The Russian engineering company Tecmash, Rostec and Russia’s Defense Ministry are considering replacing 30 mm 2A42 cannons with 57mm weapons in Russian armored vehicles’ munitions systems. Today the 30mm caliber is the basic diameter of guns for Russia’s light-and medium-armored vehicles. The switchover by Russia’s entire armor to the new caliber depends on available financial resources. Today the 30mm caliber is the basic diameter of guns for Russia’s light-and medium-armored vehicles. The switchover by Russia’s entire armor to the new caliber depends on available financial resources. The caliber change will require huge expenses on the upgrade of the operational armament and military hardware.
Several weapon systems with the new caliber particular, Derivatsiya-PVO air defense artillery system based on the chassis of the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle and the promising T-15 heavy infantry fighting vehicle based on the Armata platform and armed with the Kinzhal combat module containing the 57mm gun and anti-tank missiles. Uralvagonzavod, (part of Rostec) had intended to study various options of using 57mm guns for the Air Force, the Army and the Navy. The Burevestnik Central Research Institute within Uralvagonzavod is engaged in developing the Derivatsiya-PVO anti-aircraft artillery system and the AU-220M ‘Baikail’ 57mm combat module.
The basic 30mm caliber for the Russian armor is no longer effective against advanced foreign armored vehicles. 57mm munitions feature increased firepower to strike manpower and aircraft, such as drones, loitering and guided munitions, combat helicopters, attack planes and other low-speed and low-flying targets. two types of 57mm shells are under development: one with the controlled time of detonating the projectile in any trajectory point and the other is a multifunctional munition with a remote-controlled fuse whose detonation time cannot be changed in flight as it is pre-set by a special program at the time of firing.
