Aircraft & UAVs

M61A1 Vulcan cannon

Also known as

M61
M61 Vulcan
General Electric M61A1
GE M61A1 Vulcan

The M61A1 Vulcan cannon is a U.S.-origin six-barrel 20 mm aircraft gun built by General Electric and used as fighter armament on aircraft such as the F-4E Phantom II. Official Air Force material describes it as a high-rate rotary cannon driven by the aircraft's electrical, hydraulic, or ram-air systems.

M61A1 Vulcan cannon, 20mm aircraft cannon, Aircraft & UAVs

Image source: M61A1 Vulcan side view.jpg | Wikimedia Commons

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: United States
Built by: General Electric
Type: 20mm aircraft cannon
Service note: 1950s-present

aircraft armamentrotary cannon20 mm

Specifications

Barrels: 6
Caliber: 20 mm
Rate of fire: About 6,000 rounds per minute
Drive: Aircraft electrical, hydraulic, or ram-air system
Feed: Linkless feed system
Muzzle velocity: 1,036 m/s

Firing Aircraft

The M61A1 Vulcan appears in official F-4E photography and Air Force reference material as an aircraft-installed gun.

Firing weapon

Weapon type

Firing evidence

F-4 Phantom II, Twin-engine, two-seat supersonic fighter-bomber, Aircraft & UAVs

Fighter-bomber

The National Museum F-4E photo caption identifies the aircraft with an M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm cannon, and the M61A1 fact sheet says the Vulcan was carried internally on the F-4E Phantom II.

Sources: McDonnell Douglas F-4E | National Museum of the United States Air Force, M61A1 Vulcan Cannon | National Museum of the United States Air Force

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: In U.S. service since the 1950s; used on aircraft such as the F-4E Phantom II, F-15, and F-16.

Media

M61A1 Vulcan cannon Images

M61A1 Vulcan cannon, 20mm aircraft cannon, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1 — Source: M61A1 070611-N-1525H-004.jpg | Wikimedia Commons

M61A1 Vulcan cannon, 20mm aircraft cannon, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2 — Source: M61A1 on F-15DJ.jpg | Wikimedia Commons

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Sources

M61A1 Vulcan Cannon | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports the M61A1 Vulcan cannon's six-barrel 20 mm aircraft-gun role, 6,000-round-per-minute rate, drive options, and aircraft-service context. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 McDonnell Douglas F-4E | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports the photo caption identifying an F-4E with an M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm cannon. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 M61A1 Vulcan side view.jpg | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and the original Hill Aerospace Museum caption identifying the M61A1 Vulcan as built by General Electric, with a rotary action and linkless feed system. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 M61A1 070611-N-1525H-004.jpg | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain M61A1 Vulcan image. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 M61A1 on F-15DJ.jpg | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain M61A1 Vulcan image mounted on an F-15DJ. | Accessed: 2026-06-27