f iring ▁configuration , ▁an ▁early ▁example ▁being ▁the ▁A éro sp at iale ▁Al ou ette ▁III . ▁During ▁the ▁O verse as ▁wars ▁in ▁Africa ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁Air ▁Force ▁experiment ed ▁to ▁install ▁M 3 ▁Brow ning ▁. 5 0 ▁cal iber ▁machine ▁guns ▁in ▁a ▁side - f iring ▁tw in - mount ing ▁configuration ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁Al ou ette ▁III ▁hel ic op ters . ▁Later , ▁the ▁. 5 0 ▁cal iber ▁machine ▁guns ▁were ▁replaced ▁by ▁a ▁M G ▁ 1 5 1 ▁ 2 0 mm ▁can non ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁mount ing . ▁These ▁hel ic op ters ▁were ▁known ▁in ▁Portuguese ▁service ▁as ▁" hel ican h ões " ▁( hel i - c ann ons ) ▁and ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁esc ort ▁of ▁un ar med ▁transport ▁hel ic op ters ▁in ▁air ▁assault ▁operations ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁fire ▁support ▁to ▁the ▁troops ▁in ▁the ▁ground . ▁The ▁South ▁African ▁and ▁Rh odes ian ▁air ▁forces ▁later ▁used ▁armed ▁Al ou ette ▁III ▁in ▁similar ▁configurations ▁as ▁the ▁Portuguese , ▁respectively ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Border ▁and ▁Rh odes ian ▁Bush ▁wars . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Al ger ian ▁War , ▁the ▁French ▁operated ▁S ikor sky ▁H - 3 4 ▁" P ir ate " ▁armed ▁with ▁a ▁German ▁ 2 0 mm ▁M G 1 5 1 ▁can non ▁and ▁two ▁. 5 0 ▁machine ▁guns . ▁During ▁the