The Bell UH1 Huey helicopters proved that the concept of air cavalry was feasible during the first days of the Vietnam War. However, their M60 machine guns were not powerful enough to defend the aircraft from the concentration of enemy fire when approaching a landing area or taking off from a hot evacuation zone. And what’s worse, they quickly overheated and were prone to failure.

General Electric then came in and introduced its M134 rotary machine gun, which quickly earned the nickname of ‘The Minigun.’

The gun proved so successful at its role that the Army and Air Force began to fit it into other aircraft, such as the Cobra, which had two Miniguns, and the AC130, which was armed with four and had an astonishing rate of fire of over 14,000 rounds per minute.

Chambered in a 7.62-millimeter cartridge and with no risk of overheating, the Minigun quickly became the ultimate weapon used to clear the Vietnamese jungles.


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