GIAT 30

The GIAT 30 is a series of 30 mm cannon developed to replace the DEFA 550 series weapons on French military aircraft.
Introduced in the late 1980s, the GIAT 30 is a revolver cannon with electric ignition and automatic recocking. Unlike the DEFA cannon, the revolver chamber is electrically operated, rather than gas operated, improving both reliability and rate of fire.
Two versions of the GIAT 30 are offered.

GIAT 30M 781

Primarily intended for helicopter use and offered in several fixed, podded, and turreted installations. It is long with a total system weight of. It is designed to fire the ADEN/DEFA 30×113mm B rounds. The weight of the projectile varies from for HEI to for APHEI-SD. Typical muzzle velocity is with a rate of fire of 750 rounds per minute.
Given its considerable recoil, it is typically used for single shots or controlled bursts rather than continuous fire. The 30 M781 is used on the Eurocopter Tiger and is also offered for naval use as part of the NARWHAL system.
Ammunition: HEI; SAPHEI; APHEI-SD; API-T; TP.

GIAT 30M 791

Intended for fighter aircraft such as the Dassault Rafale. It uses a new range of 30×150mm B ammunition in a variety of types. It has a muzzle velocity of, which amounts to a muzzle energy of more than from the mass of the projectile alone. A variable rate of fire allows cyclic rates of 300, 600, 1500, or 2500 rounds per minute. It can fire continuous bursts or controlled 0.5 or 1 second bursts.

Military operators

Current operators

Eurocopter Tiger

Operators of the Tiger equipped with the GIAT 30M781:

Rafale

Operators of the Rafale equipped with the GIAT 30M791:

Future operators