The 35mm Bushmaster cannon incorporates all of the battle-proven features of the 25mm Bushmaster Chain Gun cannon. The weapon is capable of being converted to fire 50mm Supershot ammunition.

Late in 1989, the then McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems, today The Boeing Company, announced that it was developing, as a private venture, a new 35 mm weapon which would capitalise on technology developed for the 25 mm M242 Chain GunŽ cannon. This weapon is currently in service with the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps and with Australia (LAV-25), Canada (LAV-25), Colombia, Kuwait (Desert Warrior), Singapore (Bionix) and Saudi Arabia (LAV-25 and M2 Bradley).

The result of this programme is the 35 mm/50 mm Bushmaster III automatic cannon, which can fire 35 mm or 50 mm ammunition with minor modifications, including a barrel change. The weapon was first fired in May 1990 using standard Oerlikon Contraves 35 mm ammunition.

The 35 mm/50 mm Bushmaster III automatic cannon will have ammunition interoperability with the German Rheinmetall 35 mm/50 mm cannon which is covered in detail in a separate entry.

The initial development firing of this system is now complete and vehicle integration trials have been taken place with the weapon installed in a Bradley M2A2.

According to the manufacturer, initial testing has shown that the Bushmaster III has the same outstanding reliability and durability as the 25 mm M242.

Possible future applications for this weapon are as the Future Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Future Scout Cavalry System/Tactical Reconnaissance Combat Armoured Equipment Requirement, Bradley fighting vehicle as well as naval applications.

By early 1997, the first prototype of this weapon had undergone company trials both from a hardstand and as installed in a standard Bradley M2A2 turret. Several vehicle manufacturers are now conducting installation studies of this weapon system.

The weapon has been selected as primary armament for export version of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) currently in service by the Danish, Dutch and Estonian armies.

The U.S. Army is testing the Bushmaster 50 mm cannon as a counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) and counter unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) weapon. Initially developed under the Extended Area Protection and Survivability Integrated Demonstration (EAPS ID), it has been successfully tested in tracking distant moving targets using interferometric radar as a sensor, fire control computer, and radio frequency transmitter and receiver to launch a course-correcting projectile. The command guided interceptors have a thruster that receives commands for maneuvering and warhead detonation, with a tantalum-tungsten alloy liner to form forward propelled penetrators to defeat C-RAM targets, and steel body fragments to destroy UAVs. The systems can destroy UAVs at a range of 1 km (0.62 mi) and at a height of 1,500 m (4,900 ft).