DEFA 552/552A/553/554
Caliber: 30 mm
Number of main: 1
Barrel length:
Overall length: 1957 mm
Weapon weight:
DEFA 552 -80 kg
DEFA 552A -81 kg
DEFA 553 -81 kg
DEFA 554 -85 kg
Number of chambers: 5
Muzzle velocity: DEFA 554 - 765 m/s APHEI-SD; 815 m/s HEI; 820 mps TP
Cadence:
DEFA 552 - 1250 rounds/min
DEFA 552A - 1300 rounds/min
DEFA 553 - 1300 rounds/min
DEFA 554 - 1100 - 1800 rounds/min
Method of shooting: dose
from DEFA 553 limited (lasting 0.5 s or 1 s) or continuous
Manufacturer: Manufacture National d`Armes
Ammunition:30 x 113 mm
Match: electric
Length:
whole hub 213 mm
cartridge 113 mm
Weight:
whole projectile 245 - 275 g (according to projectile type)
projectile explosive charge 18-50 g (according to projectile type)
whole charge 450 g
dust 48 g
Species:
Type 5432 APHEI-SD
Type 6522 HEI & HEI-SD
Type 21202 TP & TP-T
Type 2671 SAPHEI
Type 2271 AGTP
Usage: Dassault Mirage III/5/50/2000, AMX, IAI Kfir/Dagger/Nesher
The DEFA family of cannons [Direction des Etudes et Fabrication des Armes] was formed shortly after the Second World War, on the basis of captured materials of the developed air cannon Mauser MK 213C/30 and for the efforts of former Mauser chief designer Anton Politzer.
The axis of the drum with five chambers lies below the axis of the barrel, the propulsion is provided by gases taken from the barrel. Charge feeding is coil. Tensioning of the weapon before the first shot is performed on the ground manually, in flight using pyrocartridges. The prophotypes were designated DEFA 551. Serial production of cannons, already under the designation DEFA 552 (Cannon 550-F2) began in 1954. U DEFA 552A (Cannon 550-F2A), the drum housing is made by milling a steel block instead of sheet metal molding, and has a layer of chrome. This increased the weight of the weapon, but at the same time extended its life, especially to 5,000 rounds, and increased cadence. Further modifications to improve the properties of the weapon began in 1968 and DEFA 553 (Cannon 550-F3) went into series production in 1971. The modified design allows the supply of ammunition belt on both sides, the barrel is manufactured made of higher quality steel and is chrome-plated. For the DEFA 554 (Cannon 550-F4), the method of delivering ammunition to the drum chambers was changed to increase cadence. While in previous versions the functional cycles of four cartridges took place, the DEFA 554 already has five. An empty cartridge is fired from the chamber, which is identified with the barrel, the next one is ejected, and new cartridges are inserted into two (DEFA 552 to 553) and three (DEFA 554), respectively. This makes it possible for the DEFA 554 to reduce the insertion path length to one third of the hub length and thus increase the cadence. The weapon tensioning system is equipped with three pyrocartridges instead of one.
Caliber: 30 mm
Number of main: 1
Barrel length:
Overall length: 1957 mm
Weapon weight:
DEFA 552 -80 kg
DEFA 552A -81 kg
DEFA 553 -81 kg
DEFA 554 -85 kg
Number of chambers: 5
Muzzle velocity: DEFA 554 - 765 m/s APHEI-SD; 815 m/s HEI; 820 mps TP
Cadence:
DEFA 552 - 1250 rounds/min
DEFA 552A - 1300 rounds/min
DEFA 553 - 1300 rounds/min
DEFA 554 - 1100 - 1800 rounds/min
Method of shooting: dose
from DEFA 553 limited (lasting 0.5 s or 1 s) or continuous
Manufacturer: Manufacture National d`Armes
Ammunition:30 x 113 mm
Match: electric
Length:
whole hub 213 mm
cartridge 113 mm
Weight:
whole projectile 245 - 275 g (according to projectile type)
projectile explosive charge 18-50 g (according to projectile type)
whole charge 450 g
dust 48 g
Species:
Type 5432 APHEI-SD
Type 6522 HEI & HEI-SD
Type 21202 TP & TP-T
Type 2671 SAPHEI
Type 2271 AGTP
Usage: Dassault Mirage III/5/50/2000, AMX, IAI Kfir/Dagger/Nesher
The DEFA family of cannons [Direction des Etudes et Fabrication des Armes] was formed shortly after the Second World War, on the basis of captured materials of the developed air cannon Mauser MK 213C/30 and for the efforts of former Mauser chief designer Anton Politzer.
The axis of the drum with five chambers lies below the axis of the barrel, the propulsion is provided by gases taken from the barrel. Charge feeding is coil. Tensioning of the weapon before the first shot is performed on the ground manually, in flight using pyrocartridges. The prophotypes were designated DEFA 551. Serial production of cannons, already under the designation DEFA 552 (Cannon 550-F2) began in 1954. U DEFA 552A (Cannon 550-F2A), the drum housing is made by milling a steel block instead of sheet metal molding, and has a layer of chrome. This increased the weight of the weapon, but at the same time extended its life, especially to 5,000 rounds, and increased cadence. Further modifications to improve the properties of the weapon began in 1968 and DEFA 553 (Cannon 550-F3) went into series production in 1971. The modified design allows the supply of ammunition belt on both sides, the barrel is manufactured made of higher quality steel and is chrome-plated. For the DEFA 554 (Cannon 550-F4), the method of delivering ammunition to the drum chambers was changed to increase cadence. While in previous versions the functional cycles of four cartridges took place, the DEFA 554 already has five. An empty cartridge is fired from the chamber, which is identified with the barrel, the next one is ejected, and new cartridges are inserted into two (DEFA 552 to 553) and three (DEFA 554), respectively. This makes it possible for the DEFA 554 to reduce the insertion path length to one third of the hub length and thus increase the cadence. The weapon tensioning system is equipped with three pyrocartridges instead of one.
