VULCAN GUNS BEING INSTALLED ON F 104 AT HOMESTEAD AFB.




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Background: THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE SAYS IT IS OUTFITTING THE JETS IT KEEPS IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES WITH THE WORLD'S FASTEST FIRING CANNON IN CASE THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTER RUSSIAN BUILD MIG FIGHTERS OF THE CUBAN AIR FORCE.

BRIG. GEN. ARTHUR G. SALISBURY OF THE NORTH AMERICAN AIR DEFENCE COMMAND (NORAD) SAID THE SIX-BARRELED, 20-MILLIMETRE VULCAN GUNS ARE BEING INSTALLED IN THE 1400 MILE-AN-HOUR F-104 JET FIGHTERS THAT WERE ADDED TO SOUTHERN DEFENCES DURING THE 1962 CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS.

THE FIGHTERS, WHICH HAVE LONG BEEN EQUIPPED WITH SIDEWINDER MISSILES, ARE BASED AT HOMESTEAD AIR FORCE BASE, ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, THE STATE CLOSEST TO CUBA, AND AT WEBB AIR FORCE BASE AT BIG SPRING, TEXAS. THERE ARE ABOUT 25 OF THE F 104S AT EACH BASE.