SOV - 2A42 (30 mm automatický kanón)

30 mm automatic cannon 2A42


The gun is used on the Mil Mi-28, Kamov Ka-50, Kamov Ka-52 and Kamov Ka-29 helicopters.




Weapon characteristics
The 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannon is designed to destroy lightly armoured targets up to 1500 m away, PTRS sets, armoured vehicles and enemy live forces up to 4000 m away, and aerial targets flying at low altitudes. It uses a 30x165 mm cartridge.



Tactical and technical data
Calibre ...30
Initial projectile velocity ...960 m/s
Maximum altitude range ...2500 m
Maximum long range ...10 300 m
Effective range on aerial targets ...2500 m
Effective range on ground targets ...4000 m
Number of grooves in the barrel ...16
Groove pitch ...715.5 mm
Square range :
- Manual ... - 5 - + 75 deg.
- Semi-automatic ... - 4 - + 75 deg.
- automatically ... -4 - + 35 deg.
Measurement range ...360 deg.
Cannon length ...3027 mm
Cannon weight ...115 kg
Barrel weight ...38,5 kg
Rate of fire :
- low velocity ...200 - 300 shots/min
- high velocity ...550 rounds/min
Armour penetration at angle of incidence
60 degrees and a distance of 1000 m ...18 - 20 mm
Slip force ...40 - 50 kN
Belt feed ...two-belt
Tensioning ...pyrotechnic/manual
Operation ...1

still a photo of ammunition

a little to ammunition

30 mm cannon 2A42
It is designed to combat lightly armored vehicles and low-flying targets (mainly combat helicopters). The cannon is stabilized. 30 mm projectiles are used in the 2A42 cannon, differing in performance and purpose. These are fragmentation-explosive and penetrating projectiles.
It allows this combat use:
• shooting from a vehicle at a short stop,
• shooting from the vehicle while driving,
• shooting from the vehicle from the spot.


It is designed to destroy lightly armored targets up to 1500 m, PTRS sets, unarmored vehicles and enemy manpower up to 4000 m and air targets at low altitudes up to 2000 m flying at a sound speed up to a maximum oblique distance of 2.5 km. The maximum range of the cannon is 10,300 m. The cannon allows shooting individually or in batches at low or high speed. The cannon works reliably in all weather conditions from -50 ° C to + 50 ° C, without lubrication. Firing diameter is 250 rounds for a 30 mm cannon.


Cannon characteristics:
* a cannon is an automatic weapon that uses to operate part of the energy of dust gases fed to the piston of the breech carrier;
* locking of the charge chamber is secured by a rotating bolt;
* the slip is mainly 30 to 35 mm and is braked by a spring;
* charging of the cannon is done manually or using pyrocartridges;
* ammunition into the cannon is supplied by two belts, composed of individual cells; the charges are pushed out of the belt directly;
* firing is electric, which allows shooting single shots, small doses, continuously and the choice of two shooting speeds. Manual firing (replacement) allows shooting only in batches with the maximum rate of fire


30 mm rounds are designed as uniform, i.e. the bullet is connected to a steel cartridge case and a mechanical match screw.


The following types of ammunition are used for cannon shooting:
30 mm round bullet with a tracer marked JPSv,
30 mm round with a fragmentation-explosive projectile marked JOFZ,
30 mm cartridge with a fragmentation bullet with a tracer marked JOSv.


Description of the common main parts of the charges
a) Lighter A-670-M - is for ammunition with JOFZ and JOSv bullet. It is used to initiate the bursting charge of the projectile. It is equipped with mechanical mask safety and pyrotechnic self-destruction. The lighter is released at a distance of 20 - 100 m from the barrel of the cannon.
b) Cartridge - used to connect all parts of the cartridge. The bullet is fixed by pressing. The match case with the match is hermetically screwed into the bottom of the cartridge case and sealed with a lead ring. The cartridge contains a powder charge.
c) Dust charge - is stored in the cartridge case and is used to sweep the bullet from the barrel.
d) Match - is hermetically screwed into the bottom of the cartridge case. It is used to initiate the powder charge stored in the cartridge case.
e) Lead ring - is inserted under the case of the match in the bottom of the cartridge case and prevents the escape of dust gases through the match.
f) Separator - used to clean the barrel of copper residues, which are formed during firing by rubbing the copper guide strips of ammunition against the wall of the barrel. The TZ projectile is attached to its lower part. For a bullet with a PS bullet, it is inserted in the cartridge case above the powder charge. Bullets with a TS projectile do not have a separator.
Cannon ammunition marking 2A42
To easily find out the basic data on ammunition, identification marks are embossed or patterned on the individual parts of the ammunition. For ammunition of the basic purpose (JOFZ, JOSv, JPSv) are embossed characters on the body of the lighter, on the body of the projectile and on the bottom of the cartridge case. In addition, the melting number of the projectile body material is indicated on the piercing projectile. The abbreviated designation of the cartridge and the name of the cartridge is embossed or patterned in black on the school cartridge cartridge. A sealed wooden box with three hermetically sealed boxes is used for storing and transporting ammunition. Each contains 18 rounds. The weight of the box is 62 kg.

30 mm hub JPSv
Construction and effects of 30 mm JPSv hub
A single penetrating light charge is used to fire on easily armored ground and air targets. The effect of a penetrating projectile with a tracer consists in overcharging the armor and the subsequent destructive effect of fragments formed from the armor and the body of the projectile.
The cartridge consists of a projectile, a cartridge case, a projectile cartridge, a match screw, a lead ring and a delimiter, which is located in the cartridge case above the projectile cartridge.
The design of this projectile is identical to the solution of a full anti-armor projectile. It consists of a steel heat-treated projectile body, copper guide ring, ballistic tip and tracer, does not contain a lighter or explosive. In the lower part of the body of the projectile is a cylindrical cavity in which the track is pressed. The track flame allows visibility up to a distance of 2500 m.
The ballistic cap is connected to the body of the projectile by pressing into special grooves of the ball part of the body of the projectile. When the projectile body penetrates an obstacle, these circumferential grooves, together with the heat treatment of the projectile body, help to form fragments.


Charge action when penetrating targets
The action of the charge when penetrating the target consists in overcharging the armor and the subsequent destructive effect of the fragments formed from the armor and the body of the projectile. The mechanism of shrapnel formation is also identical to shrapnel formation from a piercing core in a piercing core projectile. The inflammatory effect of a projectile arises when the projectile hits a hard obstacle. The casing and the inflammable component are deformed and crushed and ignited.
The piercing and shard effect arises from the fact that the hardened steel core made of high-density steel, due to the action of large axial forces when the projectile is braked on the obstacle, continues to move and penetrates the obstacle. The weight of the body of the projectile behind the core itself, which is also acted upon by the axial inertial force, also helps to increase the penetrating effect of the core. It was formed when the body of a projectile at an obstacle slowed down. The body of the projectile does not penetrate the obstacle, but shatters on it.
During the passage of the armor, there is an intense deformation of the armor and the core, during which a high thermal load occurs. The core material is very hard and brittle at the same time. As the core passes through the armor, the stress state of the core changes abruptly from spatial pressure to spatial tension, which is less advantageous in terms of material strength. Due to this internal tension, the core will rupture, thus creating a shard effect behind the armor.
From the areas created by the passage of the core through the armor, hot fragments are formed, which also contribute to the final effect. If the core of the projectile penetrates through the obstacle, a flame of the incendiary insert is created through the hole created behind the obstacle and ignites easily flammable substances in the vicinity behind the obstacle.

30 mm JOFZ hub
30 mm round single fragmentation-explosive incendiary is designed to fire on ground and air targets in order to cause a fire at the required degree of destruction.
The missile consists of a steel body, a copper guide ring, an explosive charge.
The thin-walled body of the projectile has a variable thickness from 3 to 6 mm, which is chosen with regard to the mechanical properties of the body material so as to meet the requirements of resistance to firing and achieve optimal ratios between fragmentation and explosive effect of the projectile in the target.
There is a centering collar on the body of the projectile, which ensures the guidance (central axis) of the projectile when moving the bore of the barrel. A copper guide ring is pressed into the groove in the lower reinforced part of the projectile body, which ensures the granting of the rotational movement necessary to stabilize the flight of the projectile and at the same time prevents the penetration (blowing) of dust gases between the barrel wall and the projectile body during the projectile. On the inner surface (cylindrical part) under the guide ring there are two circumferential grooves into which the neck of the cartridge case is pressed during the assembly (laboratory) of the cartridge.
Inside the body of the projectile, the cavity is formed by two cylindrical parts of different diameters (head and bottom), in which the explosive charge is placed (embossed) and at the mouth it is equipped with a thread for screwing on the lighter. At the front of the explosive charge is a recess for the case of the active charge of the igniter detonator.
The mechanical impact head igniter A-670-M is screwed into the body of the projectile and is secured against rotation (loosening) by jams in two opposite places. The connection of the lighter with the body of the projectile is hermetic.
The impact device with increased sensitivity ensures reliable initiation of the projectile even in the event of an impact on less resistant targets. When the target hits, the function of the projectile is provided by the A-670-M lighter by means of an impact mechanism, which initiates an explosive charge (the needle of the impactor injects the igniter, the created flame is an initiated detonator, which causes detonation of the explosive charge). The destructive effect of the projectile in the target is fragile, jerky and partly inflammatory. If the target is not hit (when shooting at air targets), the projectile is initiated (explodes in the air) in the flight path by means of a self-destruct device of the lighter, and thus does not endanger its own troops. The cartridge does not contain any traces.

30 mm hub JOSv
30 mm round uniformly lit ammunition is used for sharp shooting at ground and air targets, at an effective shooting distance of up to 1100 meters.
The missile consists of a steel body, a copper guide ring, an explosive charge, a lighter and a stopwatch.
Inside the body of the projectile, two cylindrical cavities (head and bottom) are separated by a partition. In the front (head) cavity there is a pressed body of explosive charge with a recess for the case of the action charge of the A-670-M igniter (same as for the OFZ projectile), which is screwed hermetically into the mouth of the projectile body. In the rear (bottom) cavity, the stalk component is placed pressed (embossed) into a cardboard case, and a cardboard ring is inserted at the bottom of the cavity under the stalk. For the purpose of thermal insulation and to improve the conditions for the operation of the track, a cylindrical paper wrapper is inserted into the cavity before the track is pressed, which improves the conditions for the function of the track. The component ignites with dust gases, burns in the flight path during the shot and allows you to observe the projectile in flight at a distance of 4000 m. The guide ring pressed into the groove of the projectile body and two circumferential grooves under the guide ring perform the same function as the OFZ projectile.
When the projectile hits the target, the A-670-M igniter initiates an explosive projectile charge by means of an impact mechanism, which decomposes the front part of the projectile body into fragments. The effect of the projectile is therefore primarily shrapnel. If the projectile does not hit the target, it is eliminated by initiation in the air using the self-destruct device of the lighter

30 mm round single shattering training light is used to train troops to fire from the cannon 2A42 on ground targets - target devices. During practice shooting, the area is endangered up to a maximum of 5000 m.
30 mm JOCvSv is a charge with double self-destruction. Self-destruction is carried out in two independent ways:
1. front of the A - 390 lighter
2nd bottom from the stopwatch
The A - 390 lighter, without an impact mechanism, is only adapted to the self - destruct function. The self-destruction time is 6 - 9.5 s and is ignited by the pyrotechnic component.

30 mm sub-caliber bullet APFSDS - T (IHLA)
30 mm sub-caliber anti-tank missile in the shape of an arrow with a tracer is designed for shooting from a 2A42 cannon. The projectile is suitable for the jaws of the conveyor, the magazine device, and therefore must allow the proper functioning of the dosing mechanism of the weapon. The projectile must allow targeted firing from the cannon, without the need to modify the cannon or its sight and observation device.
The projectile consists of a needle, at the end of which is a counterclockwise thread to which it is screwed and a stabilizing wing, which consists of four wings (used to stabilize the flight path of the projectile) and a stopwatch. The 30 mm projectile is housed in an APFSDS-T holster, which gives the projectile in the main cannon the initial velocity and direction. As soon as the projectile leaves the barrel, the holster falls off and thus becomes highly effective in effectively destroying armored targets up to a distance of 2000 m. This sub-caliber projectile does not contain a lighter or explosive, making production cheaper. A significant advantage is that the projectile is well effective in active protection.

Some photos from the IDEE 2002 exhibition in Trenčín.

Some photos from the IDEE 2002 exhibition in Trenčín.

I found some more photos from IDEE 2002 in Trenčín, so I'm putting them here.

IDEE 2002 Trenčín post office

4 pieces of 2A42 cartridge belt cells.

Source: own collection