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360-degree Gatling gun eyed for Osprey

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command is planning to field a CV-22 Osprey aircraft armed with a first-of-its-kind, remote-operated M134 7.62mm Gatling gun able to lower beneath the aircraft and fire at targets in any direction, providing a 360-degree attack capability, BAE officials said Tuesday.

The BAE-built weapon, called the Remote Guardian System, could also be picked up by the Marine Corps for use on its growing fleet of V-22 Ospreys.

The first major flight test of the RGS is scheduled for the end of May at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

The RGS' Dillon Aero M134 fires 3,000 rounds a minute out to a maximum range of 1,000 meters. At the same time, the RGS is built to accommodate a .50-cal machine gun or 40mm grenade launcher. The U.S. Army is also taking to BAE about the RGS, BAE officials said.

"It has applications for airborne fixed wing, UAS [and] rotary wing. It has application in the maritime environment, specifically for fast boats. On top of that, it also has applications on the ground," said David Adamiak, BAE business development manager.

In fact, at a recent live-fire test for the RGS, the gun was mounted on a Humvee turret, Adamiak said.