Mk44 Bushmaster II
| Mk44 Bushmaster II | |
|---|---|
Finnish CV 9030 with Mk44 | |
| Type | Chain gun autocannon |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2007–present |
| Used by | See users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Alliant Techsystems |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 344 lb (160 kg) |
| Length | 134.05 inches (3,405 mm) |
| Barrel length | 94.88 inches (2,410 mm) |
| Width | 13.5 inches (340 mm) |
| Height | 15.43 inches (392 mm) |
| Shell | 30×173mm 40×180mm |
| Caliber | 30 millimetres (1.18 in) caliber 40 millimetres (1.57 in) caliber |
| Rate of fire | 100/200 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,080 metres per second (3,500 ft/s) (HEI-T ammunition) |
| Effective firing range | 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) land appl. 5,100 metres (16,700 ft) naval appl. |
The Mk44 Bushmaster II is a 30 mm chain gun manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is a derivative of the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster, and uses 70% of the same parts as the M242 while increasing the firepower by as much as 50% with the 20% increase in caliber size. The barrel is chromium-plated for extended life. The gun uses standard GAU-8 Avenger ammunition that is available in API (Armor-Piercing Incendiary), HEI (High-Explosive Incendiary) and APFSDS-T (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer) variants.
The gun can be converted to a caliber of 40×180 mm, which involves changing the barrel and a few key parts, to use the SuperShot 40 cartridge. It can also be converted to use the 30×170 mm RARDEN cartridge.