Last Resort Developed for Ejected Pilots

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

The United States Air Force has developed a new rifle designed to protect airmen who were forced to eject from their aircraft over enemy territory. Designed by the Air Force Gunsmith Shop, the GAU-5A carbine is broken down into two pieces so that it can fit into the storage compartment of an aircraft’s ejection seat.

Guns.com reports that the Air Force has decided to equip its fallen pilots with a weapon that has an effective range of up to 200 meters, much farther than the M17 pistol’s effective range.

The GAU-5A is a modified M4 carbine, the same weapon used by the United States Army and Marine Corps. The gun has been designed to break down into two major components, not including the weapon’s magazines and ammunition. The weapon, as well as four loaded 30 round magazines, have been designed to fit in the ACES II ejection seat’s 16 x 14 x 3.5 inch storage compartment.

An M4 carbine is also capable of being taken apart into two major pieces, however those pieces are still incapable of fitting into the storage compartment. Several modifications were made to create the GAU-5A. The M4’s barrel length is 14.5 inches, while the modified GAU-5A is 12.5 inches long. The modified weapon also has a Cry Havoc Tactical Quick Release Barrel (QRB) kit installed to it. The kit allows the weapon’s barrel and handguard to be removed. The weapon’s grip also folds backward and its sights have been replaced with front and rear fold-down sights.

The entire process of putting together the GAU-5A is expected to take a soldier about 30 seconds.

The United States Air Force has been issuing bailout weapons for years to be used by its aircrew in the event of a crash in enemy or remote regions. Popularmechanics.com reports that sometimes it may take days to rescue a downed pilot and a bailout weapon may be necessary not only for defending oneself from enemy forces but also for hunting food in case food supplies run out.

The Air Force Gunsmith Shop has built 2,700 GAU-5As to units all around the world at a cost of $2.7 million.