1,350 Round GAU 8 Cannon A 10 Warthog Reload

When the Gulf War began in 1991, the US military deployed over 132 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft armed with a powerful 30-millimeter GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon with a fire rate of over 3,900 rounds per minute. The GAU-8 is so powerful that it requires a meticulous approach to operate correctly. As footage from the US military shows, the ammunition feed system is double-ended, and allows spent cases to return to the munitions drum without affecting the aircraft's center of gravity. A pilot could empty the 1,350-ammunition drum in less than 20 seconds, and despite knowing the tremendous firepower he had at his hands, Captain Robert Swain could not believe what he did over the skies of Kuwait on February 6, 1991. As the captain encountered several Iraqi helicopters close to his location, he engaged them without hesitating. In fact, one single burst of his Avenger cannon was enough to tear apart any Soviet-made helicopter… --- Dark Footage showcases the most unbelievable photos and videos from history while telling the stories behind the camera. Featuring military, space, aircraft and real-life historic events caught on tape.