Flexible_aerial_gunner

Air gunner

Air gunner

Member of a military aircrew

An air gunner or aerial gunner is a member of a military aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft.[1] Modern aircraft weapons are usually operated automatically without the need for a dedicated air gunner, but older generation (World War II and earlier) bombers used to carry up to eight air gunners.

A Waist Gunner in a USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943
Tupolev Tu-95 tail gun position with 23 mm AM-23 autocannon

Most modern air gunners are helicopter door gunners, who typically have other primary roles such as crew chief or observer in addition to their air gunner role. Others fly as members of aircrews on gunships, where their duties may include loading guns or manually firing them if computer systems fail.

References

  1. [1]
    "Aerial gunner". The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. Oxford University Press. 2002. ISBN 9780199891580. Retrieved 12 February 2024. Aerial gunner - a U.S. Air Force enlisted specialty assigned to personnel trained to operate flexible guns mounted on aircraft.


See also


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