Click to see full-size image. (Kalashnikov Group)
Kalashnikov Group announced on August 27 that it had shipped a large batch of GSh-301 aircraft autocannons for use on Russian military aircraft.
“The Kalashnikov Group has shipped a large batch of GSh-301 aircraft cannons to customers to equip Russian Air Force aircraft. The company has begun manufacturing the final batch of the product, which will be delivered on schedule by the end of 2026. The 30-mm GSh-301 is actively used by the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in the special military operation zone,” the group said in a statement.
The GSh-301 is part of the armament of the MiG-29, Su-27, Su-30, and Su-35 fighter jets, as well as the Su-34 front-line bombers.
Kalashnikov noted in the statement that the production volume of GSh-301 autocannons is increasing several-fold every year.
The GSh-301 has earned the unofficial nickname “ballerina” in Russian aviation circles due to its light weight and high rate of fire.
The autocannon weighs just 50 kilograms, but can fire powerful 30×165 mm rounds at a rapid rate of 1,500 to 1,800 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of about 900 meters per second. It has an effective firing range of 200–1,800 meters and a maximum firing range up to 1,800 meters.
Earlier this week, a video surfaced online showing a Russian fighter jet, either a Su-30 or a Su-35, shooting down a Ukrainian one-way attack drone using the GSh-301. The footage, taken from the HUD of the fighter jet, shows the pilot executing a sharp maneuver and skillfully hitting the drone with a single burst from the autocannon, without relying on guidance aids.
The increase in the production of the autocannon corresponds to a wider increase in the production of aircraft for the VKS amid the special military operation in Ukraine.
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