GIAT M781 (30 mm)
Contents
Description
The Model 781 (also known as the Nexter 30) is a 30 mm revolver cannon with electrical ignition and automatic reckocking, which was introduced in the late 1980s. Unlike the DEFA cannon, the M781 is electrically operated rather than gas operated. This increases both reliability and lifetime of the cannon, but also fire rate.
There were 2 variants of the GIAT 30 cannon, the M781 and the M791. The Model 781 was primarily meant to be mounted on helicopters, such as the EC-665 Tiger HAD, while the latter one being intended for fighters such as the Dassault Rafale.
The M781 is offered in multiple installations, such as being mounted as a turret or as a pod, or just fixed to the vehicle. It is 1,87 m long and it weighs roughly 65 kg, and its fire rate is roughly 750 rounds a minute with the muzzle velocity of around 810 m/s. Due to the somewhat heavy recoil of the cannon, single shots or bursts are preferred over fully automatic fire.
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
General info
Due to the M781 being limited to only HEF-SAPI rounds that have barely any penetration power, it will prove to be inadequate at dispatching hostile tanks. However, soft targets such as open top vehicles or light vehicles (or even aircraft if the user is comfortable with using the M781 for AA purposes), will get shredded in mere seconds by the M781 thanks to its high fire rate and high velocity.
Available ammunition
- HEF-SAPI
Comparison with analogues
| Comparable autocannons to the M781 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year of Production | RPM | Maximum Penetration (mm) |
| 2A42 (30 mm) | 1973 | 200 - 300 (Low)
550 - 800 (High) |
82 |
| M230E-1 (30 mm) | 1975 | 625 | 51 |
Usage in battles
As mentioned above, the M781 severely lacks in the penetration power. This makes it very difficult to engage hostile tanks, so the user should be careful about picking out targets if one is equipped only with the cannon. If one is engaging with only the cannon, the user should be very careful about their surroundings and use nearby cover, such as buildings or mountains, to flank around the enemy. Be careful about enemy AA as it will shred the user almost instantly if not enough awareness is given to them. If the user manages to flank the enemy, they should focus on dispatching soft targets such as enemy light tanks or AA vehicles if they are caught off-guard.
The other way of using the M781 is to be a "support" for your teammates. Due to the M781's low penetration but high explosion power HEF-SAPI rounds, one can use this to cripple the tanks, which would otherwise shrug off the HEF-SAPI rounds, by destroying the modules such as the tracks. This way, you can save your teammates from an imminent destruction and even score yourself an assist.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High fire rate; being 750 RPM
- High velocity of rounds
- HEF-SAPI rounds shred soft targets and aircraft alike
Cons:
- Restricted to only HEF-SAPI rounds; engaging armor will be difficult
- Thanks to its fire rate and relatively low ammo capacity, it isn't uncommon to run out of rounds rather quickly
History
The GIAT Industries 30 mm Model 781 is an externally powered weapon firing 30 mm ammunition of the 550 family. It is a single feed weapon intended for arming light aircraft, helicopters, armoured and soft-skinned vehicles. The mechanism drive and timing is imparted by a cam mechanism and electronic controls are provided to control the rate of fire which may be varied to suit the mounting in use. Single shot, limited or unlimited bursts are possible. The first production application for this weapon is the HAP cannon turret designed to be installed on the Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter. The German version possesses a different cannon, the Mauser RMK 30 mm. As of the 1990s there are no land systems production applications for this 30 mm cannon.
Media
An excellent addition to the article would be a video guide, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.
See also
- 2A42 (30 mm) - An autocannon mounted on the Mi-28N
- M230E-1 (30 mm) - An autocannon mounted on the AH-64 series of helicopters
External links
| France aircraft cannons | |
|---|---|
| 20 mm | GIAT M.621 · Hispano 404 · Hispano HS.9 · M50 |
| 30 mm | DEFA 541 · DEFA 551 · DEFA 552 · DEFA 552A · DEFA 553 · DEFA 554 · GIAT M781 |
| Foreign: | |
| 20 mm | AN/M2 (USA) · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 (USA) · Hispano Mk.II (Britain) · M3 (USA) · M24A1 (USA) · M39A1 (USA) · MG 151 (Germany) · ShVAK (USSR) |
| 37 mm | M4 (USA) · M10 (USA) · NS-37 (USSR) |
