Nammo completes first live fire trials of the one and only European F-35 test gun

Nammo has completed the first live fire trials of its recently installed GAU-22, the 4-barrelled Gatling gun carried by the F-35 Lightning II.

This is the one and only GAU-22 test gun installed outside the United States. Housed in a purpose built facility at Raufoss, Norway, the gun will allow Nammo to conduct a full range of testing and verification of its APEX ammunition, developed specifically for the F-35, before it is delivered to the customer.

The program director for aircraft ammunition in Nammo, Anders Nyhus, said:

“This setup is really unique, in that allows us to do all the testing we need just minutes away from the production site. That again means that We can cut down the time between a production lot leaving the factory, and when it is tested and ready to go to the customer. It also means we can have a much higher confidence in the quality of the products we deliver, as we are able to control every aspect of the process from beginning to end,”

The GAU-22 and its associated facility have been acquired through an agreement with the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency as part of the development of Nammo’s APEX-ammunition for the F-35. The APEX is the only ammunition type available for the F-35 that will allow the aircraft to use its gun effectively in any scenario, both peace time air-policing and wartime operations against enemy aircraft and ground units.