| AA-52 | |
|---|---|
 AA-52 mounted on a Leclerc main battle tank | |
| Type | General-purpose machine gun |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1952–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Algerian war[1] Chadian Civil War[2] Shaba II[3] Lebanese Civil War[4] Gulf War Bosnian War War in Afghanistan Ivorian Civil Wars 2011 Libyan uprising[5] Syrian Civil War[citation needed] Centrafrican Civil War[6] Operation Serval Russo-Ukrainian War[7][8] |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1952 |
| Manufacturer | Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS) |
| Variants | NF-1 M.A.C. 58 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9.97 kg (22.0 lb) |
| Length | 1,080 mm (43 in) |
| Barrel length | 600 mm (24 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.5×54mm French 7.62×51mm NATO |
| Caliber | 7.5 mm 7.62 mm |
| Action | Lever-delayed blowback |
| Rate of fire | 900 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 830 m/s (2,700 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 600 m (660 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 3,200 m (3,500 yd) |
| Feed system | 50-round non-disintegrating belt |
| Sights | Iron Removable APX (SOM) telescopic sights IR scope |
The AA-52 (full designation in French: Arme Automatique Transformable Modèle 1952, "Transformable automatic weapon model 1952") is one of the first French-produced guns of the post–World War II era. It was manufactured by the French government-owned Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS) company. The AA-52 is still used today as a vehicle-mounted weapon due to large quantities in service, but has been replaced in the helicopter role by the Belgian FN MAG, starting with the EC 725 Caracal of the special operations units and the Air Force search and rescue teams. The AA-52 had been largely phased out for infantry use in favour of the lighter FN Minimi but remains in use.
- ^ Huon, Jean (March 1992). "L'armement français en A.F.N." Gazette des Armes (in French). No. 220. pp. 12–16. Archived from the original on 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ Windrow, Martin (26 Sep 1985). French Foreign Legion Paratroops. Elite 6. Osprey Publishing. p. 56. ISBN 9780850456295.
- ^ Sicard, Jacques (November 1982). "Les armes de Kolwezi". La Gazette des armes (in French). No. 111. pp. 25–30. Archived from the original on 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
- ^ Laffin, John (1985). The War of Desperation: Lebanon. UK: Osprey. pp. 179–183. ISBN 978-0850456035.
- ^ "Image: 3650079973.jpg, (450 × 688 px)". theatrum-belli.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-01. Retrieved 2015-09-03.[better source needed]
- ^ Bona, Morgane (23 September 2014). "La France dans le piège centrafricain". Marianne. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
- ^ "French VAB APCs Already in Ukraine (video)". Jul 29, 2022.
- ^ "Arms For Ukraine: French Weapons Deliveries To Kyiv". Jul 13, 2022.