- Side
- Ukraine
UNITED24 Media reported a Ukrainian F-16 pilot's account of using 20 mm gunfire from the aircraft's M61 Vulcan against Russian cruise missiles during a December 2024 air-defense mission.
Role detailsAircraft & UAVs
M61A1 Vulcan cannon
Also known as
- M61
- M61 Vulcan
- M61A1
- M61A1 Vulcan
- M61A2
- M61A2 Vulcan
- M61A1/M61A2
- 20mm M61 Vulcan
- 20 mm M61 Vulcan
- 20mm M61A1
- M61A1 20mm Vulcan cannon
- General Electric M61A1
- GE M61A1 Vulcan
The M61A1 Vulcan cannon is a U.S.-origin six-barrel 20 mm Gatling aircraft gun developed from the Project Vulcan line and originally associated with General Electric. Official Air Force material describes the M61A1 as a high-rate rotary cannon driven by electrical, hydraulic, or ram-air systems, museum and DVIDS-hosted Air Force history sources document M61/M61A1 use by F-105 Thunderchiefs during the Vietnam War, and UNITED24 Media reported Ukrainian F-16 gunfire against Russian cruise missiles in 2024. General Dynamics material presents the related M61A2 as a lighter M61A1-family version for weight-critical aircraft installations.
Role in Conflicts
- Side
- United States and South Vietnam
Museum and Air Force history sources document Vietnam War F-105D use with the M61/M61A1 Vulcan, including air-to-air kills over North Vietnam and ground-strafing use.
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- United States
- Type
- 20mm aircraft cannon
- Service note
- 1950s-present
Specifications
- Barrels
- 6
- Caliber
- 20 mm
- Rate of fire
- 4,000 or 6,000 shots per minute in GD-OTS data; Air Force museum fact sheet describes 6,000 rounds per minute capability
- Drive
- Hydraulic, electric, pneumatic, or ram-air depending on installation and source
- Feed
- M61A1 linkless feed; GD-OTS lists M61A1/M61A2 systems as linked or linkless
- M61A1 gun weight
- 248 lb / 112.5 kg
- M61A2 gun weight
- 202 lb / 91.6 kg light barrel; 228 lb / 103.4 kg heavy barrel
- Muzzle velocity
- 3,380 ft/s / about 1,030 m/s
Variants
The M61 designation covers the 20 mm Vulcan aircraft-gun line that grew out of Project Vulcan; M61A1 is the linkless-feed Vulcan configuration widely used in U.S. fighters, while M61A2 is the lighter M61A1-family version.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| M61 | Original Vulcan aircraft-gun designation | FAS traces the M61 to the T171 20 mm gun standardized by the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force in 1956. Sources: M61 20mm cannon | FAS |
| M61A1 | Linkless-feed 20 mm Vulcan | The M61A1 is described by FAS as hydraulically or ram-air driven, electrically controlled, and using a linkless ammunition feed system. Sources: M61 20mm cannon | FAS, M61A1 Vulcan Cannon | National Museum of the United States Air Force |
| M61A2 | Lightweight M61A1-family version | General Dynamics says the M61A2 shares the M61A1's features but is 20 percent lighter; USAF and GD-OTS material identify it with F-22A installations. Sources: M61A1/M61A2 Gatling Gun | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, F-22 Raptor | U.S. Air Force, F-22A Gatling Gun System | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems |
Firing Aircraft And Installations
Official Air Force, Navy, Army, museum, and manufacturer sources document M61A1 Vulcan use across U.S. fighter aircraft and Phalanx-derived land-based air-defense installations.
| Firing weapon | Weapon type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 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 |
 | Multirole fighter | General Dynamics describes the F-16 20 mm gun system as an M61A1 six-barrel Gatling gun with a linkless ammunition feed system, and a Kunsan Air Base caption documents an M61A1 Vulcan gun system being connected to an F-16. Sources: F-16 Gatling Gun System | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, 200712-F-SQ280-039 | Kunsan Air Base |
 | Fighter aircraft family | The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force says the M61A1 armed USAF F-15 aircraft, and its F-15C exhibit lists one M61A1 20 mm six-barrel cannon with 940 rounds. Sources: M61A1 Vulcan Cannon | National Museum of the United States Air Force, McDonnell Douglas F-15C Historic Double MiG Killer | National Museum of the United States Air Force |
 | Strike fighter | A Seymour Johnson Air Force Base photo caption states that an F-15E Strike Eagle uses an M61A1 cannon and carries 500 rounds of 20 mm ammunition. Sources: 191211-F-JN771-1132 | Seymour Johnson Air Force Base |
 | Carrier-capable multirole fighter | Navy and NAVAIR fact files list the F/A-18 Hornet A-D armament as one M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20 mm cannon. Sources: F/A-18A-D Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Strike Fighter | U.S. Navy, F/A-18 A-D Hornet | NAVAIR |
 | Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter | Navy, NAVAIR, and General Dynamics material identify the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet gun installation as an internal 20 mm M61A1/A2 Vulcan or M61A2 lightweight Gatling gun system. Sources: F/A-18A-D Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Strike Fighter | U.S. Navy, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | NAVAIR, F/A-18 E/F Gatling Gun Systems | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems |
 | Stealth air-superiority fighter | General Dynamics identifies the F-22A gun installation as a lightweight M61A2 20 mm Gatling gun system with a linear linkless feed, and DVIDS documents scheduled maintenance on an M61A2 as part of the F-22 Raptor weapon system. Sources: F-22A Gatling Gun System | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, 477th Maintenance Armament Flight at Work | DVIDS |
 | Strategic bomber | The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force M61A1 fact sheet lists the B-52H among USAF aircraft armed by the Vulcan. Sources: M61A1 Vulcan Cannon | National Museum of the United States Air Force |
 | Carrier-based fighter | Valiant Air Command's F-14A Tomcat exhibit lists the aircraft's gun armament as one M61A1 Vulcan. Sources: F-14A Tomcat | Valiant Air Command |
 | Land-based air-defense installation | The U.S. Army describes the C-RAM Intercept Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System as adapted from Navy Phalanx and identifies its M61A1 20 mm Gatling gun for intercepting incoming rockets and mortars. Sources: BOLC class gets glimpse of defense weapons | U.S. Army |
 | Side-firing gunship | DVIDS identifies an M61 Vulcan cannon firing from an AC-130U Spooky Gunship during an Emerald Warrior 2015 live-fire mission, documenting the Vulcan family in a gunship installation as well as fighter aircraft. |
Timeline
M61A1 Vulcan cannon Key Events
Project Vulcan contract
General Electric received the Project Vulcan contract that led to the six-barrel M61 series 20 mm Gatling gun.
Sources: M61 20mm cannon | FAS
T171 standardized as M61
After testing, the T171 20 mm gun was standardized by the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force as the M61 20 mm Vulcan aircraft gun.
Sources: M61 20mm cannon | FAS
F-22A operational with M61A2 armament
The U.S. Air Force fact sheet lists December 2005 initial operational capability for the F-22 and identifies its armament as one M61A2 20 mm cannon with 480 rounds.
Sources: F-22 Raptor | U.S. Air Force
Related Weapon Systems
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: 2026-07-02McDonnell 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: 2026-07-02M61A1 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: 2026-07-02M61A1 070611-N-1525H-004.jpg | Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain M61A1 Vulcan image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02M61A1 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: 2026-07-02M61A1/M61A2 Gatling Gun | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical SystemsPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports M61A1/M61A2 family identity, six-barrel 20 mm externally powered Gatling-gun type, M61A2 weight reduction, weights, rate of fire, drive systems, feed systems, and muzzle velocity. | Accessed: 2026-07-02M61 20mm cannon | FASPublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports Project Vulcan history, T171 standardization as M61 in 1956, M61A1 linkless-feed description, and M61A2 as a lightweight M61A1 version. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Tinker Celebrates 75 Years: Republic F-105 Thunderchief aircraft profile | DVIDSPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports direct 1955 Vietnam War use by crediting F-105 pilots with destroying MiGs using the internally mounted M61 Vulcan cannon during the Vietnam War. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Republic F-105D Thunderchief | National Air and Space MuseumPublisher: National Air and Space Museum | Note: Supports direct 1955 Vietnam War use by documenting F-105D operations from Thailand over North Vietnam, M61A1 cannon ammunition in Vietnam mission loads, and M61A1 20 mm cannon effectiveness in air-to-air combat and ground strafing. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Republic F-105D Thunderchief | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports direct 1955 Vietnam War use by documenting extensive F-105D Rolling Thunder operations against North Vietnam and listing one M61 Vulcan 20 mm cannon in the aircraft's armament. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Ukrainian Pilot Sets Record, Shoots Down Six Russian Missiles in One Mission | UNITED24 MediaPublisher: UNITED24 Media | Note: Supports direct 2014 Russia-Ukraine War use by reporting a Ukrainian F-16 pilot's account of using 20 mm gunfire from the aircraft's M61 Vulcan against Russian cruise missiles during a December 2024 air-defense mission. | Accessed: 2026-07-06F-16 Gatling Gun System | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical SystemsPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports F-16 use of the M61A1 six-barrel Gatling gun with a linkless feed system, 511-round capacity, and hydraulic drive. | Accessed: 2026-07-02200712-F-SQ280-039 | Kunsan Air BasePublisher: Kunsan Air Base | Note: Supports F-16 relationship context and image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Air Force photo documenting an M61A1 Vulcan gun system being connected to an F-16 Fighting Falcon. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-15E Gatling Gun System | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical SystemsPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports F-15E installation of the M61A1 in the starboard wing root, F-15E feed-system compatibility with M61A2, 500-round capacity, and 4,000/6,000-shot-per-minute rate. | Accessed: 2026-07-02McDonnell Douglas F-15C Historic Double MiG Killer | National Museum of the United States Air ForcePublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports the F-15C relationship by listing one M61A1 20 mm six-barrel cannon with 940 rounds in the aircraft armament. | Accessed: 2026-07-02191211-F-JN771-1132 | Seymour Johnson Air Force BasePublisher: Seymour Johnson Air Force Base | Note: Supports the F-15E relationship by stating that an F-15E Strike Eagle uses an M61A1 cannon and carries 500 rounds of 20 mm ammunition. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F/A-18A-D Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Strike Fighter | U.S. NavyPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports Navy fact-file armament entries listing one M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20 mm cannon for both F/A-18 Super Hornet and F/A-18 Hornet models. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F/A-18 E/F Gatling Gun Systems | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical SystemsPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports F/A-18E/F internal 20 mm M61A2 lightweight Gatling-gun installation, closed-loop rotary linkless feed, and 412-round capacity. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F/A-18 A-D Hornet | NAVAIRPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports F/A-18 A-D Hornet armament listing one M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20 mm cannon. | Accessed: 2026-07-06F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | NAVAIRPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports F/A-18E/F Super Hornet armament listing one M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20 mm cannon. | Accessed: 2026-07-06F-14A Tomcat | Valiant Air CommandPublisher: Valiant Air Command | Note: Supports the F-14A relationship by listing one M61A1 Vulcan under gun armament; the page states the aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum on behalf of Naval History and Heritage Command. | Accessed: 2026-07-02BOLC class gets glimpse of defense weapons | U.S. ArmyPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the C-RAM relationship by identifying the LPWS/C-RAM system and the M61A1 20 mm Gatling gun used for intercepting incoming rockets and mortars. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Airman performs armament inspection | DVIDSPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Air Force photo identifying an armament technician inspecting an M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm rotary cannon at Shaw Air Force Base. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Universal Ammunition Loading System at Combat Archer | DVIDSPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Air National Guard photo documenting PGU-27 ammunition loaded into an F-16's internally mounted M61-A1 six-barrel Vulcan gun system. | Accessed: 2026-07-02477th Maintenance Armament Flight at Work | DVIDSPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports F-22 relationship context by identifying the M61A2 20 mm Gatling gun as part of the F-22 Raptor weapon system during scheduled maintenance. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Emerald Warrior 2015 M61 Vulcan on AC-130U | DVIDSPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports AC-130 relationship context and public-domain image provenance by identifying an M61 Vulcan cannon firing from an AC-130U Spooky Gunship during Emerald Warrior 2015. | Accessed: 2026-07-06F-22A Gatling Gun System | General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical SystemsPublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports F-22A use of the lightweight M61A2 20 mm Gatling gun, linear linkless feed system, 480-round capacity, and 6,000-shot-per-minute rate. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-22 Raptor | U.S. Air ForcePublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports F-22 armament as one M61A2 20 mm cannon with 480 rounds and December 2005 initial operational capability. | Accessed: 2026-07-02