Harpoon Aircraft Guns

Attack Strengths Revised

by Larry Bond

When Harpoon was created, the Gun Attack Strengths assigned to different aircraft armaments were assigned subjectively. This worked as long as the number of different configurations was small and the number of aircraft covered didn't get too large.

As of HNR 2000, the master list covers 359 aircraft, and more will be added when we write High Tide. The aircraft have a much wider range of armament types than the first edition, and we've gotten smarter as well. After coming up with a formula that describes energy on target for WW II weapons, it's a no-brainer to apply it to modern weapons as well.

This does not mean aircraft guns in Harpoon will be on the same scale as Command at Sea. That would call for rules changes, and I'm reluctant to do that.

This table lists the aircraft armament configurations used in Harpoon, their old attack and damage point values and their new ones. Some of the older values are missing because these weapons were not listed, or in some cases, not provided.

In addition to placing the weapons on a more "scientific" footing, I found a lot of new information at several excellent web sites. I recommend the Russian Ammunition Page at www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Base/ 1852. Another, at www.canit.se/ %7Egriffon/aviation/text/ sv_akan.html, has extensive data on aircraft guns used by the Swedish Air Force. There is an extensive discussion of aircraft cannon design and develop-ment (as well as specs) at www.geocities.com/Cape Canaveral/Hangar/8217/fgun.

(By the way, if anyone wanted to compare these gun attack values with the ones in CaS, they'd have to multiply them by 2.5 to get the CaS equivalent.)

Country, Cannon Configuration, Old Atk, New Atk, Old DP, New DP

France 1 GIAT M621 20mm pod -- 0.5 1 1
France 1 GIAT M791B 30mm 3.0 4.0 8 7
France 2 DEFA 552/552A 30mm 3.0 2.5 4 4
France 2 DEFA 533 30mm 3.0 2.5 4 4
France 2 DEFA 554 30mm 3.5 4.0 6 6
France Matra 30mm gun pod -- 1.5 2 2
FRG 1 Bk27 27mm Mauser 2.0 3.0 5 5
FRG 2 Bk27 27mm Mauser 3.0 6.0 10 10
Italy AEREA mg pod -- 0.5 1 1
PRC 1 Type 23-1 23mm -- 1.0 1 1
PRC 1 Type 23-2 23mm 3.0 2.0 -- 1
PRC 1 Type 23-3 23mm 3.0 2.0 -- 4
PRC 2 Type 30-1 30mm 3.0 3.0 6 6
Russia 1 2A42 30mm -- 0.5 1 1
Russia 1 9A624 12.7mm rotary 2.0 1.0 -- 1
Russia 1 AM-23 23mm -- 1.0 1 1
Russia 1 GP-9 gun pack (GSh-23L 23mm) 3.0 2.0 5 4
Russia 1 GShG-7.62 7.62mm rotary 3.0 0.5 -- 1
Russia 1 GSh-23L 23mm 3.0 2.0 5 4
Russia 2 GSh-23L 23mm 4.0 4.5 10 8
Russia 1 GSh-23-6 23mm (9A768) 4.0 3.5 5 7
Russia 1 GSh-30-1 30mm 4.0 3.5 6 6
Russia 1 GSh-30-2 30mm 3.0 3.5 6 6
Russia 1 GSh-30-6 30mm 4.0 9.5 13 18
Russia 1 NR-23 23mm 2.0 0.5 1 1
Russia 2 NR-23 23mm 1.0 1.0 2 2
Russia 3 NR-23 23mm 3.0 1.5 3 3
Russia 2 NR-23 23mm, 1 NS-37 37mm 3.0 2.5 -- 5
Russia 1 NS-23 23mm -- 0.5 1 1
Russia 2 NR-30 30mm 3.0 3.0 6 6
Russia 3 NR-30 30mm 3.0 4.5 9 9
Russia 1 NS-37 30mm -- 1.5 3 3
Russia SPUU-22-01 23mm pod -- 2.0 5 4
Russia SSPU-6 23mm pod -- 3.6 5 7
Russia UPK-23 23mm gun pod -- 2.2 5 4
Sweden 1 FFV SA10 pod w/30mm Aden -- 1.0 2 2
Switz. 1 Oerlikon KCA 30mm 2.5 3.5 -- 6
UK 4 Aden Mk5 20mm 2.0 4.0
UK 2 Aden 25mm 4.0 5.0 8 8
UK Aden Mk4 30mm pod 3.0 1.0 2 3
UK 2 Aden Mk4/5 30mm 2.5 2.0 4 2
USA 4 7.62 mm MG 0.5 0.5 1 1
USA 1 GAU-2B/A 7.62mm rotary 1.0 0.5 1 1
USA 1 GAU-8 30mm rotary 5.0 12.0! 23 23
USA 1 GAU-12/U 25mm rotary 4.0 5.0 9 9
USA GPU-2/A 20mm gun pod -- 2.0 2 2
USA GPU-5/A 30mm gun pod -- 7.2 14 14
USA 2 Hispano-Suiza MkV
20mm in nose turret 1.0 1.0 -- 1
USA 4 Hispano-Suiza MkV 20mm 2.0 2.0 -- 4
USA 2 M39A-2 20mm 2.0 1.5 -- 2
USA 1 M61 Vulcan 20mm rotary 4.0 4.0 7 7
USA 1 M197 3-barreled 20mm 4.0 1.0 -- 2
USA 1 M230E1 30mm chain gun 4.0 1.0 2 2
USA Mk4 20mm gun pod 3.0 1.5 3 3
USA 2 Mk12 20mm 2.0 1.0 -- 2
USA 4 Mk12 20mm 3.0 3.5 -- 4
USA SUU-11V/A 7.62mm gun pod -- 0.5 1 1
USA SUU-16/A 20mm gun pod 4.0 4.0 7 7
USA SUU-23/A 20mm gun pod 4.0 4.0 7 7

BT


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