#GAU-21

Let it rattle and roll! The Photo Of The Day can be chosen for a variety of reasons, but aerial door gunner pictures are always chosen! These two images are from CF Combat Camera / Caméra de combat of the Canadian Armed Forces. According to FN, the FN M3M (GAU-21) is a .50 caliber (12.7x99mm) single barrel rapid-fire machine gun suitable for rotary-wing aircraft applications, providing firepower ranging out to nearly 2000 meters. The FN M3M was designated by the U.S. Navy as the GAU-21 in 2004.

I guess the opposite of sniping is machine gunning from an unsteady platform? Well, here we are on board an MH-60S Knighthawk behind a fully-loaded GAU-21 and I assume that anyone on the dangerous side of it dare to call it inaccurate.

FN Herstal has recently been commissioned by The German Bundeswehr to supply heavy machine guns for their fleet of NH90 helicopters. The NH Industries NH90 is a medium, twin-engined helicopter for multi-role military missions, and has seen combat in Mali, for instance.

Photo Of The Day – The ramp gunner in the mighty Sikorsky CH-53G helicopter. Initially, the German CH-53Gs had two 7.62×51mm MG3 machine guns in the side doors, but they have been replaced by heavier .50 BMG M3M/GAU-21 machines guns, one in the door and one on the ramp, depending on the mission, of course.

The rotor is a Bell UH-1Y Venom and all pictures are taken by U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jason Monty.

This is one of the best pictures I’ve seen in a while, perfect for TFB’s Photo Of The Day.

“Here comes Santa from the sky…