30 mm Mk 4 family from the later ADEN 25 attempt to adapt the design to 25x137 mm NATO ammunition.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| ADEN Mk 4 | 30 mm production standard | Forecast International treats the Mk 4 as the production-standard 30 mm ADEN cannon and lists it across aircraft including Harrier, Sea Harrier, Hunter, Hawk, Jaguar, Lightning, and Gnat applications; IWM identifies its Aden Mk4 object as a standard 30 mm Aden cannon. Sources: ARCHIVED REPORT ADEN Aircraft Cannon - Forecast International, Aden Mk4 - Imperial War Museums |
| ADEN Mk 5 / Mk 6 | Later 30 mm marks | AEI groups Mk4, Mk5, and Mk6 under its 30 mm ADEN product line, but the available sheet does not separate feature changes between the later marks. Sources: ADEN 30 mm Cannon - AEI Systems |
| ADEN 25 | 25 mm derivative | The ADEN 25 used 25x137 mm NATO ammunition and was selected for the Harrier GR Mk 5, but Forecast International says integration problems led the Ministry of Defence to remove it from Harrier GR Mk 5 and Mk 7 aircraft in 1999. Sources: ARCHIVED REPORT ADEN Aircraft Cannon - Forecast International |
ADEN carrier documentation includes built-in fighter installations and podded carriage on trainer or strike aircraft.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | V/STOL strike aircraft | IWM identifies its Aden Mk4 as a standard 30 mm Aden cannon removed from the museum's Harrier GR3. Sources: Aden Mk4 - Imperial War Museums |
 | Lead-in fighter trainer | The Hawk 127 armament table lists one 30 mm Aden cannon, and ADM says the cannon can be installed in a gunpod on the centreline station. Sources: A27 – BAE Systems Hawk – pp518-521, Maintenance upgrade ahead for Hawk 127 Lead in Fighter - ADM September 2013 |
 | Strike and reconnaissance aircraft | RAF Museum Jaguar GR1 display text lists the aircraft armament as two 30 mm Aden guns. |
Forecast International places Royal Ordnance's first major ADEN application for the Hawker Hunter in 1950.
Sources: ARCHIVED REPORT ADEN Aircraft Cannon - Forecast International
IWM records an Air Ministry-sponsored 16 mm instructional film explaining the ADEN 30 mm aircraft gun's gas action, electrical firing, and 1,200-1,400 rounds-per-minute rate of fire.
Sources: THE ADEN 30MM GUN [Main Title] - Imperial War Museums
The British Ministry of Defence selected the ADEN 25 as the primary armament for the Harrier GR Mk 5.
Sources: ARCHIVED REPORT ADEN Aircraft Cannon - Forecast International
Forecast International reports that unresolved pod and integration problems led the Ministry of Defence to remove ADEN 25 cannon from Harrier GR Mk 5 and Mk 7 aircraft.
Sources: ARCHIVED REPORT ADEN Aircraft Cannon - Forecast International
The RAAF Hawk 127 history states that the type was formally taken into RAAF service in November 2000 and lists one 30 mm Aden cannon in its armament table.
Sources: A27 – BAE Systems Hawk – pp518-521
