Anti-aircraft fire from a 2a42 cannon. About strengths

Since about the middle of the 20th century, the 30 mm caliber has become the de facto standard for automatic guns. Of course, automatic guns of other calibers, from 20 to 40 mm, also became widespread, but the 30 mm caliber nevertheless received the most widespread use. Especially widely rapid-fire guns of 30 mm caliber are common in the Armed Forces of the USSR / Russia.

The scope of application of automatic guns of caliber 30 mm is huge. These are aircraft guns on fighters, attack aircraft and combat helicopters, rapid-fire guns of infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and air defense systems (air defense) of short range, and air defense systems of the near zone of surface ships of the Navy (Navy).

The main developer of 30-mm automatic guns in the USSR / Russia is the Tula "Instrument Design Bureau" ("KBP"). It was from it that such wonderful 30 mm automatic guns as the 2A42 product installed on the BMP-2 and Ka-50/52, Mi-28 helicopters came out, this is the 2A72 product installed in the BMP-3 turret module, together with a 100 mm gun and 12.7 mm machine gun, rapid-fire double-barreled guns 2A38, mounted on anti-aircraft gun-missile systems (ZPRK) "Tunguska" and "Shell", aviation GSh-301 for aircraft and, shipborne six-barreled AO-18 (GSh-6-30K) and other models.

30 mm gun 2A42

30-mm gun 2A42 - probably the "Kalashnikov assault rifle" among automatic guns:
- caliber: 30 mm, cartridge - 30 × 165 mm;
- length: 3027 mm;
- total weight: 115 kg;
- variable rate of fire: 550-800 shots / min. or 200-300 shots / min;
- gun power: two-tape (selective ammunition supply);
- barrel survivability: 9000 shots;
- effective firing range for manpower: up to 4000 m;
- effective firing range for lightly armored vehicles: up to 1500 m;
- effective range of air targets: up to 2000 m / 2500 m.

At the same time, in the 21st century, complaints about automatic guns of 30 mm caliber began to appear. In particular, armored fighting vehicles of the ground forces (SV) began to be equipped with enhanced armor protection, capable of withstanding the fire of 30 mm cannons in the frontal projection. In this regard, words began to sound about the transition to automatic guns of 40 mm caliber and more. In Russia, more and more often you can see samples of armored vehicles with a 57 mm automatic gun 2A91, developed by the Central Research Institute "Burevestnik".

BMP-3 equipped with the AU-220M combat module

BMP-3, equipped with the AU-220M combat module, with an automatic gun of 57 mm caliber:
- length: 5820 mm, width: 2100 mm, height: 1300 mm;
- cartridge: 57 × 348 mm SR;
- gun rate of fire: 120 rounds / min;
- firing range: 12,000 m;
- ammunition: 80 shells.

At the same time, with an increase in caliber, the ammunition load is radically reduced. If for the 30 mm BMP-2 cannon the ammunition load is 500 rounds, then for the 57 mm cannon of the AU-220M module, which can be installed on both BMP-2 and BMP-3, the ammunition load is only 80 rounds.

The weight and size characteristics of the modules, with 57 mm caliber guns, do not always allow them to be placed on compact armored vehicles. It is also unlikely that a 57 mm cannon can be installed on a helicopter or aircraft, even if it is placed close to the center of mass, as on the Ka-50/52, or the aircraft is built “around the cannon”, like the American A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.

A-10 Thunderbolt II automatic 30-mm seven-barrel gun

In aviation, the very need to install an automatic gun is often called into question. A significant increase in the power of radar and optical-location stations (radar and OLS), the improvement of long, medium and short-range air-to-air (v-v) missiles, in combination with all-aspect guidance systems, minimize the likelihood that the situation in the air will reach a “dog dump” ”, i.e. maneuverable air combat with the use of automatic guns.

Technologies to reduce visibility and electronic warfare(EW) is unlikely to change this situation, since in any case, the growth of the capabilities of modern radar and OLS is likely to allow the detection and attack of aircraft with stealth technology beyond the range of automatic guns.

Currently, automatic guns on multifunctional fighters remain rather due to a certain conservatism of the air force (Air Force).

For combat helicopters, the use of an automatic gun means entering the zone of destruction of hand-held short-range air defense systems of the Igla / Stinger type, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and gunnery armament ground combat equipment.

The use of automatic guns as part of ground-based anti-aircraft missile systems also raises questions. As part of one complex, automatic guns are used on the Soviet / Russian ZPRK "Tunguska" and "Pantsir". According to the results of the hostilities in Syria, all real combat targets were shot down by missile weapons, and not by automatic guns. According to some reports, automatic 30 mm guns do not have the accuracy and accuracy sufficient to hit small targets, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or guided / unguided munitions.

Table of targets hit by the Pantsir C1 air defense system in Syria

This leads to the fact that often the cost of a downed target does not exceed the cost of an anti-aircraft guided missile (SAM) fired at it. Large targets, such as an airplane or helicopter, try not to fall within the range of automatic guns.

A similar situation is developing in the navy. If subsonic anti-ship missiles (ASMs) can still be hit by multi-barreled automatic guns, then the probability of hitting supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles is much lower, not to mention hypersonic anti-ship missiles. In addition, the high take-off speed and significant mass of supersonic / hypersonic anti-ship missiles can lead to the fact that even if it is hit at a short distance from the ship, the remains of a dilapidated anti-ship missile will reach the ship and cause significant damage to it.

Summarizing the above, it may turn out that in Russia, in the ground forces on infantry fighting vehicles, 30 mm automatic guns will most likely be replaced by automatic guns of 57 mm caliber, on aircraft most As time goes on, the automatic gun takes its place for nothing, in the anti-aircraft missile systems of both the ground forces and the Navy, the role of automatic guns of 30 mm caliber is also declining, which may lead to their gradual abandonment and replacement with RIM-116 air defense systems. Can this lead to the gradual oblivion of 30 mm weapons, and what are the directions of development and scope of application for rapid-fire guns of this caliber?

The use of 57 mm automatic cannons on infantry fighting vehicles does not mean that there is no place for their 30 mm counterparts on other types of ground military equipment. In particular, NGAS presented the concept of installing modules with the M230LF gun on armored vehicles, small-sized robotic systems and others. vehicles, as well as stationary structures, as a replacement for machine guns of 12.7 mm caliber.

Automatic gun M230LF caliber 30 mm on an armored car

Automatic gun M230LF caliber 30 mm on the ground remote-controlled robotic complex

Automatic gun M230LF caliber 30 mm on a stationary turret

Similar remote-controlled weapon modules (DUMV), for use on light armored vehicles and ground robotic systems, can also be developed on the basis of Russian automatic guns of 30 mm caliber. This will significantly expand the scope of their application and market. Significant recoil of 30mm cannons can be reduced by limiting the rate of fire of automatic 30mm cannons to 200-300 rounds/min.

An extremely interesting solution could be the creation of compact remote-controlled weapon modules based on 30 mm guns, for use on main battle tanks, as a replacement for the 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun.

It is worth noting that the issue of equipping tanks with an auxiliary gun of 30 mm caliber was repeatedly considered both in the USSR / Russia and in NATO countries, but the matter never came to large-scale production. For T-80 tanks, an installation with a 30-mm 2A42 automatic gun was created and tested. It was intended to replace the Utes machine gun and was mounted in the upper rear of the turret. The gun pointing angle is 120 degrees horizontally and -5/+65 degrees vertically. Ammunition was to be 450 shells.

A promising 30-mm remote-controlled weapon module should have a circular view horizontally and a large vertical pointing angle. The power of a 30-mm projectile, compared to a 12.7-mm caliber bullet, combined with maximum visibility from the roof of a tank turret, will significantly increase the tank's ability to combat tank-dangerous targets, such as grenade launchers and armored vehicles with ATGMs, and enhance the ability to destroy aircraft enemy means of attack. The mass equipping of DUMV tanks with 30 mm cannons can make such a class of armored vehicles as a tank support combat vehicle (BMPT) unnecessary.

Another promising area for the use of 30 mm guns as part of tank weapons can be joint work with the main weapon in the defeat of enemy tanks equipped with active defense systems (KAZ). In this case, it is necessary to synchronize the operation of the main gun and the 30 mm cannon in such a way that, when firing at an enemy tank, a burst of 30 mm shells is fired a little earlier than an armour-piercing sub-caliber projectile (BOPS) of the main gun is fired. Thus, the impact of 30-mm projectiles first leads to damage to the elements of the active protection of the enemy tank (detection radar, containers with striking elements), which allows the BOPS to hit the tank without hindrance. Shooting, of course, should be carried out in an automated mode, i.e. the gunner aims the crosshair at the enemy tank, selects the “against KAZ” mode, presses the trigger, and then everything happens automatically.

Also, the option of equipping 30 mm shells with some kind of aerosol or other filler, and a fuse with remote detonation, can also be considered. In this case, a burst of 30 mm rounds detonates in the active protection zone of the enemy tank, preventing the operation of its radar detection tools, but not preventing the flight of the BOPS.

Another direction in the development of the scope and increase in the effectiveness of 30 mm automatic guns is the creation of projectiles with remote detonation on the flight path, and in the future, the creation of guided 30 mm projectiles.

Shells with remote detonation have been developed and implemented in NATO countries. In particular, the German company Rheinmetall offers a 30 mm air blast projectile, also known under the designation KETF (Kinetic Energy Time Fused - kinetic with a remote fuse), equipped with an electronic timer programmed by an inductive coil in the muzzle.

In Russia, 30-mm projectiles with remote detonation on the trajectory were developed by the Moscow NPO Pribor. Unlike the inductive system used by Rheinmetall, Russian projectiles use a remote detonation initiation system using a laser beam. Ammunition of this type will be tested in 2019 and in the future should be included in the ammunition of the latest combat vehicles of the Russian army.

The use of projectiles with remote detonation on the flight path will increase the capabilities of air defense systems equipped with 30-mm automatic guns to combat small and maneuvering targets. Similarly, the air defense of ground combat vehicles equipped with 30 mm automatic guns will be strengthened. Opportunities to defeat enemy manpower in open areas will increase. This is especially important for tanks, if they are equipped with DUMV with a 30 mm automatic cannon.

The next step could be the creation of guided projectiles in caliber 30 mm.

At the moment, there are developments of guided projectiles of 57 mm caliber. In particular, BAE Systems Corporation at the Sea-Air-Space 2015 exhibition for the first time introduced a new 57-mm ORKA (Ordnance for Rapid Kill of Attack Craft) guided projectile, designated as Mk 295 Mod 1. The new projectile is designed to fire from 57- Mk 110 universal automatic artillery mounts.

Developed by BAE Systems 57 mm ORKA guided projectile

According to some reports, Russia is also developing a 57 mm guided projectile for the Derivation PVO anti-aircraft module. The development of a guided projectile is carried out by the Design Bureau Tochmash named after A. E. Nudelman. The developed guided artillery projectile (UAS) is stored in an ammunition rack, launched from a rifled gun barrel and guided by a laser beam, which makes it possible to hit targets in a wide range of ranges - from 200 m to 6 ... 8 km for manned targets and up to 3 ... 5 km for unmanned .

The UAS glider is made according to the "duck" aerodynamic configuration. The plumage of the projectile consists of four rudders laid in a sleeve, which are deflected by a steering gear located in the bow of the projectile. The drive works from the oncoming air flow.

UAS is fired at a high initial speed and almost immediately has the necessary lateral accelerations for guidance. The projectile can be fired in the direction of the target or to the calculated lead point. In the first case, guidance is carried out according to the three-point method. In the second case, guidance is carried out by adjusting the trajectory of the projectile. In both cases, the projectile is teleoriented in a laser beam (a similar control system is used in the Kornet ATGM of the Tula KBP). The photodetector of the laser beam aiming at the target is located in the end part and is closed by a pallet, which is separated in flight.

Anti-aircraft 57-mm UAS: 1 - protective cap, 2 - centering belt, 3 - sleeve, 4 - steering gear, 5 - non-contact radio target sensor, 6 - explosive, 7 - plumage

Is it possible to create guided projectiles in caliber 30 mm? Of course, this will be much more difficult than the development of UAS in caliber 57 mm. The 57 mm caliber projectile is essentially closer to the 100 mm caliber projectiles, for which guided munitions have been created a long time ago. Also, the use of 57 mm UAS is most likely planned in a single firing mode.

Nevertheless, there are projects for the creation of guided weapons in significantly smaller dimensions, for example, a guided cartridge of 12.7 mm caliber. Such projects are being developed both in the United States, under the auspices of the notorious DARPA, and in Russia.

So, in 2015, the US Department of Defense tested promising EXACTO bullets with a controlled flight path. Bullets developed under the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance program will be used in a new high-precision rifle sniper system, a special optical sight and guided ammunition. Technical details about the ammunition are not disclosed.

According to unconfirmed reports, the pool has a small battery, a microcontroller, a laser sensor and folding handlebars. After the shot, the microcontroller is activated and starts to lead the bullet to the target with the help of air rudders. According to other information, the flight correction is carried out by the deflected toe of the bullet. Guidance system presumably remote control in the laser beam.

This is what the Exacto guided bullet looks like

According to the Russian Foundation for Advanced Study (FPI), Russia also began testing a "smart bullet" in controlled flight mode. At the same time, it was suggested that 30 mm ammunition could be taken as the basis, into which the control unit, the source of movement, the stabilizer unit and warhead. However, according to the latest data, Russia has postponed indefinitely the project to create guided bullets capable of correcting their flight. This is not necessarily due to the technical impossibility of their creation, often the financial factor, or a change in priorities, serves as a limiter.

And finally, the closest project, in relation to the 30 mm guided projectile we are interested in, is the Raytheon project - MAD-FIRES (Multi-Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System - Multi-azimuth system of protection, fast interception and all-round attack). The MAD-FIRES project is an attempt to combine missile accuracy with a "let's fire more of them because they're cheap" approach. The projectiles must be suitable for firing from automatic guns from 20 to 40 mm caliber, while MAD-FIRE ammunition must combine the accuracy and controllability of missiles with the speed and rate of fire of conventional ammunition of the appropriate caliber.

Guided projectile-rocket MAD-FIRES

Based on the above examples, it can be assumed that the creation of guided munitions in caliber 30 mm is quite feasible for both the Western and the Russian military-industrial complex (MIC). But how necessary is it? It goes without saying that the cost of guided projectiles will be significantly higher than the cost of their unguided counterparts, and higher than the cost of projectiles with remote detonation on the trajectory.

Here it is necessary to consider the situation as a whole. For the armed forces, the cost / effectiveness criterion is decisive, i.e. if we hit a $10,000,000 tank with a $100,000 missile, then that's acceptable, but if we hit a $100,000 missile with a jeep with heavy machine gun, with a total cost of $ 10,000, then this is no longer very good. However, there may be other situations, for example, when a $100,000 anti-aircraft missile intercepted a $2,000 mortar shell, but thanks to this, the $100,000,000 aircraft at the airfield was not destroyed, the pilot and maintenance personnel were not killed. IN general question cost is a multifaceted issue.

In addition, the development of technologies makes it possible to optimize the manufacture of many components of promising products - high-precision casting, additive technologies (3d printing), MEMS technologies (microelectromechanical systems) and much more. It’s hard to say now what the cost of a 30 mm guided projectile will ultimately be for developers / manufacturers - $ 5,000, $ 3,000 or maybe only $ 500 apiece.

Let us consider the impact of the appearance of guided 30 mm projectiles on increasing the efficiency and expanding the scope of rapid-firing guns.

As mentioned earlier, in aviation, maneuverable combat with the use of guns has become extremely unlikely. On the other hand, the creation of a kind of "active protection" of the aircraft from attacking missiles is extremely relevant. In the West, they are trying to solve this problem by creating highly maneuverable CUDA interceptor missiles, developed by Lockheed Martin. Such missiles will not interfere with our country either.

CUDA interceptor missile

As a means of active protection against attacking missiles, one can also consider the use of 30 mm guided projectiles with remote detonation on the trajectory. The ammunition load of a modern fighter is about 120 pieces. 30 mm shells. Replacing existing standard ammunition with remotely detonated guided 30 mm projectiles will allow high-precision fire on enemy air-to-air or surface-to-air guided missiles on a collision course. Of course, this will require the retrofitting of aircraft with an appropriate guidance system, including 2-4 laser channels to ensure simultaneous attack of several targets.

In the event that a maneuverable air battle does take place, an aircraft with 30 mm guided projectiles will have an undeniable advantage due to the greater effective range shooting, the absence of the need to accurately orient the fixed cannon of the aircraft to the enemy, the ability to compensate for enemy maneuvers to some extent by adjusting the flight path of the fired projectiles.

Finally, when solving such a problem as repelling a raid of long-range high-precision cruise missiles (CR), the pilot, after exhausting the missile ammunition, can spend several guided 30 mm projectiles on one conditional "Tomahawk", i.e. one fighter can destroy the entire salvo of the KR of any kind of Virginia-type submarine, or even two.

Similarly, the use of guided 30-mm projectiles in the air defense armament of a surface ship will make it possible to move the border of destruction of anti-ship missiles. Now, for the anti-aircraft missile and gun complex (ZRAK) "Kashtan", official sources indicate the zone of destruction by artillery weapons at a range of 500 to 1.5 thousand meters, but in fact, the destruction of anti-ship missiles is carried out at the turn of 300-500 m, at a distance of 500 m, the probability of hitting anti-ship missiles "Harpoon" is 0.97, and at a distance of 300 m - 0.99.

The use of 30 mm guided projectiles, as well as the use of any guided weapon, will increase the likelihood of hitting anti-ship missiles at a significantly greater distance. It will also make it possible to reduce the dimensions of naval artillery mounts by reducing the ammunition load and abandoning the monstrous items of the Duet type.

Shipborne two-automatic 30-mm automatic artillery mount"Duet"

The same can be said about the use of guided 30 mm projectiles in land-based air defense systems. The presence in the ammunition of the "Shell", guided by 30 mm shells, will save missile armament when subsonic high-precision munitions are hit, leaving missiles for the carrier aircraft, which will reduce the likelihood of a repetition of the situations that occurred in Syria, when air defense systems with spent ammunition were destroyed with impunity.

From an economic point of view, defeating mortar mines and balloons with 30 mm guided missiles should also be cheaper than with anti-aircraft missiles.

Finally, the use of guided 30-mm projectiles in the ammunition load of ground vehicles and combat helicopters will make it possible to destroy targets from a greater range, with a significantly higher probability and with less ammunition consumption. With high-quality sighting devices, it will be possible to work on the enemy's vulnerable points - observation devices, armor weakening areas, air intake filters, exhaust system elements, and so on. For a tank with a 30 mm DUMV, the presence of guided munitions will make it possible to more accurately hit elements of the active defense of an enemy tank, work on attacking helicopters and UAVs with a high probability of hitting a target.

The Russian guns 2A42 and 2A72 have an important advantage over many others - the presence of selective ammunition from two shell boxes. Accordingly, in one box there can be guided 30 mm ammunition, in the other conventional, which will allow you to choose the necessary ammunition based on the situation.

The use of 30-mm guided projectiles in the interests of all types of the Russian armed forces will reduce the cost of an individual projectile due to the mass production of unified components.

Thus, we can formulate the conclusion - to extend life cycle high-speed automatic guns of 30 mm caliber will be given the following directions of development:

1. Creation on the basis of 30-mm cannons of the lightest and most compact combat modules.

2. Mass introduction of projectiles with remote detonation on the flight path.

3. Development and implementation of guided projectiles of caliber 30 mm.

In the post-war period Soviet designers many examples of various weapons were created. One of them was the creation of A. G. Shipunov and V. P. Gryazev - the 2A42 automatic gun. According to military experts, this weapon is capable of hitting both manpower the enemy, as well as lightly armored vehicles, and low-flying air targets. Information about the history of creation, characteristics and technical description of the 2A42 automatic gun can be found in this article.

Start of design work

In the mid-1970s, the Soviet Union began to develop a 30-mm ammunition, which was later planned to be used as an interspecific one. In other words, such a cartridge could be equipped with 30-mm rifle systems used by the ground forces, navy And air force. Initially, the cartridge was listed under the index AO-18. The shot pressure indicator was 3600 atm. However, according to experts, this unified ammunition did not fully comply with the stated requirements of the military command for guns. For this reason, there was a need for a new automatic gun, which became the 30 mm 2A42.

On the creation of a new weapon

The design of the 30 mm 2A42 automatic gun was carried out by employees of the Tula Design Bureau. Supervised by V. P. Gryazev and A. G. Shipunov. In 1978, the first prototype was already ready. Later, the leadership of the USSR decided that the serial production of guns should be carried out at this enterprise.

The automation of the gun uses the energy of powder gases that are removed from the barrel. For this purpose, it was equipped with a special side hole. In an effort to reduce a sufficiently powerful return, the designers dampened the barrel. In addition, it is provided for its rollback during a shot by 3.5 cm. In order to make it easier to supply ammunition belts to the gun, it was mounted motionless on the installation. Due to the fact that initially the new automatic gun was intended for infantry and airborne combat vehicles, the idea of ​​​​using a gun in helicopters was skeptical. Some experts believed that it was not advisable to use the 2A42 on a helicopter.

This point of view was also shared by the institutes of industry. That is why, while working on a gun for the Ka-50 helicopter, the employees of the OKB im. Kamov, especially much attention was paid to the whole structure. Since cartridge belts were fed from two sides to a single-barreled gun by helicopter, the fighters had the opportunity to equip the gun with the necessary type of ammunition (armor-piercing or incendiary high-explosive fragmentation) depending on the target to be destroyed. This design feature made it possible to save the transported combat kit.

Device

The 30 mm gun consists of the following main units:

• trunk.
• Treasurer.
• Butt plate.
• Buttplate axles.
• Electric trigger.
• contactor.
• Receiver box.
• Springs.
• shutter frame.

By means of four screws, the Kamovites attached a plate with the following details on it to the gun pullers:

• Special guide for the carriage in the form of feed fingers.
• A bar, the task of which is to guide the cartridge during feeding from the tape and hold the axis of the fingers, preventing them from falling out.
• A special stop that guides the cartridge and turns off the lever feed latch.

The task of the receiver is to direct the movement of the entire bolt group. Also on the box are placed and connected all the components and spare parts of the gun. Receiver it is represented by the box itself, counterslopes, cassettes: two front and two rear, two side cartridge locks, guide links in the amount of 2 pieces, a latch, a reflector and a rod.

The receiver is a stamped steel construction. The bolt lock is disengaged using the guide handle for reloading. Strips (2 pcs.) are used as stops for the spring. In an effort to increase the rigidity of the box, the structure was equipped with two liners and a plate. Cassettes are fastened with a bracket.

The cartridge belt is guided by the front and rear pullers. In order to prevent the displacement of the ammunition from the line along which they are sent into the gun, the rear pullers were equipped with special rods with flags. After the shot, using the switch, depress the latch and turn the flag. As a result, the cartridge is removed from the supply line.

How does it work?

The gun is adapted to produce both single and automatic fire in small bursts of 300 and large bursts of 550 rounds per minute. Reloading is done manually. Also for this purpose, squibs in the amount of three pieces can be used. For 2A42, mechanical and remote guidance is provided. In the second case, the control is carried out by electric trigger. As a power source, direct current is used, the voltage indicator of which is 27 V.

terms of Use

According to military experts, the temperature does not affect the effective operation of this automatic weapon. 2A42 functions equally well at temperatures of -50 and +50 degrees. This rifle can be used in rainy weather, in dusty and icy areas.

About transportation

The 2A42 automatic cannon is equipped with BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BMD-2 landing and BMPT infantry fighting vehicles. Also 2A42 are equipped with combat helicopters Ka-50. In addition, the employees of the South African branch of BEA Systems Corporation developed and successfully tested the TRT-R30 guided turret. Using this combat module, you can also install the 2A42 automatic cannon on an armored vehicle.

About ammunition

From the very beginning to the present day, the gun is equipped with three types of cartridges:

• Armor-piercing tracer. In the technical documentation, they are abbreviated as BT.
• High-explosive fragmentation with an incendiary mixture (OFZ).
• Fragmentation tracer (OT).

In the 1980s, it turned out that whole-body armor-piercing shells are ineffective if they are used with the base NATO-type "Marder-1" with a mass of 29.2 tons, and 22.6-ton "Bradley".

performance characteristics

• The 2A42 automatic cannon is a type of small-caliber single-barrel guns.
• For service Soviet army enrolled in 1980.
• Shooting is carried out with a cartridge of 30x165 mm.
• Caliber 2A42 - 30 mm.
• During firing, an energy of 150-180 kJ is generated.
• The total length of the gun is 302.7 cm, the barrel is 240 cm.
• The barrel is equipped with 16 grooves. The stride length is 715.5 mm.
• The barrel weighs no more than 38.5 kg.
• The mass of the entire gun is 115 kg.
• Within one minute, you can fire from 550 to 800 shots.
• The fired projectile moves at a speed of 970 m/s.
• The recoil generated during firing is 40-50 kN.

About strengths

Automatic gun 2A42 has the following advantages:

• Due to the variable rate of fire and selective ammunition supply, carried out from two boxes with different cartridges, the effectiveness of the destruction was increased by 30%. Also, the consumption of cartridges is carried out more economically.
• The gun barrel has sufficient combat survivability to immediately release the entire ammunition load. At the same time, the 2A42 does not require intermediate cooling, which is important in real combat conditions.
• The gun is effective in dusty conditions, which is important when using it on combat helicopters, since during their operation it is often necessary to operate at low altitudes with dust formations characteristic of them and make autonomous bases on unpaved areas with limited maintenance.
• Due to the high muzzle velocity, the fired projectile has exceptional combat accuracy and high armor penetration. From a distance of 1500 m, they can penetrate 15 mm armored steel sheet, located at an angle of 60 degrees. Manpower is affected at a distance of no more than 4 thousand meters, lightly armored vehicles - one and a half kilometers, air targets - up to 2 thousand meters.

However, unlike similar aircraft guns, the gun has a large mass. According to military experts, this is its only drawback.

Finally

The high efficiency of the 30-mm 2A42 gun, produced by the employees of the Artillery Armament design bureau, was highly appreciated by the military.

A similar cannon, namely its unlicensed copy, which is listed as ZTM-2 in the technical documentation, is manufactured by Ukrainian gunsmiths at the Precision Mechanics Plant scientific and technical complex in the city of Kamyanets-Podilskyi. In addition, in the countries that are members of NATO, design work is underway to create a live projectile for this weapon.

1. Gun 2A42 30 mm automatic Designed to combat lightly armored targets at ranges up to 1500 m, unarmored vehicles and enemy manpower at ranges up to 4000 m, as well as air targets flying at low altitudes up to 2000 m with subsonic speeds and slant range up to 2500 m.

Shooting from a cannon can be carried out with a single fire and automatic (slow and high pace).

The gun works reliably in various operating conditions: in the temperature range of ±50°C, in rain, dust, icing, and in the absence of lubrication.

Main combat properties and performance characteristics guns 2A42

Caliber - 30 mm

Sighting range of OFZ shells - 4000 m

Direct shot range:

on a target with a height of 2.5 m - 1200 m

on a target with a height of 1 m - 800 m

Gun stabilization - in two planes

Rate of fire: single

small - up to 200-300 rds / min.

large - up to 600-800 rds / min.

Food - two-tape, separate

Reloading - pyrotechnic and manual

firing angles: horizontal - 360

vertical - from 5° to 75°

operating temperature range ±50°С

ammunition - 500 rounds

Applied shots - BT - armor-piercing tracer; OFZ - high-explosive fragmentation incendiary; OT - fragmentation tracer

Muzzle velocity - OFZ and OT 960 ±10 m/s

Fuse cocking range - 20-100

Self-liquidation time - 9-14 s

Tracer burning time with HE shells - at least 10 s

Fire mode - shooting in short bursts, at a slow pace - without restrictions; maximum allowable - 98 shots, of which 50 in one burst, 6 bursts of 8 shots

Number of grooves - 16

Cutting pitch - 715.5 mm

Gun weight - 115 kg (without casing)

Barrel weight - 38.5 kg

Recoil force kn (kgf) - 40-50 (4000-5000)

Gun length - 3027 mm

Electric trigger and contactor supply voltage - 27 V

Number of squibs - 3

The general arrangement of the gun 2A42

1.Receiver

2. Barrel assembly

3.Shutter frame

4. Return spring

5.Butt plate

6. Electric trigger

7. Contactor

8.Butt plate axis

The principle of operation of the gun

The gun is an automatic weapon in which the locking of the bore, firing a shot, unlocking the bore, removing the spent cartridge case from the chamber and deflecting it, feeding the cartridge belt into the receiver and sending the next cartridge into the chamber is carried out automatically.

To reduce the recoil force, the gun barrel is cushioned and rolls back by 30-35 mm when firing.

The automation of the gun is based on the use of the energy of powder gases vented through the side hole in the barrel. The gun bolt frame rolls back with each shot as a result of the action of powder gases on the front end of the piston associated with the bolt frame. The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt. The shutter rotates due to the interaction of the shutter rollers with the curvilinear groove of the shutter frame. The primer is broken by the striker of the percussion mechanism located inside the shutter. Sending a cartridge from the tape to the chamber is direct.

The lever-type feed mechanism feeds the tape from two loaded into the gun. Switching the supply of tapes is carried out by a switch located on the butt plate of the gun (BR = OFZ).

Armed with two 30-mm automatic guns (AP) 2A42, a heated discussion erupted in the media and the Internet about the advisability of choosing the AP caliber and the need to increase it, not only for the SV, but also for the fleet.

Arkady Georgievich Shipunov is to be thanked for the wide, almost monopoly distribution in the USSR and Russia of the AP caliber of 30 mm. Academician, Doctor of Science, head and general designer of the Tula Design Bureau, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of many State, Lenin, Government and other awards, Arkady Georgievich does not need special introductions. A talented "gunner", whose main work of life is the unification of the 30-mm caliber for AP in aviation, ground forces and in the navy.

At the time, this was a very progressive solution. Soviet 30 mm ammunition and guns, for a long time, as they say, had no analogues. But time, time, time... Time runs fast and progress does not stand still. Well, as you know, a monopoly in any business absolutely does not contribute to progress. Moreover, it hurts. Over time, the 30-mm guns began to show shortcomings related to the fact that potential opponents did not sit idly by, but intensively increased the protection of their BTT, accepted new protective equipment for their soldiers for supply.

By the mid-1980s, it became clear that at least for SV, a more powerful automatic weapon for larger ammunition is required. The work on the creation of a new 45-mm automatic gun for the developed BMPTs and new BMPs was entrusted to the KBP, and, of course, was successfully sabotaged. For, otherwise, why did Arkady Georgievich grab orders and titles?

What shortcomings were found in the 30-mm AP and ammunition? It turned out that during flat shooting at a small object located on the surface of the earth, the probability of a direct hit in the vertical projection area of ​​the target is negligible. The bulk of the shells are scattered around and hit the ground. The fragmentation effect of high-explosive fragmentation projectiles in itself is ineffective due to the small mass of the explosive charge (48.5 g), the specific design of the projectile body and, as a result, a small number of lethal fragments (about 300 pieces with a mass of 0.25 g or more ).

In case of impact detonation in the ground, the fragmentation action falls catastrophically, since the design of the impact fuse does not provide an instantaneous rupture of the projectile on the surface. As a result, when firing on the ground, especially loose structures (plowing, peat, sand), as well as on snow, by the time of the gap, a significant deepening of the projectile occurs and, as a result, the interception of most of the fragments. Under these conditions, the implementation of a trajectory (air) projectile burst over the target could help.

However, the implementation of a trajectory fuse in a caliber of 30 mm at an acceptable cost was then practically unrealistic. Now, with the passage of time and the development of technology and the element base, this has become possible, but still the cost of such a shot remains very high. With armor penetration, things are also not in the best way. The most modern Russian 30-mm armor-piercing projectiles "Kerner" and "Trezubka" created in the State Research and Production Enterprise "Pribor" to destroy lightly armored targets, to put it mildly, are not quite capable of fighting modern infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers with heavy armor. These circumstances determine in the future the expediency of switching automatic guns to a larger caliber (40-50 mm, and under certain conditions even 60-80 mm).

The most desperate, firm and consistent supporter of this direction is Vladimir Alekseevich Odintsov. At one time, he very actively defended the ideas of increasing the caliber of the AP in the press - the magazine "Technology and Armament", the newspaper "Military Industrial Courier". Thanks to these publications and the tough discussion around them, Vladimir Alekseevich earned a somewhat ambiguous reputation in the media space as an irritant of the "ocean of calm and complacency." Whoever, no matter how they relate to Odintsov's publications, nevertheless, given the track record of this person, it is impossible not to pay attention to them. Moreover, the trend towards an increase in the caliber of the AP is more and more clearly demonstrated in the West.

There, the first breakthrough on this path was made by the Bofors company, which launched the CV-9040 infantry fighting vehicle with a 40-mm L70 gun. In the UK, the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle is being upgraded by replacing the 30-mm RARDEN gun with a 40-mm CTWS cannon with a telescopic cartridge. Intensive development of 40-mm cannons for infantry fighting vehicles is carried out by Alliant Technologies (USA), GIAT (France), Boeing (MK 40 30/40 mm bicaliber gun, Bushmaster II and 40-mm Bushmaster IV gun) .

In an effort to increase the caliber of the gun, the designers are faced with a lot of obvious difficulties. For example, the installation of new weapons may be hampered by rigid specifications for the dimensions and weight of the turret and the diameter of its shoulder strap, and the volumes for placing ammunition. One of the elegant ways to solve these problems is the introduction of a fundamentally new ammunition. so-called "telescopic cartridge".

In them, unlike conventional ones, the projectile is placed inside the sleeve, the walls of which are made of propellant explosive. Currently known "telescopic" cartridges of two types:

- In the first propellant explosive is located in a space bounded by the wall of the sleeve and a plastic sleeve, which serves as a guide for the projectile. After the capsule is triggered, an explosive charge is initiated, and the projectile, moving in the guide sleeve, releases four holes in its bottom part, through which powder gases enter the projectile space;

- in the cartridge of the second type a molded explosive is used as a guide for the projectile. Outwardly, such cartridges resemble a beer can. Their use is much more effective than conventional ammunition.

Telescopic shots are compact, other things being equal, they can hold more gunpowder, are more convenient and compact in laying, which helps to increase the ammunition load.

40x255 mm telescopic shot, core and steel block pierced by it

On the other side, new telescopic shots require fundamentally different guns. The gun under them is arranged in a special way: the supply of shots, as well as the extraction of cartridge cases, is carried out from the side using a rotating drum. The drum is located on the axis of the trunnions, so it does not move when the implement is raised/lowered. The mechanism has a low risk of power failures and is very compact. Some argue that the side feed of ammunition leads to the difficulty of stabilizing the gun, note the low margin of safety of the gun and point to the high cost of ammunition.

But, in this case, the high cost is justified by the large caliber and, consequently, the lower consumption of shots to destroy the enemy. In addition, this high cost is largely imaginary. In the case of the release of mass series, the cost of such shots will not be much more expensive than the "classic" 30 mm ones.

However, everything looks so simple and easy only in words and on paper. In practice, work on telescopic shots, development of the cannon-ammunition system, for example, in the United States, has been going on since the mid-1970s, and only recently a 40-mm telescopic cartridge was developed for the modernized former Bushmaster II 30-mm cannon. The ammunition has a core recessed deep into the sleeve and is 173 mm in length (as is the caliber 30x173 mm). For its use, the Americans did not make a completely new gun. Instead, they simply seriously changed the design of the original gun.

The 40-mm CTWS automatic cannon with a telescopic shot, which is now being upgraded by the British "Warriors", was also born for quite a long time and painfully. CTWS - Cased Telescoped Weapon System - this project is overseen by CTA International, an association of Nexter (former GIAT) and British Aerospace (in equal shares).

The ammunition used is very short, their caliber is 40x255 mm. However, the armor penetration of such shells is commensurate with the "classic" shells of the 40 mm Bofors or 50 mm guns (in all 3 cases, a similar propellant composition is used). The first details of research in this direction were published in Jane's Armor and Artillery Upgrades for 1995-1996.

CTA International has subsidiaries in France and the UK, which in turn work closely with the Defense Computing and Research Agency (DERA) in England and the Land Systems and Information Administration (DSTI) in France. First demo version The CTWS gun was finished in 1991 and a prototype built the following year.

CTWS gun and ammunition

The decision to modernize the Warriors with the installation of the CTWS gun took place only by the mid-2000s. Since 2007, a competition and selection of applicants for the manufacture of a turret for this gun has been held. The first contract was issued only last year, 2011. In addition, the CTWS cannon is now planned as an armament for the new French light combat vehicles. As you can see, this new direction turned out to be very difficult, but at the same time very promising.

Well, what do we have in Russia? It turns out that we are not so bad here. With the departure from the scene of A.G. Shipunov, and the increased attention of the Government of the Russian Federation to defense capability, opportunities have opened up for the implementation of new promising ideas in our country. Either they listened to the “cries” of Odintsov, or to the “voice of reason”, but one way or another, and in Russia the development of increased-caliber assault rifles has finally begun.

During the Great Patriotic War, the 45-mm anti-tank gun showed itself very well. Even then, in 1941-43, there were ideas to make an automatic gun on its basis, incl. for arming tanks. Since then, this caliber has become familiar to us. Under it, they began to do new system. Who is the developer of the gun and telescopic ammunition for it - I won’t lie - I don’t know. I'm not going to speculate. Information on it, due to natural reasons, is extremely small, even fewer images. The first picture "lit up" as an illustration in the patent of "Kurganmashzavod".

It depicted one of the early versions of the promising BMP, now known as the Kurganets-25. We managed to get something else out of the open presentation for the Airborne Forces, thanks to which some performance characteristics became known.

Tactical and technical characteristics:

The gun is automatic, single-barreled with separate 2-sided power supply with cartridges for two purposes;
Rate of fire - 150 ... 200 rds / min
Gun weight - 300 ... 350 kg;
Types of ammunition - cartridges with armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation incendiary shells in cassettes with a capacity of 4 and 5 cartridges;
Cartridges - unitary, telescopic;
Weight, kg - 2.7 (OFZ); 3.6 (BPS);
Projectiles - stabilized by rotation;
Weight, kg - 1.3 (OFZ); 0.67 (BPS);
Mass of explosives - 0.17 kg;
Core weight, kg - 0.42 (BPS);
The initial speed of the projectile, m / s - 1640 (BPS); 850 (OFZ);
Armor penetration, mm - BPS 150 (at D = 1500 m);

Some time later, in early December 2011, in the city of Kovrov, at the “Plant im. Degtyarev” held a meeting of the Commission on Defense and Defense Industry of the Public Committee of Supporters of the President of the Russian Federation, headed by D. Rogozin. As part of this event, a show of new products was held, among which was a new gun.

A well-known expert Igor Korotchenko published a photo of the new gun on his blog. However, for some reason, he was "embarrassed" to photograph the explanatory plate, and to the official request "Plant im. Degtyarev" did not answer. As a result, we can only guess what we see in that photo. Only one thing is clear - the gun in Korotchenko's photo is seriously different from the 45 mm AP from the Kurganmash patent and the presentation of the Airborne Forces.

In a recent interview, one way or another, Albert Bakov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OAO Kurganmashzavod, indirectly admitted the existence of a new automatic gun with new ammunition, lamenting that they were not yet ready. It remains to be hoped that in the shortest possible time all the problems will be solved by our gunsmiths and we will finally get a weapon that allows us to be proud of our national defense industry.

Until the beginning of the 70s, all aircraft guns were universal, but a huge rate of fire of 5-!0 thousand rounds was not required to destroy ground targets. Therefore, there was a need for a specialized anti-tank gun. The 30-mm automatic gun 2A42 was developed in the Tula Instrument Design Bureau under the direction of V.P. Gryazev. General management was carried out by A.G. Shipunov. The first prototype guns were manufactured at the Tula Machine-Building Plant in 1978. Serial production is deployed there.
Initially, the 2A42 gun was installed on the BMP-2. Then she began to be completed combat vehicles BMD-2, BMP-3, BMD-3, BTR-90, Ka-50, Ka-52, Mi-28 helicopters.

The 2A42 gun has a variable rate of fire and selective ammunition supply from two cartridge boxes, equipped with armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation shells. This made it possible to increase the effectiveness of hitting lightly armored ground and air targets by 30%. The combat survivability of the 2A42 gun barrel allows firing the entire ammunition load (500 rounds) without delays and intermediate cooling. Both on the BMP-2 and on the army combat helicopter, the gun mount works reliably in dusty conditions.

Generally speaking, the 2A42 gun is one of the most (if not the most ...) powerful helicopter guns in the world! It is capable of stably incapacitating lightly and medium-armored targets and openly located enemy manpower at a distance of up to 3-4 km !!! 1,5 km ... Just no comment ... Although I will not deny myself the pleasure ... While the Apache will go on a collision course with any of our combat helicopters with a 2A42 gun installed on it, our helicopter will have time to shoot him four times before The Apache will enter the allowable firing zone in which it would have at least some chance to hit the target, but ... And if you also take into account the almost twice the speed of the 2A42 projectile (980 versus 550) and 30mm. caliber then ... Apache's fate becomes extremely sad ... And there he is dear ...

DEVICE OF 30 MM GUN 2А42 AND INTERACTION OF ITS PARTS AND MECHANISMS

The 30 mm automatic cannon is designed to combat lightly armored targets at a range of up to 1500 m with ATGMs, unarmored weapons and enemy manpower at ranges of up to 4000 m, as well as for firing at air targets flying at altitudes up to 2000 m at subsonic speeds and slant range up to 2500 m.
The principle of operation of the 30 mm automatic gun is based on the removal of part of the powder gases through a transverse hole in the barrel. And the hole is not adjustable. The mass of the gun 2A42 is 115 kg, the mass of the barrel is 40 kg. Vitality - 6000 shots.

AMMUNITION 30MM GUN

For firing from a 30 mm cannon, three types of shots are used: 1) with a high-explosive fragmentation-incendiary projectile - OFZ; 2) with an OT fragmentation tracer; 3) with a BT armor-piercing tracer. All cartridges of unitary equipment. All the main elements of the shot: a projectile with a fuse, a combat (propellant) charge, a cartridge case, and a means of ignition - a KV-30 percussion cap sleeve, are combined into a single whole.
Ammunition in the gun is placed in two tapes identical in design, but different in capacity. One belt with a capacity of 340 shots with OFZ and OT shells is loaded in a ratio of 4:1, respectively. Another tape with a capacity of 160 shots With a KG projectile. Ribbons are equipped and unloaded with the help of a 6Yu16 machine. Cartridge belt links that have passed no more than 12 firings are allowed for equipment.
The tape is articulated (Fig. 5). It consists of separate, 2 links, interconnected by means of a loop "a" and a hook "b".
The shots are packed in wooden boxes (weight of the box with shots is 62 kg). Each box contains 3 sealed boxes of 18 shots. There are 54 shots in the box in total.
The OFZ projectile (Fig. 4a) is designed to destroy manpower, ground and aerial technology enemy. The projectile consists of a body 1 with a copper leading belt pressed into it 2. Inside the body there is a bursting charge 3. A-670 brand fuse of a mechanical type with a self-liquidator. The mass of the OFZ projectile is 0.391-0.393 kg. The response time of the self-liquidator D-14 s., Which corresponds to a firing range of 3900 - 5300 m.
The cocking range of the fuse is 20-100 and from the muzzle of the barrel.
The OT projectile (Fig. 4b) has a smaller bursting charge, but is equipped with tracer 5. The tracer burning time is 10 s, which corresponds to a flight range of 4300 m, i.e. 300 m more than the maximum effective range of fire. The time and range of self-liquidation are the same as those of the OFZ. The mass of the shell is 0.385-0.387.
Shot (cartridge) of unitary loading of a 30-mm cannon:

1. projectile;
2. sleeve;
3. combat (propellant) charge;
4. capsule sleeve KV-30;
5. decopperizer;
6. fuse

Characteristics of ammunition with armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectile for the 2A42 gun