Infantry Weapons

GAU-2C mini-gun

Also known as
  • GAU-2C
  • GAU-2C minigun
  • GAU-2C 7.62 caliber mini gun
  • GAU-2/C mini-gun
  • GAU-2
  • GAU-2 mini-gun
  • GAU-2 minigun
  • GAU-2 7.62mm gatling gun

The GAU-2C mini-gun is a U.S. 7.62 mm six-barrel Minigun configuration in the GAU-2/M134 family, carried as a rescue-helicopter door or window gun. Air Force test coverage identifies the HH-60W's GAU-2 as a 3,000-round-per-minute 7.62 mm Gatling gun, while DVIDS and Air Force reporting name the GAU-2C in later HH-60W and HH-60G rescue-helicopter training.

GAU-2C mini-gun, 7.62 mm minigun, Infantry Weapons
Image source: 41st RQS leads Air Force in CSAR development
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
7.62 mm minigun
Service note
Cold War-era GAU-2 family designation in modern HH-60 rescue use

Specifications

Caliber
7.62 mm
Configuration
Six-barrel electrically driven rotary machine gun
Documented HH-60W firing rate
3,000 rounds per minute for the GAU-2 during HH-60W live-fire testing
Installation
HH-60 rescue helicopter door or window weapon
Power context
Separate battery system cited in 41st Rescue Squadron HH-60W GAU-2 coverage
Family context
GAU-2/M134 Minigun family; Designation-Systems lists GAU-2/A and GAU-17/A as General Electric 7.62 mm six-barrel Minigun entries
Variants

The GAU-2C record is scoped to the rescue-helicopter GAU-2C/GAU-2 identity, while adjacent Minigun records cover the broader GAU-2/A, GAU-17/A, M134, and Dillon M134D branches.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
GAU-2/AEarly U.S. aircraft Minigun designation

Designation-Systems lists the GAU-2/A as a General Electric 7.62 mm six-barrel Minigun used with the SUU-11/A pod.

Sources: GAU/GAK to GUU - Equipment Listing

GAU-17/AModified GAU-2/A helicopter and naval designation

Designation-Systems describes the GAU-17/A as a modified GAU-2/A 7.62 mm six-barrel Minigun used on UH-1N, H-3, and H-60 aircraft.

Sources: GAU/GAK to GUU - Equipment Listing

M134 Minigun, 7.62 mm minigun, Infantry WeaponsM134 MinigunBroader M134/GAU-2 family record

Dillon Aero identifies older-generation General Electric GAU-2B/M134 Miniguns, matching the linked catalog record's broader M134/GAU-2 family scope.

Sources: M134D - Standard 7.62 x 51mm

M134D Minigun, Externally powered 7.62 mm rotary machine gun, Infantry WeaponsM134D MinigunDillon Aero modernized production branch

Dillon Aero says it delivers new-production M134D Miniguns and modernization kits for older General Electric GAU-2B/M134 Miniguns.

Sources: M134D - Standard 7.62 x 51mm

Firing Platforms

DVIDS and Air Force reporting tie the GAU-2C mini-gun to HH-60 rescue-helicopter installations, including HH-60W Jolly Green II testing and HH-60G Pave Hawk training.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
HH-60W Jolly Green II, Combat rescue helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsHH-60W Jolly Green IICombat rescue helicopter

The 41st Rescue Squadron was the first in the U.S. Air Force to test the GAU-2C mini-gun on the HH-60W Jolly Green II in March 2022.

Sources: 41st RQS leads Air Force in CSAR development

Black Hawk helicopter, Medium-lift military utility helicopter family, Aircraft & UAVsBlack Hawk helicopterHH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter family

DVIDS imagery documents a 301st Rescue Squadron airman performing a mechanical check on a GAU-2C mini-gun mounted on an HH-60G Pave Hawk, while Air Mobility Command describes normal HH-60 weapon configurations as including GAU-2C 7.62 mm miniguns.

Sources: GAU-2C 7.62 caliber mini gun, Increased firepower provides unique capability for combat rescue

Rescue-Helicopter Installation Context

The public record for this page is strongest around HH-60 rescue-helicopter testing and training rather than a separately documented battlefield employment record for the GAU-2C designation.

HH-60W test baseline

Air Force testing in 2020 listed the GAU-2 among the HH-60W Jolly Green II's three primary weapons, and DVIDS later identified GAU-2C testing by the 41st Rescue Squadron.

HH-60G continuity

DVIDS imagery documents a GAU-2C mechanical check on an HH-60G Pave Hawk during rescue-squadron weapons-currency training in 2023.

Power and fit limits

Air Mobility Command reporting describes normal HH-60 weapon configurations that can include GAU-2C miniguns, while noting that the minigun's power requirement shaped later M240 add-on concepts.

Timeline

GAU-2C mini-gun Key Events

  1. HH-60W live-fire testing begins

    Air Force test coverage says HH-60W ground testing began with three primary weapons, including the GAU-2 7.62 mm Gatling gun at a 3,000-round-per-minute firing rate.

    Sources: Jolly Green II begins live-fire testing

  2. 41st Rescue Squadron tests GAU-2C on HH-60W

    DVIDS reported that the 41st Rescue Squadron was the first U.S. Air Force unit to test-fire GAU-2 and GAU-21 weapons systems on the HH-60W Jolly Green II, with the video caption naming the GAU-2C mini-gun.

    Sources: 41st RQS leads Air Force in CSAR development, 41 RQS tests GAU-2C, GAU-21 weapon systems

  3. HH-60G GAU-2C mechanical check documented

    DVIDS photographed a 301st Rescue Squadron special mission aviator performing a GAU-2C mini-gun mechanical check on an HH-60G Pave Hawk before weapons-currency training.

    Sources: GAU-2C 7.62 caliber mini gun

Media

GAU-2C mini-gun Videos

GAU-2C mini-gun Images

GAU-2C mini-gun, 7.62 mm minigun, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: 41st RQS leads Air Force in CSAR development
GAU-2C mini-gun, 7.62 mm minigun, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: 41st RQS leads Air Force in CSAR development
GAU-2C mini-gun, 7.62 mm minigun, Infantry Weapons - view 3
Source: 41st RQS leads Air Force in CSAR development
GAU-2C mini-gun, 7.62 mm minigun, Infantry Weapons - view 4
Source: 41st RQS leads Air Force in CSAR development
Related Weapon Systems
20mm M197 rotary cannon, 20 mm three-barrel externally powered Gatling aircraft cannon, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVs20mm M197 rotary cannon20 mm three-barrel externally powered Gatling aircraft cannonThe 20mm M197 is a lightweight three-barrel Gatling aircraft cannon derived from the M61A1 Vulcan family for helicopter, light-aircraft, naval, turret, pod, and pintle installations. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems markets the current M-197 and lists it on Marine Corps AH-1J, AH-1T, AH-1W, and AH-1Z aircraft, while FAS, DVIDS, Defense Media Network, and official Navy history sources document M197-equipped AH-1W and MH-60S context across Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Operation Inherent Resolve service.

Sources

GAU/GAK to GUU - Equipment ListingPublisher: Designation-Systems.Net | Note: Supports General Electric origin of the GAU-2/A 7.62 mm six-barrel minigun family and the broader GAU-2 background used for this entry. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Pave Hawk special missions aviator hones marksmanship skills to razor’s edgePublisher: 176th Wing | Note: Supports the GAU-2 family’s 7.62 mm caliber, six-barrel electrically driven design, 4,000 rpm cyclic rate, and HH-60G Pave Hawk use. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Increased firepower provides unique capability for combat rescuePublisher: Air Mobility Command | Note: Supports the GAU-2C 7.62 mm minigun's HH-60 weapon configuration context and the HH-60W rescue-helicopter test environment. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Jolly Green II begins live-fire testingPublisher: Tinker Air Force Base | Note: Supports HH-60W live-fire testing with the GAU-2 as a 7.62 mm Gatling gun with a 3,000-round-per-minute firing rate. | Accessed: 2026-07-0341st RQS leads Air Force in CSAR developmentPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the March 2022 first Air Force HH-60W test-fire of GAU-2 and GAU-21 weapon systems, the separate battery-system note for the GAU-2, and the story's public-domain DVIDS images. | Accessed: 2026-07-0341 RQS tests GAU-2C, GAU-21 weapon systemsPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the GAU-2C mini-gun designation and March 2022 HH-60W Jolly Green II test context at Grand Bay Georgia Bombing and Gunnery Range. | Accessed: 2026-07-03GAU-2C 7.62 caliber mini gunPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports the GAU-2C 7.62 caliber mini-gun identity and HH-60G Pave Hawk mechanical-check context in 2023 rescue-squadron training. | Accessed: 2026-07-03M134D - Standard 7.62 x 51mmPublisher: Dillon Aero | Note: Supports adjacent-family context for Dillon Aero's new-production M134D and modernization kits for older General Electric GAU-2B/M134 Miniguns. | Accessed: 2026-07-03