EX-17 Heligun
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| EX-17 Heligun | |
|---|---|
| Type | Machine gun |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 13,6– 15 kg |
| Length | 760 mm |
| Cartridge | 7.62×51mm NATO |
| Caliber | 7.62 mm |
| Barrels | 2 |
| Action | Gas operated |
| Rate of fire | 4000-6000 rpm |
| Feed system | Belt |
The EX-17 Heligun is a two-barrel 7.62 mm calibre machine gun.[1][2][3] The weapon is gas-operated and was developed by Hughes Aircraft for use in the OH-6 recon helicopter.[1]
Overview
The Heligun was developed by Hughes Aircraft as part of a complete package for the OH-6 recon helicopter. It offered a number of significant advantages over the Minigun – it was half the weight, self-powered (not electrically driven), and had a higher 6000RPM firing rate. Ultimately, it was not adopted because the reliability (mean time between stoppages) could not quite be brought up to par, and US Army officials decided that it did not offer enough improvement over the already adopted M134 Minigun to be worth the switch.
References
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