20 mm modèle F2 gun

The 20 mm modèle F2 gun is a naval defence weapon used by the French Navy.

History
The need for a newer 20 mm defence cannon than the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon began to grow noticeably during the 1980s. The companies DCN and GIAT were contracted to design the F2 20 mm cannon, which essentially a navalised version of the M693 gun used by the French Army, and sold for export.

Description
The 20 mm F2 is a mounted monotube gun, with two 150-cartridge boxes on each side of the piece. An electrical control system allows a choice of three modes of fire: single shot, eight-shot burst, or free fire. There is an electrical trigger in the right hand of the gunner. A manual selector allows the gunner to change the box feeding the weapon during the firing, making mixed firing available. After each shot, the empty cartridge is ejected from beneath the weapon.

The gun is manoeuvred by the body of the gunner, who is attached to the weapon. The fire is directed through an optical visor used on the Bofors 40 mm gun and on the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon as well.

Usage
The gun has been exported to Belgium (Tripartite minesweepers), Indonesia (Tripartite minesweepers), Malawi (Kasunga), Netherlands (Tripartite minesweepers), Pakistan (Tripartite minesweepers), and Saudi Arabia (NAJA 12 class).

In the French Navy, they are used on
 * Charles De Gaulle nuclear aircraft carrier
 * Horizon class frigate
 * La Fayette class frigates
 * Floréal class frigates
 * Avisos of the D'Estienne d'Orves type
 * Eridan class minesweepers
 * P400 class patrol vessels
 * Dumont D'Urville
 * Jacques Cartier
 * La Grandière
 * Rapière
 * Hallebarde
 * Monge

The F2 cannon is also used in a chin-mount on the South African CSH-2 Rooivalk attack helicopter, similar to the 30mm M230 chain gun mounting on the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.