On which aircraft is the GAU-21 installed?

• A. HH-60
• B. F-35
• C. AH-64
• D. CV-22

Answer: (D)

The GAU-21 is a belt-fed .50 caliber machine gun designed for aircraft door mounting to provide suppressive fire from the side or open door during missions. Among the options, the CV-22 Osprey is configured to carry this door-mounted GAU-21 for defensive and close-air-support roles in special operations. The other aircraft use different primary weapons: the HH-60 typically employs a 7.62 mm M134 Minigun or similar system; the F-35 uses an internal 25 mm cannon; and the AH-64 Apache is armed with a 30 mm cannon. Because of its door-armed configuration and specific platform fit, the GAU-21 is associated with the CV-22.