2014 Russia-Ukraine War

2A42 30 mm Automatic Cannon in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

The 2A42 30 mm automatic cannon has appeared in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War on Ukrainian BMD-2-turret conversions and Russian improvised D-44/D-48 carriage mounts.

Weapon profile2A42 30 mm automatic cannon
SideRussiaUkraineRoleFire Support
2A42 30 mm automatic cannon, 30 mm automatic cannon, Artillery - 2014 Russia-Ukraine War
Image source: File:2A42 - 30 mm autocanon in turret of BMP-2 IFV.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Ukrainian forces used BRM-1K vehicles with BMD-2 turrets armed with 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannons.

Sources: Defense Express BRM-1K 2A42 Modernization

Ukrainian forces used a BMP-1/BMD-2 hybrid with a BMD-2 turret armed with a 30 mm 2A42 cannon.

Sources: Army Recognition BMP-1/BMD-2 2A42 Hybrid

Russian forces installed 2A42 30 mm automatic guns from BMP-2 vehicles on D-44 carriage-based hybrids.

Sources: Militarnyi D-44 2A42 Hybrid, Defense Express D-44 2A42 Hybrid

The documented theater role is direct-fire autocannon support from vehicle turrets or improvised carriage mounts.

Sources: Army Recognition BMP-1/BMD-2 2A42 Hybrid, Militarnyi D-44 2A42 Hybrid, Defense Express D-44 2A42 Hybrid

The 2A42's normal platform context includes BMP-2 and BMD-2 installations.

Sources: 30mm Shipunov 2A42

Documented Installations

SideInstallationDocumented detail
UkraineBRM-1K with BMD-2 turretDefense Express described Ukrainian Air Assault Forces vehicles whose BMD-2 turrets carried the 30 mm 2A42.
UkraineBMP-1 chassis with BMD-2 turretArmy Recognition reported a Ukrainian BMP-1/BMD-2 hybrid based on a video published in December 2022.
Russia2A42 on D-44/D-48 carriageMilitarnyi and Defense Express reported Russian conversions using BMP-2 2A42 guns on D-44 or D-48 gun carriages.

Timeline

2A42 30 mm automatic cannon In 2014 Russia-Ukraine War

  1. Ukrainian BRM-1K conversion reported

    Defense Express reported that Ukrainian Air Assault Forces were using BRM-1K vehicles fitted with BMD-2 turrets armed with a 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannon.

    Sources: Defense Express BRM-1K 2A42 Modernization

  2. Ukrainian BMP-1/BMD-2 hybrid appears in video

    Army Recognition, citing video published on 18 December 2022, reported a Ukrainian BMP-1 chassis fitted with a BMD-2 turret armed with a 30 mm 2A42 cannon.

    Sources: Army Recognition BMP-1/BMD-2 2A42 Hybrid

  3. Russian carriage hybrid destroyed by FPV drone

    Militarnyi reported that VIDARR pilots of Ukraine's 60th Brigade destroyed a Russian 2A42-on-D-44-type hybrid on 14 February 2025.

    Sources: Militarnyi D-44 2A42 Hybrid

  4. Defense Express describes Russian 2A42 D-44/48 hybrid

    Defense Express reported a Russian conversion that mounted a BMP-2 30 mm 2A42 autocannon on a D-44/48 gun carriage and noted the lack of a suitable sight in footage from Ukrainian drones.

    Sources: Defense Express D-44 2A42 Hybrid

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Direct public documentation of the 2A42 in the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War is strongest for improvised or remounted installations during the full-scale phase of the conflict. Defense Express reported on 22 November 2022 that Ukrainian Air Assault Forces were using BRM-1K reconnaissance vehicles fitted with BMD-2 turrets, and identified the turret armament as a 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannon with a PKT machine gun and Fagot anti-tank missile system.

A second Ukrainian example appeared in Army Recognition reporting on a video published on 18 December 2022. The report described a Ukrainian BMP-1 chassis fitted with a BMD-2 turret armed with a 30 mm 2A42 dual-feed stabilized cannon, presenting the conversion as a way to replace the older BMP-1 73 mm gun with a higher-rate 30 mm weapon.

Russian-side use is documented in 2025 reporting on 2A42 guns removed from BMP-2 vehicles and mounted on D-44 or D-48 anti-tank-gun carriages. Militarnyi reported that Russians had begun installing 2A42 30 mm automatic guns on D-44 carriages and cited drone observations, including a 14 February 2025 FPV-drone strike by VIDARR pilots of Ukraine's 60th Brigade against one such product. Defense Express independently described a similar 2A42-on-D-44/48 conversion and noted drone footage showing the hybrid already in position.

Sources: Defense Express BRM-1K 2A42 Modernization, Army Recognition BMP-1/BMD-2 2A42 Hybrid, Militarnyi D-44 2A42 Hybrid, Defense Express D-44 2A42 Hybrid

Timeline

The first source-backed milestones in this detail record come from late 2022 Ukrainian conversions. Defense Express linked a Ukrainian Air Assault Forces BRM-1K modernization to a BMD-2 turret armed with the 2A42 in November 2022, and Army Recognition followed in December with a BMP-1/BMD-2 hybrid based on video circulating from the Ukrainian side.

The later Russian record is concentrated in February 2025. Militarnyi dated the D-44 carriage report to 16 February 2025 and described a 14 February drone strike against one of the hybrids, while Defense Express published its follow-up on 18 February and focused on the sighting problems created by mounting a BMP-2 2A42 on a D-44/48 carriage.

Sources: Defense Express BRM-1K 2A42 Modernization, Army Recognition BMP-1/BMD-2 2A42 Hybrid, Militarnyi D-44 2A42 Hybrid, Defense Express D-44 2A42 Hybrid

Battlefield role

The sourced examples place the 2A42 in a direct-fire support role rather than in a standalone artillery role. On the Ukrainian side, the cannon appears through vehicle conversions that reused BMD-2 turrets on BMP-1-derived chassis, giving older reconnaissance or infantry-fighting vehicles a stabilized 30 mm cannon in place of the original low-pressure 73 mm armament.

On the Russian side, the reports describe the opposite kind of adaptation: a vehicle cannon removed from a BMP-2 and installed on a towed gun carriage. Militarnyi treated the hybrids as an attempt to add heavy front-line firepower, while Defense Express emphasized that the D-44/D-48 sighting equipment was not designed for the 2A42 and that the documented example lacked a proper sight in drone footage.

WeaponSystems.net identifies the 2A42 as a Soviet-origin 30 mm autocannon selected for the BMP-2 and also fitted to BMD-2 vehicles, BMD-3 vehicles, and attack helicopters. That standard platform context explains why battlefield conversions in Ukraine could draw on BMD-2 turrets and damaged or destroyed BMP-2s, but the conflict-use claims in this page are limited to reports that directly connect the 2A42 to wartime Ukrainian or Russian installations.

Sources: Defense Express BRM-1K 2A42 Modernization, Army Recognition BMP-1/BMD-2 2A42 Hybrid, Militarnyi D-44 2A42 Hybrid, Defense Express D-44 2A42 Hybrid, 30mm Shipunov 2A42

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Sources