Posted on 04/18/2012 5:46:47 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Navy Eyes Apache Helo's Guns for Use at Sea
The Navy is looking at arming its patrol boats and helicopters with the same withering firepower carried aboard the Armys AH-64 Apache gunship helicopters.
ATK Armament Systems has modified its venerable M230 30mm chain gun to give naval forces a more potent alternative to the .50 caliber machine gun.
For years, the Navy has admired the Apaches powerful, nose-mounted 30mm cannon, but the Navys strict safety guidelines make the M230s electrically-primed firing system unsafe for use aboard surface vessels.
As a potential solution, the Navy awarded ATK a contract roughly two years ago to develop a version of the M230 with a more traditional, percussion-primed system.
The new M230LF is still an electrically powered chain gun, capable of firing the potent 30mm ammunition at a rate of 200 rounds per minute.
Everybody loves that high-explosive, dual-purpose round, Lisa Brown, business development director for ATKs Guns Segment, said April 16 at the Navy Leagues Sea Air Space trade show. The .50 caliber round probably shoots father, but the size bullet on the lightweight 30mm is much larger. It would be perfect for a light patrol boat.
The M230LF, which could also be mounted aboard the Navys Sea Hawk helicopters, features an improved recoil system and a 60-inch barrel for increased accuracy, according to Eric Rogers, a retired Marine Corps gunner who does business development for ATKs Integrated Weapon Systems branch. The Apaches 30mm cannon sports a 45-inch barrel.
The M230LF also has a linked-ammunition feeding system, similar to most machine guns. The Apaches M230 has a link-less system thats much more complex, Brown said.
Ammunition has to be uploaded while the
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
British WAH-64 Apache
Photo: MOD, Crown Copyright
30MM chain gun.... mmmmm.
This is probably not for accuracy but range. The M230 is so accurate it violates GEneva Convention as it can sniper hit a single solidier using a high caliber round. As a result it is operated with an electronicaly generated vibration for "fuzzy" area targeting. When that piece of electronic fails, it has to be changed because the machine is too accurate.
Yes, Political COrrectness is what increases war and military budgets.
Great! Now I maybe cab get one for my bass boat. Those darn mosquitos are really bothersome at times.
More like a linked distribution system as opposed to the A10s linkless gat system, I believe.
That would be great if it’s linked to a helmet so when the gunner looked at at a target, it was immediately targeted and lit up.
Are... are you... serious?
I work with a former Apache pilot who described it as some engineer’s solution for having too many rounds hit in the same spot. The idea isn’t some geneva convention restriction, but rather an attempt to saturate a whole area with rounds. Most of the users would rather have all the rounds hit where they aim them.
Good for mowing down those pesky Asian carp
Yeah, it’s like when hunting and requiring someone to have a shot gun plugged or to shoot certain pellets only, the DNR requires people to follow stupid rules, some of which actually increase cruelty and suffering to animals despite being designed against such. Go figure.
The 30 mm bullets are explosive and deadly in like a 10-30 ft radius.
“Good for mowing down those pesky Asian carp”
Sounds like a great opportunity for water skeet shooting. ;-)
What???
HELO guns?? as in helicopter?
nevermind
You would think that the engineer would give the gunner a switch to turn the feature off when not desired. Or have the first round go exactly where aimed, and as you hold down the trigger subsequent rounds go in an increasing pattern around point of aim.
It’d be nice if they would use the gun on the Somali Muzzies who are out on the high seas playing pirate.
Actually, “chain gun” refers to the system used to cycle the weapon. Instead of using blow-back or gas-operation to cycle the bolt, it used an external electric motor connected to the bolt with a chain similar to a bicycle chain. It has the advantage of continuous operation even if a round fails to fire. Another advantage is that it allows the operator to easily select the appropriate rate-of-fire. (Also, a chain gun shouldn’t be confused with a Gatling gun. Same principle and advantages, but a chain gun only requires a single barrel.)
Something fishy here. Unless they use a different ammo variant than the aircraft M-61, the CIWS uses electrically fired ammo. Kind of doubt that, as I recall the percussion primers were too slow for the rate of fire.
The M230LF is designed for less recoil than the Mk 44 gun so it could be installed in places where .50 caliber Brownings are used. I don't think this will work and the .50 is the better gun. They'd be better off using the 25mm Mk 38 Mod 2 remote controlled, E/O targeting setup already being procured.
“Sounds like a great opportunity for water skeet shooting. ;-)”
Yeah, and the idea for a new Discovery Channel series...kind of like “Sons of Guns” meets “River Monsters”.
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