AK-630
Encyclopedia
The AK-630 is a Soviet
fully automatic naval close-in weapon system
based on a six-barreled 30 mm Gatling gun
. 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 or 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 operational, this weapon system was rapidly adopted, with up to 8 units installed in every new Soviet warship (from mine-hunters to aircraft carriers), and hundreds produced in total.
Battlecruiser.
The gun mount is fully automated, and can also 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. They are often mounted in pairs, with as many as four pairs mounted on the larger ships, providing 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.
and controls went on until 1976 when the system was accepted for service.
. 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.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
fully automatic naval close-in weapon system
Close-in weapon system
A close-in weapon system , often pronounced sea-whiz, is a naval shipboard point-defense weapon for detecting and destroying at short range incoming anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses....
based on a six-barreled 30 mm Gatling gun
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
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 or 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
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
, DARDO
DARDO
DARDO is a Close-in weapon system built by the Italian companies Breda and Oto Melara. It is composed of two Breda-built Bofors 40 mm firing high explosive shells, a fire-control radar and a fire-control system...
or Goalkeeper
Goalkeeper CIWS
Goalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,...
systems; however, the long development time of the AK-630 partially negated this advantage. Once operational, this weapon system was rapidly adopted, with up to 8 units installed in every new Soviet warship (from mine-hunters to aircraft carriers), and hundreds produced in total.
Description
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 KirovSoviet battlecruiser Kirov
Kirov, the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered missile cruisers, is one of the major and biggest surface warships of the Russian Navy, though it was originally built for the Soviet Navy. It is similar in size to a World War II battleship...
Battlecruiser.
The gun mount is fully automated, and can also 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. They are often mounted in pairs, with as many as four pairs mounted on the larger ships, providing 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.
Comparison with modern CIWS
 AK-630 |
AK-630M1-2 |
 Phalanx CIWSPhalanx CIWS The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division... |
 Goalkeeper CIWSGoalkeeper CIWS Goalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 9114 kg (20,092.9 lb) | 11819 kg (26,056.4 lb) | 6200 kg (13,668.7 lb) | 9902 kg (21,830.2 lb) |
| Armament | 30 mm (1.2 in) 6 barreled GSh-6-30 Gatling Gun | 30 mm (1.2 in) 2 * 6 barreled GSh-6-30 Gatling Gun | 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) 6 barreled M61 Vulcan M61 Vulcan The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft... Gatling Gun |
30 mm (1.2 in) 7 barreled GAU-8 Gatling Gun |
| Rate of Fire | 5,000 rounds per minute | 10,000 rounds per minute | 4,500 rounds per minute | 4,200 rounds per minute |
| (effective/ flat-trajectory) Range | 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) | 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) | 3600 m (11,811 ft) | 2000 m (6,561.7 ft) |
| Ammunition stowage | 2,000 rounds | 4,000 rounds | 1,550 rounds | 1,190 rounds |
| Muzzle velocity | 900 m (2,952.8 ft) per second | 900 m (2,952.8 ft) per second | 1100 m (3,608.9 ft) per second | 1109 m (3,638.5 ft) per second |
| Elevation | -12 to +88 degrees | -12 to +88 degrees | -25 to +85 degrees | -25 to +85 degrees |
| Traverse | 360 degrees | 360 degrees | -150 to +150 degrees | 360 degrees |
Development
The AK-630 CIWS is composed of several members and sometimes the CADS-N-1 Kashtan system and its derivative are also included.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 radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
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, the air-cooled AK-306 can be distinguished from the AK-630 by the absence of the water cooling system (a cylindrical jacket that surrounds the barrel cluster of the AK-630). Internally, the AK-306 (A-219) used electricity to power the automatics, instead of using the exhaust. 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, which provides 10000 rpm in total. 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 KashtanKashtan CIWS
The Kashtan Close-in weapon system is a modern naval air defence gun-missile system deployed by the Russian Navy.It is found on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, Kirov class battlecruisers, Neustrashimy class, People's Liberation Army Navy Sovremenny class destroyers and Indian Talwar...
. 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.
Specifications
- Gun: AO-18 six-barrel 30 mm Gatling gunGatling gunThe Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
. - 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:
- AK-630/630M: 83 round/s (5000 round/min).
- AK-630M1-2: 166 round/s (10000 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