The AK-630 is a Soviet and Russian fully automatic naval, rotary cannon, close-in weapon system. The "630" designation refers to the weapon's six gun barrels and their 30 mm caliber.
One of two AK-630M installations on the former East-German ship Hiddensee
MR-123 fire-control radar on the Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk
Coastal based AK-630 of Indian Navy during firing drill
AK-306 in front of AK-630M
A rotary cannon, rotary autocannon, rotary gun or Gatling cannon, is any large-caliber multiple-barreled automatic firearm that uses a Gatling-type rotating barrel assembly to deliver a sustained saturational direct fire at much greater rates of fire than single-barreled autocannons of the same caliber. The loading, firing and ejection functions are performed simultaneously in different barrels as the whole assembly rotates, and the rotation also permits the barrels some time to cool. Rotary cannons, external or self-driven are used in aircraft over reciprocating bolt autocannons which are more prone to jamming in high g environments. The rotating barrels on nearly all modern Gatling-type guns are powered by an external force such as an electric motor, although internally powered gas-operated versions have also been developed.
The GAU-8 Avenger seven-barrelled 30 mm rotary cannon of an A-10 Thunderbolt II
Four Soviet/Russian rotary cannons arranged in ascending caliber, from the left: GShG-7.62, GSh-6-23, GSh-6-30, AK-630
Barrel heating in a 7.62mm NATO GAU-17
GShG-7.62, one of the few self-driven Gatlings.