Ukraine army gets new automatic 30 mm cannon

The Ukrainian army is taking delivery of a new automatic 30-mm cannon developed by Ukrainian experts, the Defense Ministry said quoting a minister's order on Thursday. “Once the document is implemented, the Ukrainian armed forces with be supplied with automatic 30 mm cannons made locally,” the ministry said. In February, President Viktor Yanukovych said that the Ukrainian army would need to overhaul its major weapons supplies in the next three years. The ZTM-1 automatic cannon was designed for installation in one- and two-crew turrets (or remote controlled weapon stations) for tracked and wheeled light and medium armored fighting vehicles. The 30 mm ZTM-1 weapon is to be installed in the BTR-3U/BTR-3E (8 × 8) Armored Personnel Carrier, which is very similar to the Russian BTR-80 (8 × 8) but has greater internal volume, according to the Jane's Armour and Artillery Upgrades publication.