# 30 mm caliber

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. 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. 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.

## 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.

## 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, JLTV MADIS, Oshkosh M-ATV, Stryker M-SHORAD |
| 30×113mmB | ADEN | United Kingdom | Royal Small Arms Factory | Revolver cannon | English Electric Lightning, Hawker Hunter, Saab Draken, SEPECAT Jaguar |
| 30×113mmB | VENOM LR 30 | United Kingdom | AEI Systems | Revolver cannon | Midgard 300 RWS, electro optic systems (EOS) R400 ROWS (prototype) |
| 30×113mmB | 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 |
| 30×113mmB | 30 M 781 | France | GIAT | Chain gun | Eurocopter Tiger |
| 30×113mmB | 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 |
| 30×165mm | GSh-30-2 | Soviet Union | Gryazev-Shipunov | Twin autocannon | Sukhoi Su-25, Mil Mi-24P |
| 30×165mm | GSh-6-30 | Soviet Union | Gryazev-Shipunov | Rotary cannon | MiG-27, Kortik CIWS |
| 30×165mm | AK-630 | Soviet Union | TsKIB SOO | Rotary cannon | A-213-Vympel-A CIWS |
| 30×165mm | 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 |
| 30×165mm | 2A72 | Soviet Union | KBP Instrument Design Bureau | Long-recoil autocannon | BMP-3 (also in BRM-3K version), BMD-4, BTR-82A, Uran-9 |
| 30×165mm | 2A38 [ru] | Soviet Union | KBP Instrument Design Bureau | Twin anti-aircraft gas-operated autocannon | 2K22 Tunguska, Pantsir-S |
| 30×165mm | CRN 91 | India | Ordnance Factory Medak | Light naval gun | Trinkat-class patrol vessel, Kumbhir-class landing ship, Car Nicobar-class fast attack craft |
| 30×165mm | 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 |
| 30×170mm | HS.831L / Oerlikon KCB | France / Switzerland | Hispano-Suiza / Oerlikon | Gas-unlocked delayed-blowback autocannon | Falcon anti-aircraft system, DS30B rapid-fire ship-protection system |
| 30×170mm | 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, Skyranger 30 |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | GAU-8 Avenger | United States | General Electric | Gatling gun | Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, Signaal Goalkeeper CIWS |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | Mk44 Bushmaster II | United States | Alliant Techsystems | Chain gun | Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle, AS21 Redback, BAE ACV-30, Bionix II, Borsuk, Boxer Vilkas, CM-34, CV9030, Dragón VCR [es], ICV [ja], Freccia EVO, Hunter AFV, KTO Rosomak, LAV III(Colombia), LAV-700, M1296 Stryker Dragoon, N-WAV 8×8 IFV, Pandur II 8×8 KBVP, Patria AMV - CRO 30L, Pindad Cobra, Piranha III (Belgium, Botswana, Ireland), Piranha V (Romania), RCV [ja], Sentinel II 6×6 and 8×8, VBTP-MR Guarani |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | Mk44 Bushmaster II | United States | Alliant Techsystems | Chain gun | Naval weapon systems: DS30M Mark 2 Aircraft carrier: NAM Atlântico Amphibious transport docks: Angthong-class, San Antonio class Destroyers Type 45 class, Zumwalt class Frigates: Jose Rizal classs, Littoral combat ship, Maharaja Lela class, Naresuan class, Type 23 class Corvettes: Gowind class (Argentina), Khareef class Offshore patrol vessels: Hateruma class, Holland class, Mamuju class, Polar Security Cutter, River class (batch II) Patrol vessels: Bintang Laut class, Hateruma class, Iwami classs, Krabi class, Kunigami classs, Leamsing class, Mamuju class, Pari class, Pulau Nipah class, Swiftships, Tanjung Datu class, T.991 class, T.994 class Fast-attack craft: Clurit class, Shaldag Mk.V class Mine-countermeasure vessels: Ladya class Support vessels: Karel Doorman class Research vessels: Pollux class |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | Mk44 Bushmaster II | United States | Alliant Techsystems | Chain gun | Lockheed AC-130J, |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | MK 30 [de] | Germany | Rheinmetall | Automatic cannon | ASCOD, Boxer CRV, Boxer RadSPz (PuBo), Lynx KF41, Piranha III (Spanish Marines), SPz Puma, 30mm/82 Compact |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | EMAK 30 | South Africa | Denel Land Systems | Linkless cam gun | Badger |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | Maadi Griffin | United States | Robert Stewart | Prototype anti-materiel rifle | Maadi Griffin |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | 30mm X-GUN | Italy | Leonardo | Automatic Cannon | |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | Wotan 30 | Germany | Rheinmetall | Automatic cannon | Lynx KF41 |
| 30×173mm (STANAG 4624) | GTS-30/N | Slovakia | ZŤS – ŠPECIÁL | Gas-operated autocannon | BOV 8x8 Vydra |
| 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 |