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.