‘Jammed Bullet’ In 20mm Vulcan Cannon Prompts Maneuver

Fighter jets assigned to the U.S. Air Force 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, have made several precautionary landings in recent months with the latest on January 30, 2025, after a previous one the day before. Both involved F-16 Fighting Falcons and both landed due to a ‘jammed bullet’ in their 20mm Vulcan Gatling cannons.

An F-16 also made a precautionary landing earlier in January, and two F-22 Raptor stealth fighters made precautionary landings in September and October 2024.

The most recent incident with the F-16 involved an aircraft from Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, whose pilot landed due to a ‘jammed bullet’ according to sources. This was a day after another F-16 made a precautionary landing for the same reason.

Maintainers opened an access panel near the muzzle of the jet’s cannon where the bullet was believed to be jammed and checked it.

The 18th Wing acknowledged email questions on January 31 but did not respond by close of business. The Air Force has begun rotating squadrons of newer warplanes through Kadena after it decided to retire the 48 F-15 C/D Eagles that have been stationed there.

F-35A Lightning II aircraft from the 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron of the Vermont Air National Guard arrived at Kadena in early January 2025. They join F-16C Falcons from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Shaw Air Force Base and F-22 Raptors from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Joint-Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

FMI:  www.af.mil/