30 mm caliber
The 30 mm caliber is a specific size of autocannon ammunition. Such ammunition includes NATO standard 30×173mm and 30×113mmB rounds and Soviet 30×165mm rounds which are widely used around the world.
Usage
30 mm ammunition is typically not used against personnel, but rather as an anti-materiel or armor-piercing round. Rounds of this size can be effective against armored vehicles as well as fortified bunkers.
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 30 mm caliber. The U.S. military uses 30 mm weapons in their A-10 Thunderbolt II and AH-64 Apache helicopter. It was going to be used in the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle until the project was cancelled.
Types of 30 mm ammunition
30 mm ammunition generally comes in three varieties: armor-piercing (AP), high-explosive (HE), and training rounds. Armor-piercing and high-explosive cartridges usually also possess incendiary characteristics.
Examples of weapons using 30 mm ammunition
30×90mmRB
- MK 108 cannon (German, aircraft, WWII)
30×92mmRB
- 30 mm Type 2 cannon (Japanese, aircraft, WWII)
30×113mmB
- Hughes M230 Chain Gun (US, 1975–)
- Royal Small Arms Factory ADEN revolver cannon (UK, aircraft, 1954–)
- GIAT DEFA 550 series of revolver cannon (France, 1954–)
- Nexter 30 M 781 revolver cannon (France)
- XM188
30×114mm
- Ho-155 cannon (Japanese, aircraft, WWII)
30×122mm
- 30 mm Type 5 cannon (Japanese, aircraft, WWII)
30×150mmB
30×155mmB
- Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 (Russia, aircraft)
30×165mm
- Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2 (Russia, aircraft)
- Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-301 (Russia, aircraft)
- Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 rotary cannon (Russia, aircraft)
- AK-630 CIWS
- 2A38 (Russia, anti-aircraft autocannon)
- 2A42 (Russia, IFV autocannon)
- 2A72 (Russia, IFV autocannon)
30×170mm
- L21A1 RARDEN high-velocity gun (UK, vehicle, 1970s–)
- Oerlikon KCB (Switzerland)
30×173mm
- Oerlikon KCA (Switzerland)
- GAU-8 Avenger (US, aircraft)
- Bushmaster II (US)
- Rheinmetall Mk30-2 (Germany, IFV)
- Rheinmetall Mk30-1 (Germany)
- Goalkeeper CIWS (Netherlands,1980s-)
- Type 730 CIWS (China,1993-)
- Type1130 CIWS (China)
- H/PJ14(CS/AN2) (China)
- H/PJ17 (China)
- Denel Land Systems EMAK 30 (South Africa, IFV)[1]
- Maadi Griffin 30mm (US, rifle)
30×184mmB
- MK 101 cannon (German, aircraft, WWII)
- MK 103 cannon (German, aircraft, WWII)
30×210mmB
30×250mm Caseless
- Rheinmetall RMK30 recoilless cannon (Germany)