Munitions

M789 high-explosive dual-purpose round

Also known as
  • M789 HEDP
  • 30mm HEDP M789
  • 30 mm HEDP M789
  • 30x113mm M789 HEDP
  • CTG 30mm HEDP M789
  • M789 30mm high-explosive dual-purpose cartridge

The M789 is a U.S. 30x113 mm high-explosive dual-purpose cartridge for the Apache helicopter's M230/AV-30 chain gun and SOCOM MH-60 Black Hawk gunship use. Army budget documents identify it as the Apache M230's qualified combat cartridge, with a shaped-charge liner for light-armor defeat and a steel projectile body for anti-personnel effects. The Army tied M789 replenishment to Operation Freedom's Sentinel combat expenditures in Afghanistan and later used the legacy cartridge as the baseline for Apache counter-UAS and proximity-ammunition testing.

M789 high-explosive dual-purpose round, 30 mm high-explosive dual-purpose cartridge, Munitions
Image source: GDOTS 30mm x 113 Ammunition Suite

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
30 mm / 30x113 mm
Cartridge length
200 mm
Item weight
232.47 g
Explosive filler
PBXN; 22 g filler weight
Fuze
M759 point-detonating fuze
Primer
PA520 electric primer
Cartridge case
Aluminum
Packing
110 cartridges per M592 container
Penetration
25.4 mm RHA at 50 degrees NATO at 500 meters
Type classification date
1962
Firing Weapon

Army and manufacturer sources identify M789 as a 30x113 mm cartridge for the M230/AV-30 chain gun installation used by Apache helicopters.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
M230 30 mm chain gun, 30 mm autocannon, Aircraft & UAVsM230 30 mm chain gun30 mm chain gun

Army FY2017 ammunition data identifies M789 as the Apache M230 chain gun's qualified combat cartridge and describes the round's shaped-charge liner, M759 fuze, aluminum case, propellant, and PA520 electric primer.

Sources: Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2017 Additional Appropriations

Carrier Helicopters

The cartridge is documented with Apache M230 use and SOCOM MH-60 Black Hawk gunship use; later Army testing shows AH-64E crews still firing M789 in counter-UAS demonstrations.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, Twin-engine attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAH-64 Apache attack helicopterAttack helicopter family

Army budget data identifies M789 as the qualified combat cartridge for the Apache helicopter's M230 chain gun and ties M789 replenishment to Apache combat operations in Afghanistan.

Sources: Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2017 Additional Appropriations

AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, Twin-engine attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAH-64E Apache attack helicopterCurrent Apache attack helicopter

The Army said AH-64E crews fired 30 mm M789 high-explosive dual-purpose rounds during Operation Flyswatter live counter-UAS testing.

Sources: Apache Helicopter Proves Advanced Counter-UAS Capabilities in Live Demonstration

MH-60L Direct Action Penetrator, Special operations gunship helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsMH-60L Direct Action PenetratorSpecial operations gunship helicopter

Army FY2017 ammunition data states that SOCOM also used M789, firing it from MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters; the linked catalog entry covers the armed Direct Action Penetrator configuration.

Sources: Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2017 Additional Appropriations

Compatibility limit

This entry does not copy every Apache or MH-60 conflict into the cartridge record; only the Afghanistan row is listed because the Army source directly connects M789 expenditure to that theater.

Sources: Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2017 Additional Appropriations

30x113 Family Context

M789 sits in a compact Apache/SOCOM 30x113 mm ammunition family rather than a broad autocannon suite. Army and GDOTS sources distinguish the combat round from handling, training, and newer proximity-fuzed derivatives.

RoundRoleCatalog significance
M789 HEDPQualified combat cartridge for the Apache M230 chain gunCombat cartridge with shaped-charge and anti-personnel effects; directly sourced to Operation Freedom's Sentinel Afghanistan replenishment.
M788 TPTarget-practice cartridgeGDOTS describes M788 as ballistically matched to M789, while Army FY2017 data says M788 is training-unique and not used in combat.
M848 dummyHandling and loading trainerArmy FY2017 data says M848 physically mimics M788 and M789 for loading, checkout, and non-firing training before live ammunition exposure.
XM1198 HEDP-SDPercussion-primed ground-system derivativeArmy AL&T says engineers modified M789 with a percussion primer and self-destruct feature to give M-LIDS and M-SHORAD an immediate 30 mm ammunition solution.
XM1225 APEXApache proximity ammunitionArmy 2026 reporting says XM1225 testing compared the new proximity round with legacy M789 and gathered data on mixed loads against ground and UAS targets.

Sources: GDOTS 30mm x 113 Ammunition Suite; Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2017 Additional Appropriations; Need for Speed; Built to Hunt: Apache Attack Helicopter New 30mm Proximity Ammunition.

Timeline

M789 high-explosive dual-purpose round Key Events

  1. M789 type classification

    Army FY2017 ammunition data lists 1962 as the type-classification date for CTG, 30 mm HEDP M789.

    Sources: Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2017 Additional Appropriations

  2. Global War on Terror procurement

    The Army's FY2007 supplemental ammunition book requested 575,000 M789 cartridges for Global War on Terror requirements and listed the average FY2007 unit cost at $71.35.

    Sources: Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2007 Supplemental

  3. Afghanistan combat replenishment

    Army FY2017 OCO funds supported 170,000 M789 cartridges to replenish rounds expended by Apache helicopters in Operation Freedom's Sentinel Afghanistan theater.

    Sources: Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2017 Additional Appropriations

  4. Counter-UAS ammunition baseline

    Army AL&T described the electrically primed M789 as the Apache helicopter's existing tactical 30 mm cartridge and the basis for the percussion-primed XM1198 HEDP-SD ground-system round.

    Sources: Need for Speed

  5. Operation Flyswatter live fire

    The Army reported that AH-64E Apache helicopters fired 30 mm M789 HEDP rounds for close-range counter-UAS kills during Operation Flyswatter at Marine Corps Air Station New River.

    Sources: Apache Helicopter Proves Advanced Counter-UAS Capabilities in Live Demonstration

  6. XM1225 comparison testing

    Army reporting on the XM1225 APEX proximity round said Apache testing compared the new ammunition against legacy M789 under identical conditions and examined mixed XM1225/M789 loads.

    Sources: Built to Hunt: Apache Attack Helicopter New 30mm Proximity Ammunition

Media

M789 high-explosive dual-purpose round Images

M789 high-explosive dual-purpose round, 30 mm high-explosive dual-purpose cartridge, Munitions - view 1
Source: GDOTS 30mm x 113 Ammunition Suite
Related Weapon Systems
M230 30 mm chain gun, 30 mm autocannon, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsM230 30 mm chain gun30 mm autocannonThe M230 30 mm chain gun is an externally powered 30x113 mm autocannon built around Apache helicopter fire support, later adapted into M230LF and XM914 ground counter-UAS variants. Northrop Grumman describes the aviation M230 as the original medium-caliber Chain Gun and the M230LF as a lightweight ground and sea-platform weapon; direct sources document Apache M230 fielding in Afghanistan, Iraq, Operation Inherent Resolve, Israeli Apache use in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, and M230LF-based Slinger systems ordered for Ukraine.
M888 60 mm high explosive cartridge, 60 mm high-explosive mortar cartridge, MunitionsMunitionsM888 60 mm high explosive cartridge60 mm high-explosive mortar cartridgeThe M888 is a U.S. 60 mm high-explosive mortar cartridge for the M224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System. Army and environmental ordnance references identify it as DODIC B643 with an M935 point-detonating fuze, Composition B fill, 67- to 3,490-meter range, and fragmentation/blast effects against personnel and light materiel. Public conflict-specific evidence for this cartridge currently comes from Afghan National Army and Iraq Train and Equip Fund supply records, so the conflict rows document transfer and delivery context rather than confirmed battlefield firing.
MH-60L Direct Action Penetrator, Special operations gunship helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMH-60L Direct Action PenetratorSpecial operations gunship helicopterThe MH-60L Direct Action Penetrator is a 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment gunship conversion of the UH-60L/MH-60 Black Hawk, trading troop-carrying capacity for modular cannons, rockets, guided missiles, sensors, and night-raid support. Venezuela conflict reporting documents DAP Black Hawks in U.S. special operations use, while also noting that current operational DAPs are MH-60M airframes derived from the same mission configuration.
MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, Multi-mission maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMH-60S Sea Hawk helicopterMulti-mission maritime helicopterThe MH-60S Sea Hawk is a U.S. Navy multi-mission helicopter derived from the Black Hawk/Seahawk family for shipboard logistics, search and rescue, special warfare support, mine-countermeasures, and armed maritime missions. NAVAIR describes the aircraft as sharing the MH-60R common cockpit while replacing legacy H-46D, H-3, and HH-1N roles; during Operation Epic Fury in the 2020 United States-Iran Conflict, MH-60S aircraft were documented aboard USS Abraham Lincoln handling flight-deck movements, cargo transport, and at-sea support.
AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, Twin-engine attack helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAH-64E Apache attack helicopterTwin-engine attack helicopterThe AH-64E Apache is Boeing's Echo-model Apache variant, developed from the AH-64D Block III remanufacture program and built around improved engines, sensors, networking, and a two-person attack-helicopter weapons station. Direct source-backed conflict records place AH-64E aircraft with U.S. Army units in Operation Inherent Resolve, the 2001 War in Afghanistan's Operation Freedom's Sentinel phase, and Operation Epic Fury during the 2020 United States-Iran Conflict.

Sources

GDOTS 30mm x 113 Ammunition SuitePublisher: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems | Note: Supports manufacturer background, the M789/M788 30x113 mm ammunition suite, Apache M230/AV-30 compatibility, penetration statement, M788 ballistic-match context, and image provenance for the product-page images. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Ordnance Technical Data Sheet 30mm M789Publisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the M789 designation, 30 mm diameter, 200 mm length, 232.47 g item weight, 22 g PBXN filler weight, M759 fuze, projectile markings, and electrically primed cartridge description. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2007 SupplementalPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports M789 as the Apache M230's only qualified combat cartridge in the FY2007 supplemental, the FY2007 575,000-cartridge request for Global War on Terror requirements, the $71.35 average unit cost, and the 110-round M592 container packing context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Army Procurement: Ammunition FY 2017 Additional AppropriationsPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: 2001 War in Afghanistan: supports direct M789 conflict use by stating that CTG, 30 mm HEDP M789 funds were required to replenish munitions expended in combat operations by Apache helicopters in Operation Freedom's Sentinel Afghanistan theater; also supports M230, SOCOM MH-60, component, packing, and type-classification details. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Need for SpeedPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports background on M789 as the Apache's electrically primed tactical 30 mm cartridge and on the XM1198 HEDP-SD derivative created by modifying M789 for ground-based M-LIDS and M-SHORAD use. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Apache Helicopter Proves Advanced Counter-UAS Capabilities in Live DemonstrationPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the AH-64E Apache relationship and counter-UAS timeline: AH-64E Apache helicopters employed 30 mm M789 high-explosive dual-purpose rounds during Operation Flyswatter live-fire testing. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Built to Hunt: Apache Attack Helicopter New 30mm Proximity AmmunitionPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports background on XM1225 APEX Apache proximity-ammunition testing against legacy M789 under identical conditions and mixed XM1225/M789 loads against ground and UAS targets. | Accessed: 2026-06-29