Mauser BK-27

The BK 27 (also BK27 or BK-27) (German acronym for Bordkanone, "on-board cannon") is a 27 mm caliber revolver cannon manufactured by Mauser (now part of Rheinmetall) of Germany. It was developed in the late 1960s for the MRCA (Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) program that ultimately became the Panavia Tornado.

The BK 27 is a gas-operated cannon firing a new series of 27x145 mm projectiles with a typical weight of 260 g (9.2 oz). Most models use a linked feed system for the ammunition; however, the Eurofighter Typhoon makes use of a specially developed variant of the BK 27 that uses a linkless feed system instead, which is intended to improve reliability.

Design
The Mauser BK 27 is used in the Panavia Tornado, the Alpha Jet, the JAS 39 Gripen, and the Eurofighter Typhoon. At one time the USAF was considering to license its production for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, but those plans have been cancelled in favour of the GAU-22/A.

Rheinmetall has also developed remote controlled naval versions, the MN 27 GS and the MLG 27 fully automatic naval guns, which are installed on many ships of the German Navy. 99 MLG 27s have been ordered by the German Navy so far. The cannon is a single-barrel, high performance, breech-cylinder gun operated by a fully automatic electrically fired gas-operated system at a selective rate of 1000 or 1700 rounds per minute. The Mauser BK 27 utilizes Pyrotechnic cocking charges to cycle the action.

Users



 * Austrian Air Force
 * Bolivian Air Force
 * Cameroon Air Force
 * Discovery Air Defence Services
 * Czech Air Force
 * German Air Force
 * German Navy
 * Hungarian Air Force
 * Italian Air Force
 * Portuguese Air Force
 * South African Air Force
 * Royal Saudi Air Force
 * Swedish Air Force
 * Spanish Air Force
 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * Royal Air Force
 * Qinetiq
 * United Arab Emirates Navy
 * Portuguese Air Force
 * South African Air Force
 * Royal Saudi Air Force
 * Swedish Air Force
 * Spanish Air Force
 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * Royal Air Force
 * Qinetiq
 * United Arab Emirates Navy
 * Royal Thai Air Force
 * Royal Air Force
 * Qinetiq
 * United Arab Emirates Navy
 * Qinetiq
 * United Arab Emirates Navy
 * United Arab Emirates Navy

Specifications


Data from Jane's Information Group
 * Type: single-barrel revolver cannon
 * Caliber: 27 mm x 145 (1.063 in)
 * Operation: revolver
 * Length: 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in)
 * Weight (complete): 100 kg (220 lb)
 * Rate of fire: 1,700 rpm (+/- 100rpm)
 * Muzzle velocity: 1,100 m/s (3,600 ft/s)
 * Muzzle energy: ~157,300 Joules
 * Projectile weight: 260 g (9.2 oz)