30 mm caliber

Size comparison between 30×170mm and 5.56x45mm NATO

The 30 mm caliber is a range of autocannon ammunition. It includes the NATO standardized Swiss 30×173mm (STANAG 4624), the Soviet 30×155mmB, 30×165mm and 30×210mmB, the Czechoslovak 30×210mm, the Yugoslav 30×192mm, the British 30×113mmB, and the French 30×150mmB and 30×170mm cartridges.

Usage

Ammunition in 30 mm is typically not used against personnel but rather as an anti-materiel or armor-piercing round. Rounds of this size can be effective against lightly armored vehicles as well as fortified bunkers. It is also a popular caliber for shipboard close-in weapons systems (CIWS), such as the Russian AK-630 and Dutch Goalkeeper CIWS.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation use their 30 mm weapons in a variety of vehicles, including the Su-25 attack aircraft, Mi-24 helicopter, Mi-28 attack helicopter, Ka-50 attack helicopter, and the BMP-2, BMP-3, and BTR-90 infantry fighting vehicles. The most modern anti-aircraft gun systems in use by Russia are chambered in 30 mm.

The U.S. military uses 30 mm weapons in their A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, AC-130 gunship (AC-130J Ghostrider variant), and AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. It was going to be used in the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, until the project was canceled. The United States Navy uses 30 mm weapons on the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and on Freedom and Independence-class littoral combat ships as part of the surface warfare (SuW) package.^[1]^[2] In 2012, the Navy decided to replace the Mk 110 57 mm cannons on Zumwalt-class destroyers with the Mk 46 GWS (Gun Weapon System), a navalized mounting of the Mk44 Bushmaster chain gun.^[3]^[4] In 2022, the United States Coast Guard announced plans to install 30 mm Mk44 chain guns on newly-built Polar Security Cutters (PSCs), though existing cutters would retain their 25mm Mark 38 mounts.^[5]

Types of ammunition

30 mm calibre weapons are used in a variety of roles. As a result, ammunition in 30 mm comes in several varieties: armor-piercing (AP), high-explosive (HE), airburst, and target practice (TP) rounds. Both AP and HE cartridges commonly possess incendiary or tracer elements, which may be noted in its designation; API and HE-T are Armor-Piercing Incendiary and High-Explosive Tracer respectively.^[6]

Weapons

Examples of 30 mm rounds and cannons
Swiss 30×173mm
Soviet 30×165mm
The DU penetrator of a 30×173 mm round used in the GAU-8
French 30×150mmB
30×113mmB rounds being loaded into an AH-64D Apache Longbow

Current weapons

Cartridge	Weapon	Country of origin	Designer	Type	Example platforms
30×29mmB	AGS-17	Soviet Union	OKB-16	Automatic grenade launcher	BMD-3, BTR-90, BTR-D
30×29mmB	AGS-30	Russia	KBP Instrument Design Bureau	Automatic grenade launcher	BTR-T, GAZ-2975 Tigr, M2020 (tank)
30×113mmB	M230	United States	Hughes	Chain gun	Boeing AH-64 Apache, Oshkosh M-ATV
	ADEN	United Kingdom	Royal Small Arms Factory	Revolver cannon	English Electric Lightning, Hawker Hunter, Saab Draken, SEPECAT Jaguar
	VENOM LR 30	United Kingdom	AEI Systems	Revolver cannon	Midgard 300 RWS, electro optic systems (EOS) R400 ROWS (prototype)
	DEFA 550 series	France	Direction des Études et Fabrications d'Armement	Revolver cannon	Dassault Mystere, Mirage series, Étendard series, SEPECAT Jaguar, Fiat G.91, AMX International AMX
	30 M 781	France	GIAT	Chain gun	Eurocopter Tiger
	XM188	United States	General Electric	Rotary cannon	Bell AH-1 Cobra (prototype)
30×150mmB	30 M 791	France	Nexter	Revolver cannon	Dassault Rafale
30×155mmB	NR-30	Soviet Union	Nudelman-Rikhter	Short-recoil autocannon	MiG-19, MiG-21, Su-7, Su-17, J-7
30×165mm	GSh-30-1	Soviet Union	Gryazev-Shipunov	Short-recoil autocannon	Sukhoi Su-27, Sukhoi Su-30, Sukhoi Su-35, Sukhoi Su-57, Mikoyan MiG-29
	GSh-30-2	Soviet Union	Gryazev-Shipunov	Twin autocannon	Sukhoi Su-25, Mil Mi-24P
	GSh-6-30	Soviet Union	Gryazev-Shipunov	Rotary cannon	MiG-27, Kortik CIWS
	AK-630	Soviet Union	TsKIB SOO	Rotary cannon	A-213-Vympel-A CIWS
	2A42	Soviet Union	KBP Instrument Design Bureau	Gas-operated autocannon	BMP-2, BMD-2, BMD-3, Kurganets-25, T-15 Armata, Mil Mi-28, Kamov Ka-50, BTR-90
	2A72	Soviet Union	KBP Instrument Design Bureau	Long-recoil autocannon	BMP-3 (also in BRM-3K version), BMD-4, BTR-82A, Uran-9
	2A38 [ru]	Soviet Union	KBP Instrument Design Bureau	Twin anti-aircraft gas-operated autocannon	2K22 Tunguska, Pantsir-S
	CRN 91	India	Ordnance Factory Medak	Light naval gun	Trinkat-class patrol vessel, Kumbhir-class landing ship, Car Nicobar-class fast attack craft
	Type 730/1130	China	713th Research Institute	Gatling gun	Type 052C destroyer, Type 001A aircraft carrier, LD-2000
30×170mm	HS.831A	France	Hispano-Suiza	Gas-unlocked delayed-blowback autocannon	AMX-30 DCA
	HS.831L / Oerlikon KCB	France / Switzerland	Hispano-Suiza / Oerlikon	Gas-unlocked delayed-blowback autocannon	Falcon anti-aircraft system, DS30B rapid-fire ship-protection system
	L21A1 RARDEN	United Kingdom	Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment/ Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield	Long-recoil autocannon	FV721 Fox, FV107 Scimitar, FV510 Warrior
30×173mm (STANAG 4624)	KCA	Switzerland	Oerlikon	Revolver cannon	Saab 37 Viggen
	GAU-8 Avenger	United States	General Electric	Gatling gun	Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, Signaal Goalkeeper CIWS
	Mk44 Bushmaster II	United States	Alliant Techsystems	Chain gun	KTO Rosomak, CV9030, Boxer Vilkas M1296 Stryker Dragoon, Lockheed AC-130J, Hateruma-class patrol vessel
	MK 30 [de]	Germany	Rheinmetall	Automatic cannon	Boxer CRV, ASCOD, SPz Puma, 30mm/82 Compact, Lynx KF41
	EMAK 30	South Africa	Denel Land Systems	Linkless cam gun	Badger
	Maadi Griffin	United States	Robert Stewart	Prototype anti-materiel rifle	Maadi Griffin
	30mm X-GUN	Italy	Leonardo	Automatic Cannon
	Wotan 30	Germany	Rheinmetall	Automatic cannon	Lynx KF41
	GTS-30/N	Slovakia	ZŤS – ŠPECIÁL	Gas-operated autocannon
30×210mmB	NN-30	Soviet Union	Tulamashzavod	Twin revolver cannon	AK-230 light naval gun/CIWS
30×210mm	vz.53/59	Czechoslovakia	Praga Hostivař	Twin anti-aircraft autocannon	M53/59 Praga
30×250mm caseless	RMK30	Germany	Mauser	Recoilless revolver cannon	Wiesel AWC (experimental), Eurocopter Tiger UH (experimental)

Historical weapons

Weapon	Country of origin	Designer	Cartridge	Type	Example platforms
MK 108	Nazi Germany	Rheinmetall-Borsig	30×90mmRB	Autocannon	Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-2, Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R2, Messerschmitt Me 262
Type 2	Japanese Empire	Dai-Nippon Weapons Co., Ltd.	30×92mmRB	Blowback autocannon	Mitsubishi J2M (prototype)
Ho-155	Japanese Empire	Nagoya Arsenal	30×114mm	Autocannon	Nakajima Ki-84-I Hei, Kawasaki Ki-102c Hei
Type 5	Japanese Empire	Nihon Tokushuko	30×122mm	Autocannon	Yokosuka P1Y, Kyushu J7W, Mitsubishi J2M (planned)
NR-30	Soviet Union	A.E. Nudelman and A.A. Rikhter	30×155mmB	Autocannon	MiG-19, MiG-21, Sukhoi Su-7, Sukhoi Su-17
MK 101	Nazi Germany	Rheinmetall-Borsig	30×184mmB	Autocannon	Henschel Hs 129, Heinkel He 177A-1/U2 (experimental)
MK 103	Nazi Germany	Rheinmetall-Borsig	30×184mmB	Electrically primed autocannon	Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz
MK 303	Nazi Germany	Krieghoff	30×210mm	Anti-aircraft autocannon	Type XXI submarine