Mk44 Bushmaster II | |
---|---|
Type | Chain gun autocannon |
Service history | |
In service | 2007–present |
Used by | See users |
Production history | |
Designer | Alliant Techsystems |
Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman |
Specifications | |
Mass | 344 lb (160 kg) |
Length | 134.05 inches (3,405 mm) |
Barrel length | 94.88 inches (2,410 mm) |
Width | 13.5 inches (340 mm) |
Height | 15.43 inches (392 mm) |
Shell | 30×173mm 40×180mm |
Caliber | 30 millimetres (1.18 in) caliber 40 millimetres (1.57 in) caliber |
Rate of fire | 100/200 rounds per minute |
Muzzle velocity | 1,080 metres per second (3,500 ft/s) (HEI-T ammunition) |
Effective firing range | 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) land appl. 5,100 metres (16,700 ft) naval appl. |
The Mk44 Bushmaster II is a 30 mm chain gun manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is a derivative of the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster, and uses 70% of the same parts as the M242 while increasing the firepower by as much as 50% with the 20% increase in caliber size. The barrel is chromium-plated for extended life. The gun uses standard GAU-8 Avenger ammunition that is available in API (Armor-Piercing Incendiary), HEI (High-Explosive Incendiary) and APFSDS-T (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer) variants.
The gun can be converted to a caliber of 40×180 mm, which involves changing the barrel and a few key parts, to use the SuperShot 40 cartridge. It can also be converted to use the 30×170 mm RARDEN cartridge.
The Bushmaster II is the standard primary armament of the Bionix-II AFV currently in service with the Singapore Army, the KTO Rosomak in Polish service, and the CV90 AFVs in Finnish, Norwegian and Swiss service. Although the United States Air Force selected this cannon to replace the 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer and Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60 guns on its fleet of AC-130U gunships in 2007, this plan was later canceled. [1] The United States Marine Corps' cancelled Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, was expected to be armed with this cannon as well. Some United States Navy vessels, such as the new San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock are armed with the Bushmaster II for surface threat defense.
The Bushmaster II cannon is used in the DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Gun (ASCG) point defense system that is fitted to the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates. [2]
The Bushmaster II cannon is also used in the Turkish made Aselsan SMASH stabilized weapon station. [3]
The USAF had experimented with installing Bushmaster II cannons on their AC-130U gunships in place of the GAU-12 and Bofors 40 mm cannons. On 11 August 2008, the effort was canceled because of problems with the Bushmaster's accuracy in tests "at the altitude we were employing it." There were also schedule considerations that drove the decision. [4] On 9 July 2012, the Air Force type classified a new version of the Bushmaster called the GAU-23/A. The cannon will be used on the AC-130W and the AC-130J gunships. [5]
The U.S. Navy uses the Mk44 Bushmaster II in the Mk 46 Mod 2 Gun Weapon System (GWS). The GWS is produced by General Dynamics to give warships protection against small, high-speed surface craft. A Mk 46 turret consists of the 30 mm chain gun, a forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor, a low light television camera, and a laser rangefinder. The guns fire at 200 rounds per minute and are fed by a 400-round magazine through 200-round dual feeds. Effective range is 2,200 yd (2,000 m) for full-caliber high-explosive or armor-piercing ammunition, which can be extended when using sub-caliber rounds. The Mk 46 GWS is permanently installed on the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and can be installed on Freedom and Independence-class littoral combat ships as part of the surface warfare (SuW) package. [6] [7] In 2012, the Navy decided to replace the Mk 110 57 mm cannons on Zumwalt-class destroyers with the Mk 46 GWS. [8]
Orbital ATK developed a modified version of the Bushmaster II, known as the Mk44 STRETCH, which can fire the 30x173 mm Mk310 PABM-T airburst round. [9] [10]
In January 2020, Northrop Grumman revealed the development of proximity airburst rounds for the LCS' 30 mm gun modules to destroy small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Since the modules feature dual feeders, different types of rounds could be fed for different targets. [11]
In October 2023, the UK announced it would be delivering the Terrahawk Paladin to Ukraine as part of assistance during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Terrahawk Paladin is made by MSI Defence Systems (MSI-DS) as a land-based version of the Seahawk. It is a static Very Short-Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) system that can be deployed off a truck. The system combines radars, EO/IR cameras, and laser rangefinders with a 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II chain gun with 240 rounds of airburst munitions capable of engaging small UAS out to 2 km (1.2 mi). [12] [13] [14]
The XM813 Bushmaster is based on the Mk44 and is offered as an upgrade for U.S. Army M1126 Stryker and M2 Bradley vehicles, as well as having been a contender to be the primary armament of the Ground Combat Vehicle. The improvements include a 25.4 mm (1.00 in) longer barrel, integral mount to increase first round hit probability by up to 10%, a dual recoil system to enhance accuracy to help cope with future hotter propellants, and a Meggitt linkless dual feed ammunition system. [15] The 30 mm chain gun can fire Mk310 Programmable Air Burst Munition rounds to attack targets in defilade. The United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command helped enhance the XM813 mainly for safety and turret integration. By changing five parts, the gun caliber can be increased to 40 mm. As of November 2013, the XM813 was being tested at Aberdeen Proving Ground over three months to ensure reliability levels of 40,000 mean rounds between failures. Long-term plans are to equip vehicles with the Bushmaster III 35mm/50mm cannon. [16] [17]
The XM813 was demonstrated in September 2014 at the ARDEC Digital Multi-Purpose Range Complex. The gun was mounted on a Bradley Fighting Vehicle and fired at targets up to 1,500 metres (0.93 mi) away. An enhanced fire control system improves long-range accuracy to kill targets with fewer bursts, sometimes as few as two or three rounds instead of 10. The XM813 30 mm cannon is intended to replace the M242 Bushmaster 25 mm chain gun, and can be mounted on vehicles other than the Bradley. Two capabilities not demonstrated were its linkless ammunition with airburst capabilities; airburst rounds increase lethality by enabling engagement of targets in defilade when they would otherwise only be suppressed by fire. [18]
In early 2015, the U.S. Army approved an upgrade for 81 Stryker vehicles of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed in Europe to be upgunned with the Mk44 30 mm Bushmaster cannon to increase their lethality against other light armored vehicles used by Russia in the theater. [19] The cannons will be installed by 2018, and may be the first step in adding the Bushmaster to the entire active fleet of about 1,000 Strykers; [20] the XM813 variant will be used with the Strykers. [21] The XM813 has a demonstrated firing ability out to 3,000 metres (1.9 mi) for precision firing, nearly twice as far as the M2 12.7 mm caliber machine gun that has a maximum effective range of 1,830 metres (1.14 mi) as an area suppression weapon. The first upgunned Stryker, known as the "Dragoon" for the 2nd Cavalry Regiment the vehicles will be part of, was delivered in October 2016, [22] [23] and the first Infantry Carrier Vehicle - Dragoon (ICVD) was delivered to the 2CR in Germany in December 2017. [24]
The ATK MK44-ABM variant of the Bushmaster was selected in 2018 by the Spanish Army to equip the Tizona turret of the Line version (IFV) of the Dragón IFV, the replacement of the Pegaso BMR. [25]
name | short description | notes |
---|---|---|
MK238 | High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer (HEI-T) | This round self-destructs if it misses its target. [49] |
MK239 | Target Practice Traced (TP-T) | training ammunition, ballistically matched with the MK264. [50] |
MK258 | Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APFSDS-T) | The round is designed to be "supercavitating" to increase its effectiveness when fired at targets like underwater mines. [51] |
MK264 | Multi Purpose Low Drag-Tracer(MPLD-T) | Light armor-piercing capability with a delayed explosive reaction using a chemical fuze. It is available with and without Self Destruct (SD). |
MK266 | High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer (HEI-T) | An update to an earlier round, with enhanced range. [52] |
MK310 | Programmable Air Burst Munition-Tracer (PABM-T) | Can be programmed to explode in the air above target to wound or kill enemies behind cover. [53] |
MK317 | Target Practice Discarding Sabot-Tracer (TPDS-T) | A training round. [54] |
PGU14/B | Armor Piercing Incendiary (API) | A relatively lightweight projectile with a core of dense depleted uranium penetrator. [55] |
PGU13D/B | High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) | Aircraft mounted cannons use the round against personnel, trucks, ammunition storage, and other targets. [56] |
PGU15A/B | Target Practice (TP) | A training round with the same ballistic properties of PGU13D/B. [57] |
The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically, electrically, or pneumatically driven, six-barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm × 102 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft for over sixty years.
The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III. Stryker vehicles are produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) for the United States Army in a plant in London, Ontario. It has four-wheel drive (8×4) and can be switched to all-wheel drive (8×8).
Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) was an American aerospace and arms manufacturer headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia. The company operated across 22 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally. ATK revenue in fiscal year 2014 was about US$4.8 billion.
The General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30 mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-style autocannon that is primarily mounted in the United States Air Force's Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. Designed to destroy a wide variety of ground targets, the Avenger delivers 30mm rounds at a high rate of fire. The GAU-8/A is also used in the Dutch Goalkeeper CIWS ship weapon system, which provides defense against short-range threats such as highly maneuverable missiles, aircraft, and fast-maneuvering surface vessels. The GAU-8/A was designed by General Electric and has been produced by General Dynamics since 1977.
The General Dynamics GAU-12/U Equalizer is a five-barrel 25 mm Gatling-type rotary cannon. The GAU-12/U is used by the United States, Italy and Spain, which mount the weapon in their attack jets such as the AV-8B Harrier II, airborne gunships such as the Lockheed AC-130, and land-based fighting vehicles. A lighter four-barrel version, designated GAU-22/A, is mounted on F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.
The 30 mm caliber is a range of autocannon ammunition. It includes the NATO standardized Swiss 30×173mm, 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.
The M230 Cannon is a 30 mm (30×113 mm), single-barrel electrically-driven autocannon, using external electrical power to cycle the weapon between shots. It was designed and manufactured originally by Hughes Helicopters in Culver City, California. As of 2019, it is produced by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.
The M242 Bushmaster chain gun is a 25 mm (25×137mm) single-barrel chain-driven autocannon. It is used extensively by the U.S. military, such as in the Bradley fighting vehicle, as well as by other NATO members and some other nations in ground combat vehicles and various watercraft. Hughes Helicopters in Culver City, California, was the original designer and manufacturer. As of 2019, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems produces the gun.
The Bushmaster III is a 35 mm automatic/semi-automatic cannon designed and built by Alliant Techsystems, based on the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster. The weapon has been selected as primary armament for the CV9035 export versions of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) currently in service with the Danish, Dutch and Estonian armies. The Bushmaster III is a chain gun, like the other members of the Bushmaster family, which grants it great dependability and safety from ammunition cook-off even though it does result in lower rates of fire. The caliber is the NATO standard 35×228 introduced by the Oerlikon KD in the 1950s.
A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), remotely operated weapon system (ROWS), or remote weapon system (RWS), is a remotely operated light or medium-caliber weapon system, often equipped with a fire-control system, that can be installed on a ground combat vehicle or sea- and air-based combat platform.
The Protector RWS is a remotely controlled weapons station (RWS) that can be mounted to vehicles and stationary platforms. It has been in full scale production since December 2001. It is manufactured by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of Norway.
The M1126 infantry carrier vehicle (ICV) is an armored personnel carrier and part of the Stryker family of vehicles (derived from the Canadian LAV III/Swiss MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8) used by the United States Army and Royal Thai Army. Models with the double V-hull upgrade are known as the M1256 ICVV.
The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station, a land-based system manufactured by the same developer. Like Samson RCWS, Typhoon is also multi-configurable.
An airburst round is a type of tactical anti-personnel and anti-aircraft explosive ammunition, typically a shell or grenade, that detonates in midair, causing air burst effect fragment damage to enemy personnel or aircraft. In the latter case, airburst rounds are used in anti-aircraft or "zenith" cannon, known in military slang as FLAK or ack-ack.
The Shipunov 2A42 is a Soviet/Russian 30 mm autocannon. It is built by the Tulamashzavod Joint Stock Company and named after A. G. Shipunov.
The CM-32 "Clouded Leopard", officially Taiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle (TIFV), is an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle currently being produced for the Republic of China Army. It is based on the 6x6 CM-31 designed by Timoney Technology Limited of Ireland and is further developed by the Ordnance Readiness Development Center.
The Oerlikon KBA is a 25 mm (25×137mm) autocannon, developed as a close range multipurpose weapon for the mechanised battlefield, originally made by Oerlikon and currently produced in Rheinmetall Italia S.p.A. facilities. It is a positively locked breech, gas and recoil operated cannon with a rotating bolt head and a dual-belt selective feed system taking a 25mm NATO cartridge. The rate of fire in burst mode is up to 600 rounds per minute but it can be adjusted electronically and reduced to single shot or a selectable range from 100 up to 175 rounds per minute.
Oto Melara Hitfist is a two-man turret, for armored vehicles, developed by the Italian Oto Melara. The turrets are designed to mount a 25mm Oerlikon KBA or 30/40mm ATK Mk44 Bushmaster II autocannon. The main armament may mount a co-axial machine gun. A variant allows the operator to aim and fire anti-tank missiles.
The 40CTC is a 40 mm autocannon and the central component of the Franco-British 40CTAS developed by CTA International. It is designed to fire 40mm telescoped ammunition. This format provides significant benefit within vehicles in the space envelope required for the gun and the ammunition storage. However, the selection of the unfielded, thus unproven, new design for major French and British programmes was controversial.
High Explosive Incendiary Tracer with Self Destruct, MK238: Low cost proven HEI-T with reliable M758 point detonating fuze with self destruct
The lethality of the round gives a simple look, shoot, kill capability to the helicopter crew enabling them to maintain a rapid tempo of operations and maximizing the tactical effectiveness of every mission while minimizing exposure to hostile forces.
ATK's MK266, a modification to the PGU-13 High Explosive Incendiary 30mm round, features a tracer and non-self-destruct, low-drag fuse for enhanced performance at extended ranges.
Inductive programming that is common with ATK's 30mm PABM-T Mk310; reliable and simple to integrate.
Target Practice Discarding Sabot-Tracer (TPDS-T) Mk. 317 [a quantity of 2,000 rounds will be required to be submitted].
The PGU-14/B API Armor Piercing Incendiary round has a lightweight body which contains a sub-calibre high density penetrator of Depleted Uranium (DU).
High Explosive Incendiary (HEI): Provides fragmentation and incendiary effects for use against personnel, trucks, ammunition storage, and many other targets.
The PGU-15/B TP Target Practice projectile simulates the exterior ballistics and provides a ballistic match to the HEI round and is used for pilot training.