The development of a new aircraft cannon began in the USA

Promising high-speed reconnaissance helicopters developed for the US Army as part of the FARA tender will receive a new aviation gun. According to Defense News, the American company Northrop Grumman has joined the development of weapons.

The company's specialists have begun to develop a new 20 mm Sky Viper aircraft cannon. The cannon is based on the M230 cannon used on the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. The Sky Viper will also be single-barreled, but thanks to the use of modern technology, it is much lighter than the M230 and with reduced recoil. More details about the new weapons not reported.

In addition to Northrop Grumman, another American company, General Dynamics, is also developing a new aircraft gun for FARA helicopters. Unlike NG, GD specialists have already started testing a new 20mm gun, which received a rotating barrel block and the name XM915.

According to the company, at the end of last year, the KhM915 fired seven thousand rounds, now by the end of this year, the gun should fire another 150 thousand rounds.

Two companies entered the final of the FARA tender - Bell and Sikorsky. They are expected to submit their prototype rotorcraft by 2023. We are talking about the Bell 360 Invictus and Sikorsky Raider X projects. The winner of the tender will receive a contract for the supply of helicopters that will replace the outdated Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior multipurpose helicopter.

Comments

[OgnennyiKotik]

At the same presentation, Northrop Grumman spoke about the Hero ALE kamikaze UAV for helicopters. It is based on the Hero 400 and launches from the Hellfire launchers. Designed for the US Army's ALE new helicopter armament program.

[Flooding]

new gun from NG

[vadim dok]

In all likelihood, there will be programmable ammunition.

[Free wind]

I do not understand, 1:40, not shot ammunition is pouring from the helicopter, what is this option.

[Flooding]

discharge of a previously charged weapon
so, probably

[3danimal]

The peculiarity of cannons with external power supply: in case of a misfire, the defective shell is simply extracted and firing continues.

[lucul]

At the same presentation, Northrop Grumman spoke about the Hero ALE kamikaze UAV for helicopters. It is based on the Hero 400 and launches from the Hellfire launchers. Designed for the US Army's ALE new helicopter armament program.

Drone range? The helicopter, thanks to its propeller, glows like a Christmas tree.
If the range there is less than 400 km, then the helicopter will not go to the attack range.

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: lucul

the range is less than 400 km, then the helicopter will not reach the attack range.

A boy, a helicopter flying at an altitude of 50 meters, the radar (mounted on a 10 meter mast) will be able to see at a distance of 42 km. This is a theoretical maximum, in reality it is less. There are a great many UAVs and missiles operating at such a range.

[lucul]

A boy, a helicopter flying at an altitude of 50 meters, the radar (mounted on a 10 meter mast) will be able to see at a distance of 42 km. This is a theoretical maximum, in reality it is less. There are a great many UAVs and missiles operating at such a range.

Laughing to tears, it is not surprising that the Ottoman Empire shrank to the level of one province, if they still think as one-sided as you do.

a helicopter traveling at an altitude of 50 meters radar (mounted on a 10 meter mast) can be seen at a distance of 42 km

Any Eagle -10 hanging in the air will move this border immediately by a couple of hundred kilometers.
Launched this year, the Peony will once and for all solve problems with any target designation.

[Thomas N.]

And from the altitude of an AWACS aircraft like A-50, at what range can the helicopter be detected against the background of the earth?

[Sergey985]

Composite blades have been made for a long time.

[Aaron Zawi]

Quote: OgnennyiKotik

At the same presentation, Northrop Grumman spoke about the Hero ALE kamikaze UAV for helicopters. It is based on the Hero 400 and launches from the Hellfire launchers. Designed for the US Army's ALE new helicopter armament program.

And us? We ourselves have only HERO 30 so far only on vopuzhny.

[OgnennyiKotik]

Who forbids you to buy them? The people of the family need to feed, and American dollars are almost as pleasant as their own shekels.

[Aaron Zawi]

Quote: OgnennyiKotik

Who forbids you to buy them? The people of the family need to feed, and American dollars are almost as pleasant as their own shekels.

Ehe hehe heh.

[ironic]

American dollars go to the Air Force, and for shekels our state employees can break their throats, and without hands ... dollars sometimes become cheaper, and sometimes shekels become more expensive ...

[ironic]

So everyone in the Air Force, as always, there are princes of the armed forces. HERO will not be allowed to buy for military assistance. And for the shekels, our state employees will strangle themselves, they themselves need it.

[Aqr009]

20 mm, it will be possible to install on drones, you get a flying cannon.
To drop them from the transporter in a controlled swarm, heavy fire from all sides and over a large area.
And also, an economy option to combat drones.

[Flooding]

Quote: Aqr009

Drop them from the transporter in a controlled swarm

and what. might work
at the very least it worked out in the cinema
really swarm uncontrollable))

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: Aqr009

20 mm, it will be possible to install on drones,

A question of the size of this drones. The Turks have such an option.

For this gun, several times more UAVs are needed. What kind of such, with various combat and cargo modules:

[lucul]

A question of the size of this drones. The Turks have such an option.

2km firing range? Will they shoot alone? There recoil is greater than such a chassis can stabilize for automatic fire.
Ideal target for Air Defense Derivation.

[knn54]

The essence of the project is the creation of a helicopter without external load in order to remain as invisible to air defense systems as possible. Ie "helicopter analogue" F-35.
In parallel, they will develop (for the winning helicopter) mini-drones that would be used for various reconnaissance, electronic warfare and strike functions.
PS I'll bet on "Sikorsky".

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: knn54

PS I'll bet on "Sikorsky".

For the Army, I also bet on it. A good lineup comes from multipurpose, strike and reconnaissance strike. Due to unification, you can seriously save money and the design is more practical. The operating conditions in the army and the air force with the ILC are seriously different.

[AVA77]

Well, if the helicopter analogue of the F-35, I bet on advertising agencies and money.

[lucul]

The essence of the project is the creation of a helicopter without external load in order to remain as invisible to air defense systems as possible. Ie "helicopter analogue" F-35.

It won't work - the propellers give a lot of signal reflection - so a stealth helicopter is nonsense.

[Free wind]

Nonsense, he cuts the signal into pieces with a propeller!

[rocket757]

Will this, will be syo ... the rest are also engaged in all sorts of different things. The process goes wherever it CAN be done.

[Thrifty]

Is the 20mm caliber small? It may work against manpower and unarmored vehicles, but such a gun will slightly scratch the same BMP, and if the BMP has additional armor attached, the effectiveness of the gun will be zero.

[Ross xnumx]

Quote: Thrifty

It may work against manpower and unarmored vehicles, but such a gun will slightly scratch the same BMP, and if the BMP has additional armor attached, the effectiveness of the gun will be zero.

And when did these helicopters fight armored targets? Here's the main work:

 Show / Hide text

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: Thrifty

Against manpower and unarmored equipment, it may go

In the United States, the tactics of using helicopters are fundamentally different from ours. They no longer have NAR, they are all converted into manageable ones. They do not hover over the battlefield, do not attack. Most often this is a jump due to the folds of the terrain, sniper work. A cannon / machine gun is used in an area already cleared of dangerous weapons for a helicopter. Those. on BMPs simply will not work with a cannon / machine gun. For their scenarios, the number of cartridges / shells and the mass of the weapon are more important.
The current M30 helicopter 230 mm autocannon has almost 2 times less energy than 2A42, the projectile is almost 1,5 times less. Already, the opportunity to work on armored vehicles is dubious. Therefore, caliber reduction is possible for them the correct step. True, the power of 30 mm with a controlled air blast is several times more than 20 mm.

[Thrifty]

Then why is it needed? Simply put for availability? If a helicopter is not able to defend itself with this cannon, and anything can happen in life, then what is the use of a cannon? Well, the missiles ran out, the helicopter is damaged, there is no communication, another helicopter of the "enemy" is flying nearby, what will they, the Yankees, use their 20mm firecracker to do for him? ??

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: Thrifty

Then why is it needed?

ROSS 42 showed why. Destroy infantry and non-armored vehicles.

[Aaron Zawi]

Quote: lucul

Drone range? The helicopter, thanks to its propeller, glows like a Christmas tree.
If the range there is less than 400 km, then the helicopter will not go to the attack range.

At what height does it glow like that?

[Thomas N.]

The company's specialists began to develop a new Sky Viper aircraft cannon caliber 20 mm... The cannon is created on the basis of the M230 cannon. same caliberused on the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.

What is "the same caliber"? The M230 cannon uses 30x113 mm rounds. 20 mm is not equal to 30 mm!

[Bad_gr]

The company's specialists have begun to develop a new 20 mm Sky Viper aircraft cannon. The cannon is created on the basis of the M230 cannon

"... The M230 is a single-barreled 30-mm cannon with an electric drive, and consists of less than 150 parts. The cannon is powered by a 5 hp DC electric motor with an operating voltage of 29 V, and a nominal rotation speed of 9000 rev / min. All movable parts are interconnected, and their every movement is clearly distributed in time. This allows 100% to get rid of the failures characteristic of automatic artillery systems of the traditional scheme. The long locking time of the barrel ensures firing without misfires. The rate of fire of the gun is 625 ± 25 rds / min To reach the maximum rate of fire requires 0,2 sec., and to stop 0,1 sec. Initial speed when firing standard ammunition is 805 m / s. When firing with a rate of fire 600 rds / min, the electric motor consumes a current of 150 AND..."
".... The M789 dual-use high-explosive projectile is the main ammunition for the M230 cannon. Its body is made of hardened steel and is equipped with a 27 g PBXN-5 explosive and a cumulative chamber. The projectile is capable of penetrating 25-mm homogeneous armor at an angle of 50 ° at a distance of 500 m. Projectile length 199,75 mm. Weight 350,5 g. ... "
Caliber, mm --------------------------- 30
Length, m ------------------------------- 1,68
Weight, kg --------------------------------- 57,5
Rate of fire, rds / min - 625 ± 25
Initial speed, m / s -------- 805

For comparison, our GSh-30-1
Size mm
Length ------------------------------- 1978
Width ------------------------------ 156
Height ------------------------------- 185
Weight
Projectile weight, g ------------ 386-395
Cartridge weight, g ------------ 828-837
Gun weight, kg ------------------- 44
Features
Caliber, mm -------------------------- 30
Number of trunks ----------------------- 1
Ammunition, cartridges -------- 150
Rate of fire
Rate of fire, rds / min ---- 1500
Initial speed, m / s --- 875-900
Continuous queue length
height> 150

PS
This is about a cannon on the basis of which a promising one is being created, which, by the way, has a smaller caliber (20mm, and is created on the basis of a 30mm caliber cannon)

[agond]

Quote: Bad_gr

For comparison, our GSh-30-1

Yes, the comparison is interesting, probably the Americans are silent about their new cannon, and so America is the homeland of automatic cannons with a rotating block of barrels, in their place I would try to create a cannon with one barrel, but with a rotating block of shutters, a kind of intermediate option

[Thomas N.]

Quote: agond

... America is the birthplace of automatic cannons with a rotating block of barrels, but in their place I would try to create a cannon with a single barrel, but with a rotating block of bolts, a kind of intermediate option

Such a design has long been there - a revolving cannon (https://ru.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolving cannon). American 20 mm M39 (http://www.airwar.ru/weapon/guns/m39.html) based on German, and many others of a similar design: NN-30, ADEN, DEFA, KCA, KDG. Good article on these guns: http://alternathistory.com/zakat-erlikona-nasledniki-mauzera/

[Zaurbek]

Apache 30 × 113 mm, A-10 (and in armored vehicles) 30 × 173 mm, GSh-30-1 30 × 165 mm;

[Thomas N.]

Quote: Bad_gr

The M230 is a single-barreled 30-mm cannon with an electric drive ... The long barrel locking time ensures misfire-free shooting.

Shooting without misfires is provided by an electric drive, and a long locking time provides protection against prolonged shots, i.e. ensures that a cartridge with a low-quality powder charge does not work inside the cannon when it is removed by the bolt.

[Zaurbek]

By the way, the 30mm cannon itself was created on the basis of a 20mm projectile ... the caliber was increased, but the sleeve remained the same. This is a semi grenade launcher - a semi cannon. In the USA, two 30mm rounds, one for this 30 × 113 mm cannon, short and powerful 30 × 173 mm - on the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft

[OgnennyiKotik]

Quote: Zaurbek

This is a semi-grenade launcher - a semi-cannon. In the USA, two 30mm rounds, one for this 30 × 113mm cannon

Therefore, the M230 / XM914 is one of the best options for arming light wheeled vehicles. From the wiki:

The 30-mm high-explosive dual-use cartridge M789 (HEDP) is the main tactical projectile of the Apache AH-64 helicopter
The M789 is commonly used in the M230 model. Each cartridge contains 21,5 g (0,76 oz) explosive charge sealed in a shaped charge case. The liner collapses into an armor-piercing jet of metal that is capable of penetrating 1 inch (25 mm) of rolled uniform armor at a distance of 500 m. In addition, the shell is also designed to fragment on impact. The lethal radius of unprotected, standing targets is about 5 feet (1,5 m) under optimal conditions.

[Thomas N.]

Quote: OgnennyiKotik

The M789 is commonly used in the M230 model. Each cartridge contains 21,5 g (0,76 oz) explosive charge sealed in cumulative sleeve. The liner collapses into an armor-piercing stream of metal ...

An example of poor machine translation is an explosive charge sealed in cumulative sleeve! If the explosive is in the case, then where is the gunpowder in the shell ?! This is a "sabotage" design of a cartridge for detonating a gun from the inside!

[Ryaruav]

drones are good as long as 6-inch HE grenades are not bursting under the operators' rear

[agond]

Quote: Thomas N.

This design has been around for a long time - a revolving gun

The revolving cannon has one barrel and a drum with chambers in which cartridges are placed, I mean a barrel with a chamber, but without a drum, but with a rotating bolt block

[Thomas N.]

Quote: agond

Quote: Thomas N.

This design has been around for a long time - a revolving gun

The revolving cannon has one barrel and a drum with chambers in which cartridges are placed, I mean a barrel with a chamber, but without a drum, but with a rotating bolt block

The feeding of the cartridge into the drum with chambers, divided into several steps of turning the drum, increases the rate of fire. The same purpose is served by the rotating block of bolts and barrels in the Gatling scheme, in which each bolt feeds a cartridge into his trunk. And why do we need a rotating block of valves with one barrel? How will it work?

[3danimal]

Caliber too small (20mm). Apache has quite a successful gun: moderate recoil and sufficient power, incl. HE shell. It was only necessary to add programmable disruption.

[Basarev]

It is very strange that they stayed on such a small caliber. Given their progress in crowbars, the Americans could create a very armor-piercing 30mm ammunition. And a cannon under it.

[agond]

Quote: Thomas N.

And why do you need a rotating block of valves with a single barrel? How will it work?

This should somehow reduce the weight.

[Thomas N.]

Quote: agond

Quote: Thomas N.

And why do you need a rotating block of valves with a single barrel? How will it work?

This should somehow reduce the weight.

A rotating block of shutters instead of a single shutter will not reduce weight, but increase it.

[agond]

Quote: Thomas N.

A rotating block of shutters instead of a single shutter will not reduce weight, but increase it.

It depends on what to compare with, if with revolving or double-barreled according to the Gast system, then of course it will be heavier, but if compared with a gun with a rotating block of barrels of the GAU-8 / A type, it should be easier, a rotating block of shutters with one barrel could come in handy to create a cannon with an increased caliber and an increased rate of fire, for example, the 57mm S-60 has a rate of fire of only 120 rounds per minute