From about the middle of the 20th century, the 30 mm caliber became the de facto standard for automatic cannons. Of course, automatic cannons of other calibers, from 20 to 40 mm, were also widespread, but the most widespread was the 30 mm caliber. Rapid-fire 30 mm cannons are especially widespread in the Armed Forces of the USSR / Russia.
The scope of application of 30 mm automatic cannons is enormous. These are aircraft cannons on fighters, attack aircraft and combat helicopters, rapid-fire weapons of infantry fighting vehicles (BMP) and short-range air defense systems, and air defense systems for the near zone of surface ships of the Navy.
The main developer of 30-mm automatic cannons in the USSR / Russia is the Tula Instrument Design Bureau (KBP). It was from it that such remarkable 30 mm automatic guns as the product 2A42, installed on the BMP-2 and Ka-50/52, Mi-28 helicopters, came out, this is the product 2A72, installed in the BMP-3 tower module, together with a 100 mm cannon and 12.7 mm machine gun, 2A38 rapid-fire double-barreled cannons mounted on Tunguska and Pantsir anti-aircraft cannon-missile systems (ZPRK), aircraft GSh-301 for Su-27 and MIG-29 aircraft, ship six-barreled AO-18 (GSh -6-30K) and other models.
At the same time, in the XXI century, complaints about automatic cannons of 30 mm caliber began to appear. In particular, armored combat vehicles of the ground forces (ground forces) began to be equipped with reinforced body armor capable of withstanding the fire of 30 mm guns in the frontal projection. In this regard, words began to sound about the transition to automatic cannons with a caliber of 40 mm and more. In Russia, more and more often you can see samples of armored vehicles with a 57 mm automatic cannon 2A91, developed by the Central Research Institute "Burevestnik".
At the same time, with an increase in caliber, the ammunition load is radically reduced. If for a 30-mm BMP-2 cannon the ammunition load is 500 rounds, then for a 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 mass and size characteristics of the modules, with 57 mm cannons, do not always allow them to be placed on compact armored vehicles. A 57 mm cannon is also unlikely to be installed on a helicopter or an aircraft, even if it is placed close to the center of mass, as on the Ka-50/52, or if the aircraft is built “around the cannon,” like the American A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.
In aviation, the very need to install an automatic cannon is often questioned. 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 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 using automatic cannons. Significance reduction and electronic warfare (EW) technologies are unlikely to change this situation, since in any case, the growth of the capabilities of modern radar and OLS will most likely allow detecting and attacking an aircraft with stealth technology beyond the range of automatic cannons.
Currently, automatic cannons on multifunctional fighters remain rather due to a certain conservatism of the Air Force (Air Force).
For combat helicopters, the use of an automatic cannon 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 small arms and cannon armament of ground combat equipment.
The use of automatic cannons as part of ground-based anti-aircraft missile systems also raises questions. As part of one complex, automatic cannons are used on the Soviet / Russian air defense missile systems "Tunguska" and "Pantsir". As a result of the hostilities in Syria, all real combat targets were shot down by missile weapons, not automatic cannons. According to some reports, automatic 30 mm cannons do not have the accuracy and accuracy sufficient to hit small targets, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or guided / unguided ammunition.
This leads to the fact that often the cost of a shot down target exceeds the cost of an anti-aircraft guided missile (SAM) fired at it. Large targets, such as an airplane or a helicopter, try not to hit the range of automatic cannons.
The situation is similar in the navy. If subsonic anti-ship missiles (ASMs) can still be hit by multi-barreled automatic cannons, then the probability of hitting supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles is significantly lower, not to mention hypersonic anti-ship missiles. In addition, the high flight speed and significant mass of the supersonic / hypersonic anti-ship missile system can lead to the fact that even if it is hit at a short distance from the ship, the remnants of the dilapidated anti-ship missile system will reach the ship and cause significant damage to it.
Summing up the above, it may turn out that in Russia, in the ground forces on infantry fighting vehicles, 30 mm automatic cannons are likely to be superseded by automatic cannons of 57 mm caliber; complexes of both the ground forces and the Navy, the role of automatic cannons of 30 mm caliber is also decreasing, which may lead to a gradual abandonment of them and their replacement with air defense systems of the RIM-116 type. Could this lead to the gradual oblivion of 30 mm armament, and what directions of development and scope of application do rapid-fire cannons of this caliber have?
The use of 57 mm automatic cannons on BMPs does not mean that there is no room for their 30-mm counterparts on other models of ground combat equipment. In particular, NGAS presented the concept of installing modules with an M230LF cannon on armored vehicles, small robotic complexes and other vehicles, as well as stationary structures, as a replacement for 12.7 mm machine guns.
Similar remotely controlled weapons modules (DUMV), for use on light armored vehicles and ground robotic systems, can be developed on the basis of Russian automatic cannons of 30 mm caliber. This will significantly expand the scope of their application and the sales market. Significant recoil of 30 mm cannons can be reduced by limiting the rate of fire of automatic 30 mm guns at the level of 200-300 rounds / min.
An extremely interesting solution could be the creation of compact remote-controlled weapon modules based on 30 mm cannons, for use on main battle tanks, as a replacement for the anti-aircraft 12.7 mm machine gun.
It is worth noting that the issue of equipping tanks with an auxiliary 30 mm cannon was repeatedly considered both in the USSR / Russia and in the NATO countries, but it never came to large-scale production. For T-80 tanks, an installation with a 30-mm 2A42 automatic cannon 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 supposed to be 450 shells.
A promising 30-mm remote-controlled weapon module should have an all-round horizontal visibility and a large vertical guidance angle. The power of a 30-mm projectile, compared with a 12.7 mm caliber bullet, in combination with a maximum view from the roof of a tank turret, will significantly increase the tank's ability to combat tank-hazardous targets, such as grenade launchers and armored vehicles with ATGMs, and enhance the ability to defeat aviation means of attack of the enemy. The massive equipment 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 cannons as part of tank armament can be joint work with the main weapon in the defeat of enemy tanks equipped with active protection systems (KAZ). In this case, it is necessary to synchronize the operation of the main gun and the 30 mm cannon so that when firing at an enemy tank, a burst of 30 mm shells will be fired a little earlier than the main gun's APCR round. Thus, the impact of 30-mm shells first leads to damage to the active protection elements of the enemy tank (detection radar, containers with damaging 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 directs the crosshair at the enemy tank, selects the "against KAZ" mode, presses the trigger, and then everything happens automatically.
The option of equipping 30 mm projectiles with any aerosol or other filler and a remote detonation fuse can also be considered. In this case, a burst of 30 mm projectiles detonates in the active protection zone of the enemy tank, interfering with the operation of its radar detection equipment, but not interfering with the flight of the BOPS.
Another direction in the development of the scope and increase in the efficiency of 30 mm automatic cannons is seen in the creation of shells with remote detonation on the flight path, and in the future, the creation of guided 30 mm shells.
Remote blasting shells have been developed and introduced in NATO countries. In particular, the German company Rheinmetall offers a 30 mm air blast projectile, also known as 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-based NPO Pribor. In contrast to the inductive system used by Rheinmetall, Russian shells use a system for initiating a remote detonation using a laser beam. Ammunition of this type will be tested in 2019 and in the future should be included in the ammunition load of the latest combat vehicles of the Russian army.
The use of shells with remote detonation on the flight path will increase the capabilities of air defense systems equipped with 30-mm automatic cannons to combat small-sized and maneuvering targets. Similarly, the air defense of ground combat vehicles equipped with 30 mm automatic cannons will be strengthened. Opportunities for engaging enemy manpower in open areas will increase. This is especially important for tanks if they are equipped with a DUMV with a 30 mm automatic cannon.
The next step could be the creation of guided projectiles in the caliber of 30 mm.
At the moment, there are developments of guided projectiles of 57 mm caliber. In particular, the BAE Systems Corporation at the Sea-Air-Space 2015 exhibition for the first time presented 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 57- mm shipborne universal automatic artillery mounts Mk 110. The projectile must have a two-channel combined homing head - with a semi-active laser channel (guidance is carried out using an external laser target designation) and an electro-optical or infrared channel that uses target image storage.
According to some reports, Russia is also developing a 57 mm guided projectile for the Derivation of Air Defense anti-aircraft module. The development of a guided projectile is carried out by the Tochmash Design Bureau named after A. E. Nudelman. The developed guided artillery projectile (UAS) is stored in the ammunition rack, launched from the rifled barrel of the gun and guided by a laser beam, which allows hitting 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 nose of the projectile. The drive is powered by an incoming air flow.
The UAS is fired at a high initial speed and almost immediately has the lateral accelerations necessary for guidance. The projectile can be fired in the direction of the target or at the calculated lead-in point. In the first case, guidance is carried out using 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 for aiming at the target is located in the end part and is covered by a pallet, which is separated in flight.
Is it possible to create guided projectiles in 30 mm caliber? Of course, this will be much more difficult than the development of the UAS in the 57 mm caliber. The 57 mm projectile is essentially closer to the 100 mm projectiles, the guided munitions for which 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 USA, under the auspices of the notorious DARPA, and in Russia.
So, in 2015, the US Department of Defense tested advanced EXACTO bullets with a controlled flight path. The bullets developed as part of the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance program will be used in a new high-precision sniper system from a rifle, special telescopic sight and guided rounds. Technical details about the ammunition were not disclosed. According to unconfirmed reports, a small battery, a microcontroller, a laser sensor and folding steering wheels are installed in the pool. After the shot, the microcontroller is activated and begins to lead the bullet to the target with the help of the released air rudders. According to other information, the flight adjustment is carried out by the deflecting bullet nose. The guidance system is presumably telecontrol in a laser beam.
According to the Russian Foundation for Advanced Study (FPI), Russia has also begun testing a "smart bullet" in controlled flight mode. In parallel, suggestions were made that a 30 mm ammunition could be taken as a basis, into which a control unit, a source of motion, a stabilizer block and a warhead could fit. However, according to the latest data, Russia has postponed indefinitely the project to create guided bullets capable of adjusting their flight. This is not necessarily due to the technical impossibility of creating them, often the financial factor or a change in priorities serves as a limiting factor.
And finally, the closest project, in relation to the 30 mm guided projectile of interest to us, is the project of the Raytheon company - MAD-FIRES (Multi-Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System - Multi-azimuth defense system, rapid interception and all-round attack). The MAD-FIRES project is an attempt to combine the accuracy of rockets and the "let's shoot more, because they are cheap" approach. The shells must be suitable for firing from automatic cannons of 20 to 40 mm caliber, while MAD-FIRE ammunition must combine the accuracy and control of missiles with the speed and rate of fire of conventional ammunition of the corresponding caliber.
Based on the above examples, it can be assumed that the creation of guided ammunition in the caliber of 30 mm is a task 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 determining factor is the cost / efficiency criterion, i.e. if we hit a $ 10,000,000 tank with a $ 100,000 rocket, that's acceptable, but if we hit a $ 100,000 jeep with a heavy machine gun worth $ 10,000 in total, that's not very good. However, there may be other situations, for example, when an anti-aircraft missile for $ 100,000 intercepted a mortar mine for $ 2,000, but thanks to this, the aircraft at the airfield for $ 100,000,000 was not destroyed, the pilot and maintenance personnel did not die. In general, the issue of 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. What is the cost of a 30 mm guided projectile as a result, developers / manufacturers will be able to get - $ 5,000, $ 3,000 or maybe only $ 500 apiece, now it is difficult to say.
Let us consider the effect of the appearance of guided 30 mm projectiles on increasing the efficiency and expanding the scope of application of rapid-fire guns.
As mentioned earlier, in aviation, maneuvering combat with the use of cannons has become extremely unlikely. On the other hand, it is extremely important to create a kind of "active protection" of the aircraft from attacking missiles. In the west, they are trying to solve this problem by creating highly maneuverable interceptor missiles CUDA, developed by Lockheed Martin. Such missiles will not interfere with our country.
As a means of active protection against attacking missiles, it is also possible to 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 guided 30 mm projectiles with remote detonation will allow high-precision fire at enemy air-to-air or surface-to-air missiles on a collision course. Of course, this will require re-equipping the aircraft with an appropriate guidance system, including 2-4 laser channels to ensure the simultaneous attack of several targets.
In the event that a maneuverable air battle still takes place, an aircraft with 30 mm guided projectiles will have an undeniable advantage due to the greater aiming range of fire, the absence of the need to accurately orient the stationary cannon of the aircraft to the enemy, the ability to compensate for the enemy's maneuvers within certain limits by adjusting the flight trajectory of the fired shells.
Finally, when solving such a problem as repelling the raid of long-range high-precision cruise missiles (CR), the pilot, after exhausting the rocket ammunition, can spend several guided 30 mm rounds on one conventional "Tomahawk", i.e. one fighter can destroy the entire salvo of the CD of any type of "Virginia" submarine, or even two.
Likewise, the use of guided 30-mm projectiles in the ammunition load of the surface ship's air defense weapons will allow to push back the anti-ship missile destruction border. Now for the Kashtan anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex (ZRAK), official sources indicate the area of destruction of artillery weapons at a range of 500 to 1,500 m, but in fact, the destruction of anti-ship missiles is carried out at the turn of 300-500 m, at a range 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 weapons, 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 installations, by reducing the ammunition load and abandoning the monstrous Duet-type products.
The same can be said about the use of guided 30 mm projectiles in land-based air defense systems. The presence of 30 mm guided shells in the "Pantsire" ammunition will save missile weapons when subsonic high-precision ammunition is hit, leaving missiles for the carrier aircraft, which will reduce the likelihood of a repetition of situations that occurred in Syria, when air defense systems with spent ammunition were destroyed with impunity.
From an economic point of view, the destruction of mortar mines and 30 mm balloons with guided projectiles should also be cheaper than 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 greater probability and with less ammunition consumption. In the presence of high-quality sighting devices, it will be possible to work on vulnerable points of the enemy - observation devices, areas of armor weakening, air intake filters, elements of the exhaust system, and so on. For a tank with a DUMV 30 mm, the presence of guided ammunition will allow to more accurately hit the elements of active protection of the enemy tank, work on attacking helicopters and UAVs with a high probability of hitting a target.
The Russian 2A42 and 2A72 cannons have an important advantage over many others - the presence of selective ammunition supply from two projectile boxes. Accordingly, in one box can be controlled 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 branches of the Russian armed forces will reduce the cost of a single projectile due to the mass production of unified components.
Thus, we can formulate a conclusion - to extend the life cycle of high-speed automatic cannons of 30 mm caliber will be given the following directions of development:
1. Creation of maximum lightweight and compact combat modules based on 30-mm cannons.
2. Mass introduction of shells with remote detonation on the flight path.
3. Development and implementation of 30 mm guided projectiles.
