RMK 30

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Rheinmetall RMK30 (TechDemo 2008)
Rheinmetall RMK30 (TechDemo 2008)

The RMK 30 is a recoilless, externally powered revolver cannon for helicopters and light weapon carriers that fires caseless ammunition . RMK 30 stands for R ückstoßfreie M achines K anone with caliber 30  mm . It was developed by the Mauser works , which are now part of Rheinmetall Defense .

The development of the RMK 30 began in 1993 as part of a project by the Federal Ministry of Defense and the Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement . The principle of the cannon corresponds to that of all recoilless guns : The emission of combustion gases at the rear end of the weapon compensates for the recoil caused by the acceleration of the projectile. Thanks to the use of modern, high-performance propellants , the ballistic performance of the RMK 30 is guaranteed despite recoil compensation , its muzzle energy is at least 156 kilojoules (kJ).

The RMK 30 shares a fundamental disadvantage with other recoilless cannons : the jet of powder gases emerging to the rear endangers people and objects at a distance of several meters, which means that installation in closed turrets is not possible.

On November 4, 1996 the first functional prototype was presented. An RMK-35 version in 35 mm caliber is also planned .

The cannon is primarily intended for use in helicopters and in the Wiesel weapon carrier . Although the use of the RMK 30 in the Eurocopter Tiger UHT was previously discussed, it is no longer planned.

Technical specifications

  • Type: single-barreled revolver cannon
  • Function: external drive with electric motor
  • Recoil: Nozzle cannon with pulse compensation (recoil-free)
  • Caliber: 30 × 250 mm (caseless)
  • Cadence: up to 300 rounds per minute

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Technical data & armament UHT . Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement website. Retrieved November 23, 2010.