Mauser BK-27

Mauser BK-27
The Mauser BK-27
Type	Revolver cannon
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
Used by	See operators
Production history
Designer	Mauser (now Rheinmetall)
Designed	1976
Manufacturer	Mauser (now Rheinmetall)
Produced	1977–present
No. built	3,100~
Specifications
Mass	100 kg (220 lb 7 oz)
Length	2.31 m (7 ft 7 in)
Barrel length	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Shell	27×145 mm
Caliber	27 mm (1.063 in) caliber
Barrels	Single barrel
Action	five-chamber revolver
Rate of fire	1,000–1,700 rpm (+/− 100 rpm), selectable
Muzzle velocity	1,100 m/s (3,600 ft/s)[1]
Maximum firing range	Air targets: 2,500 meters Surface targets: 4,000 meters High speed naval targets: 2,500 meters

The BK 27 (also BK27 or BK-27) (German abbreviation for Bordkanone, "on-board cannon") is a 27 mm (1.063 in) caliber revolver cannon manufactured by Mauser (now part of Rheinmetall) of Germany. It was developed in the late 1960s for the MRCA (Multi Role Combat Aircraft) program that ultimately became the Panavia Tornado.^[2]

The BK 27 is a gas-operated cannon firing a series of 27×145 mm cartridges with a typical projectile weight of 260 g (9.2 oz), and a total weight for the complete round of 516 g (1.14 lb).^[1] Most models use a linked feed system for the ammunition; however, the Eurofighter Typhoon makes use of a specially developed variant of the BK 27 that uses a linkless feed system instead, which is intended to improve reliability.^[2]