Which Soviet aircraft was the first variant armed with the…

Which Soviet aircraft was the first variant armed with the six-barrel GSh-6-30M cannon?

Short answer

The MiG-27 was the first variant armed with a Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30M Gatling cannon. On it, the dielectric nose that the MiG-23 carried over the pylon housed electro-optical and radio-frequency equipment instead. The MiG-27K, the most advanced Soviet variant, also mounted the GSh-6-30.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Which Soviet aircraft was the first variant armed with the six-barrel GSh-6-30M cannon?

Mikoyan Mi G-15SB 1720Alan Wilson (CC BY SA), vía commons

The MiG-27's Gatling cannon

The dielectric head that the MiG-23 carried above the pylon was used on the MiG-27 to house electro-optical and radio-frequency equipment in its place. The MiG-27 was also the first variant armed with a Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30M Gatling cannon.

The six barrels of the GSh-6-30

A cheaper variant than the MiG-27K, though considerably better than the MiG-23B, the MiG-23BN and the MiG-27 (MiG-23BM), deleted the electro-optical and radio-frequency heads located above the glove pylons. That version was first armed with the GSh-6-23M Gatling, later replaced by a new 30 mm six-barrel GSh-6-30 cannon, with 260 rounds in a fuselage pod. The MiG-27K, the most advanced Soviet variant, with a laser designator and compatibility with television-guided electro-optical weapons, carried the GSh-6-30 cannon. In the same family there were versions armed with the GSh-23L cannon and 200 rounds.

The other fighter-bomber of the moment

Shortly after the Su-7 fighter-bomber entered service, the Sukhoi design bureau was tasked with developing a modernisation programme. The Su-17M2 variant carried a fairing under the nose for a DISS-7 Doppler navigation radar.