GSh-30-2K (30 mm)

This page is about the Soviet autocannon GSh-30-2K (30 mm). For the other version, see GSh-30-2 (30 mm).

Description

The 30 mm GSh-30-2K (Gryazev-Shipunov) is a Soviet dual barrel autocannon. It was introduced in Update 1.81 "The Valkyries" with the introduction of the Mi-24P.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Mi-24P
• ◊Mi-24P
• ◄Mi-24P HFS 80

General info

The GSh-30-2K can fire up to 2,600 rpm on "high" setting, or 300 rpm on "low" setting.

Available ammunition

• Default: HEFI-T · APHE
• Universal: AP-T · HEFI-T · APHE · HEFI-T
• Ground targets: AP-T · APHE · APHE
• Air targets: APHE · HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HEFI-T

Penetration statistics
Belt	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
	10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Default	47	46	39	32	26	21
Universal	62	60	51	42	35	29
Ground targets	62	60	51	42	35	29
Air targets	47	46	39	32	26	21

Comparison with analogues

• M230E-1 (30 mm): 30 mm American chain cannon found on the Apache, with access to HEDP rounds and higher ammo count, but a lower rate of fire.
• GSh-6-30 (30 mm): A rotary cannon of the same calibre with 6 barrels and a higher rate of fire than the GSh-30-2.
• 2A42 (30 mm): A Soviet 30 mm cannon with a much slower rate of fire rate but has access to APDS rounds and more ammo.

Usage in battles

The GSh-30-2K was exclusively for gunships, serving as the fixed gun on some Soviet helicopters. The one thing that it does the best is shatter enemies with its 30 mm shells and high rate of fire; not only this gun is devastating for aircraft or fellow helicopters, this gun is lethal to vehicles when being attacked top-down as well.

But do keep in mind that Gast guns' high rate of fire also means you will deplete all the 250 rounds quickly, so do not be trigger happy with it. Using the "low" fire rate mode will make conserving your ammo easier, but increases the time to destroy a target, and can leave you vulnerable.

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.

Pros:

• Good belt options for both air and ground units
• Access to APHE rounds, can destroy light and medium targets with a single burst
• Variable rate of fire option, can conserve ammo on "low" setting
• Good muzzle velocity

Cons:

• High rate of fire means careless usage will result in running out of ammo quickly

History

After the successful GSh-23 was developed based on the decade-old Gast gun design, during early 1980s, the Soviet Ministry of Defense required the unification of calibre in tri-service autocannons. The design for GSh-23L was then enlarged to 30 mm calibre as the GSh-30-2 cannon, first used exclusively on the Su-25 "Frogfoot", and later the water-cooled -2K variant made into service with the introduction of the Mi-24P "Hind-F" gunship.

Media

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See also

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• reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

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