Indian Military

The AK-630 is a Soviet fully automatic naval six-barreled 30 mm Gatling gun used to protect naval vessels from incoming AShMs like the Harpoon and Exocet. The gun fires HE-FRAG incendiaries or fragmentation tracer projectiles.

The gun can be laid remotely from the radar control system and target tracker. The maximum rate of fire is 5000 rounds/min while the muzzle velocity is 880 meters per second. The gun is provided with an automatic belt feed and requires a crew of one. The range is up to 4000 meters for low flying anti-ship missiles and 5000 meters for light surface targets. The gun is equipped with radar and television detection & tracking. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar and television detection and tracking. The system's primary purpose is defense against anti-ship missiles and other precision guided weapons. However it can also be employed against fixed/rotary wing aircraft, ships and other small craft, coastal targets, and floating mines. The AK-630 was one of the first ever CIWS systems; when it was developed, there were no Phalanx, DARDO or Goalkeeper systems, however, the long development time of the AK-630 partially negated this advantage. Once made operational, this weapon system was rapidly adopted; up to 8 units installed in every new Soviet warship (from mine-hunters to aircraft carriers), with hundreds produced in total.

Description

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The complete weapon system is called A-213-Vympel-A, which comprises the AK-630M Gun Mount, MR-123-02 Fire Control Radar System, and SP-521 Electrical-Optical Tracker. A single MP-123 radar system can simultaneously control two guns, either two 30 mm gun mounts, or two 57 mm gun mounts, or one 30 mm gun and one 57 mm gun. The radar system can engage aerial and surface targets at 4 km and 5 km respectively. The electro-optical system can detect MiG-21 sized aerial target 7 km away while torpedo boat sized surface targets can be detected at 70 km away. Features include surveillance and tracking modes, high jamming immunity, laser range finder and TV optical sight. It is in operation on almost all Russian Navy ships from fast attack boats to the huge Kirov Battlecruiser.

The gun mount is fully automated, however it can be remotely controlled by an operator from either the control console or via a remotely mounted gunsight. It has a higher firing rate than both the Goalkeeper and Phalanx (Block 1 and older) CIWS systems. Combined with the fact that they are often mounted in pairs, with as many as 4 pairs mounted on the larger ships, providing Russian ships with an effective point defence system. However like all Gatling gun-based CIWS they suffer from short engagement times and the need for multiple volleys to effectively eradicate a threat.

Development

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The AK-630 CIWS is composed of several members and sometimes the CADS-N-1 Kashtan system and its derivative are also included.

Design of the AK-630 (A-213) gun system started in 1963.  The first prototype was made in 1964 and trials were conducted until 1966.  The trials of the complete system with radar and controls went on until 1976 when the system was accepted for service.  Production started in 1969 in Tula, with a modified AK-630M (A-213M) system accepted into service in 1979.  These systems are the main close-in defense systems on modern Russian ships.

The gun itself is a 6 barrel Gatling gun designated as AO-18.  The barrels are in a single block, having exhaust-driven joint automatics.  They are belt fed with a flat magazine in the AK-630 and a drum magazine in the AK-630M.  These weapons form a part of a complete self-defense system called A-213-Vympel-A, which includes gun, radar, optical and TV control systems.  A single MP-123 Vympel system can control two 30 mm guns or one 30 mm and one 57 mm gun.  This system can engage air targets at ranges up to 4,000 m (4,400 yards) and surface targets at ranges up to 5,000 m (5,500 yards).  The TV control system can detect MTB sized ships at the distance of 75 km (40 nm) and the fighter-size air targets at 7,000 m (7,600 yards).  This system is completely automatic and does not require human supervision although it can be directed from optical control posts in case of damage or for firing on shore targets.

The AK-306 (A-219) system was a modification of the AK-630 (A-213) system for use on light ships, like air cushion craft, ekranoplanes and small displacement motor boats.  Externally, there was no difference between AK-306 and AK-630 guns, but internally instead of using the exhaust to power the automatics, the AK-306 (A-219) used electricity.  This version also lacked radar control, being only optically guided, hence making it less of a anti-missile weapon and more of a surface-to-surface weapon.  The design started in 1974 and the system was accepted into service in 1980.  By 1986, 125 systems were in service.

In 1983 a decision to modify the AK-630 systems was made and the design of the AK-630M1-2 "Roy" system started.  This weapon uses two AO-18 six barrel blocks, placed one above the other, and its size and weight allowed it to be placed in existing AK-630 positions.  The system was tested from 1984 to 1989, but, due to the appearance of the gun-missile systems, it was not put into production.  The single example remains installed on the P-44 (Pr. 206.6) missile boat.

In the end of the 1970s the design of the gun-missile system 3M87 "Kortik" was started.  This model uses two AO-18 six-barrel blocks and eight  9M311 missile launchers.  Unlike the AK-630, the ammunition is not stored under the mount, but in drums next to the barrels.  The Kortik control system can control from one to six mounts and has both radar and optical-TV controls.  The missiles are supposed to engage targets from 1,500 to 8,000 m (1,600 to 8,750 yards) with the guns taking over at shorter ranges.  The missiles weighs 43.6 kg (96 lbs.) each and have a lethal radius of 5 m (16 feet).  The trials of the mount started in 1983 and the weapon was accepted into production in 1989 and was installed until 1994.  At first, it was intended to replace all of the AK-630 mounts with 3M87 mounts, but the 3M87 was significantly larger and taller than the AK-630 which limited its use to ships that could handle the extra mass.

In the 1990s a new system was started using two AO-18KD six-barrel blocks and eight missiles.  It was at different times called Palash or Palma and is currently offered for export sales.  This system can use any type of small heat-seeking missiles such as Strela-10, Igla, Stinger and Mistral.  It can also use the hyper-velocity laser guided Sosna R missiles.  However, with the current state of the Russian economy, it is unknown if the system will ever go into production.

At this moment there are many modernization projects for AK-630, 630M and 306 systems pending, mostly by adding missiles to the sides of the systems.  These are aimed for export sales.

Variants

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AK-630

The design of the AK-630 CIWS was initiated in 1963, with the first operational prototype completed in 1964. Trials of the complete system, including radar and controls went on until 1976 when the system was accepted for service.

AK-630M

During the deployment of the system, numerous problems that did not appear in trials were exposed in its application, and some modification of the original AK-630 was made to correct these problems, and in 1979, the new system was named as AK-630M and was accepted into service.

AK-306

A derivatives of AK-630M was developed for light craft and this system was named as AK-306. Externally, there was no difference between AK-306 and AK-630 guns, but internally instead of using the exhaust to power the automatics, the AK-306 (A-219) used electricity. This version also lacked radar control, being only optically guided, hence making it less of an anti-missile weapon and more of a surface-to-surface weapon, and the designation of the overall system is consequently changed from A-213-Vympel-A to A-219. The design started in 1974 and the system was accepted into service in 1980. When production completed in 1986, 125 systems entered service.

AK-630M1-2

In 1983, a decision was made to update the design and modify the AK-630 system to include a second gun mounted above the first. The AK-630M1-2 "Roy" was roughly the same size and weight allowing installation in existing AK-630 mounts. Though the system proved to be successful, the AK-630M1-2 Roy was not accepted for production due to the maturity of a combined missile and gun system, then designated the 3M87 Kortik, but later called Kashtan. The single example of AK-630M1-2 Roy remains installed on the Project 206.6 class missile boat # P-44.

In July 2007 at IMDS-2007, a modernized version of the AK-630M1-2 was showcased by OAO AK Tulamashzavod under the new name "Duet". Visually "Duet" differs from "Roy" in having a new mount with a stealthy low RCS design compared with the more traditional rounded AK-630 mounts.

Operators

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• Soviet Union
  • Russia
  • Ukraine
• Slovenia
• India
• People's Republic of China

Specifications

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• Gun: AO-18 six-barrel 30 mm Gatling gun.
• Weight: (Empty / with ammunition and control system)
  • AK-630/630M: 1,850 kg (empty), 1,918 kg (with ammunition), 9,114 kg (with ammunition and control systems)
  • AK-630M1-2: 2,500 kg (empty), 11,819 kg (with ammunition and control systems)
  • AK-306: 1,100 kg (empty), 1, 630 kg (with ammunition and control systems)
• Elevation: -12 to +88 degrees at 50 degree/s
• Traverse: 360 degrees at 70 degree/s
• Muzzle velocity: 900 m/s (MPDS round).
• Rate of fire: 83 round/s (5000 round/min).
• Ammunition: Fixed (HE-FRAG, FRAG)
• Ammunition stowage: A single below deck magazine
  • AK-630/630M: 2,000 rounds
  • AK-630M1-2: 4,000 rounds
  • AK-306: 500 rounds
• Weapons range: Effective range with HE-FRAG (0.54 kg) shell, 4,000 m (4,375 yd)
• Search and track systems: A-213-Vympel-A, includes radar, optical, and TV control systems

Gun Charachteristics

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Ammunition

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