minigun

Heavy machine gun with a rotary barrel system, powered by a motor, usually electric, sometimes diesel. A motorized version of the gatling gun, which is technically a repeater rifle, since the action of operating the crank on the Gatling was required for each shot. Modern miniguns have rates of fire exceeding 166 rounds per second. The US Navy employs miniguns in tandem with radar as an anti-missile system called Close-In Weapon System (CIWS). The cannon on most modern jet fighters is usually a 20mm minigun, with the exception of the A-10 Warthog, which has a 30mm minigun. Miniguns are seldom used by military infantry forces due to their propensity to devour ammunition, as it can easily go through more ammunition than an entire squad can carry in a few minutes or less.