Afanasev Makarov AM-23

AM-23 aircraft cannon
Type	Double-barrel Autocannon
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
Used by	Soviet Union, Russia, China
Production history
Designer	Nikolay M. Afanasev, Nikolay F. Makarov
Designed	1954
Manufacturer	Tulamashzavod, Tula
Produced	1953 – late 1970s
Variants	Norinco Type 23–2
Specifications
Mass	43 kg (95 lb)
Length	1,467 mm (4 ft 10 in)
Barrel length	1 m (3 ft 3 in) barrel length
Width	166 mm (6.5 in)
Height	175 mm (7 in)
Cartridge	23x115 mm
Caliber	23 mm (0.9 in)
Barrels	2
Action	Gas
Rate of fire	1,250 rpm
Muzzle velocity	710 m/s (2,300 ft/s)
Effective firing range	up to 2 km (1.2 mi)
Feed system	Belt

The Afanasev Makarov AM-23 is a Soviet designed aircraft autocannon that has been used in a number of aircraft in the Soviet Air Force. Its GRAU index was 9-A-036. It was often used in place of the earlier and slower-firing Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23.

In 1953 the first strategic jet bomber, the Tu-16, was introduced into the Soviet Air Force. A new 23 mm cannon was needed for the defensive turrets of this bomber, which was supposed to be more compact and faster firing than the NR-23. The designers Nikolay M. Afanasev and Nikolay F. Makarov from the TsKB-14 design bureau scaled-up the A-12.7 12.7 mm machine gun to create a 23 mm aircraft cannon. The TKB-495 (TKB - Tool'skoye Konstrooktorskoye Byuro – Tula design bureau) achieved a maximum rate of 1,350 rounds per minute during the tests and in May 1954, roughly double that of the NR-23. It was officially renamed the AM-23 in honour of its designers. ^[1]

The Tu-16 bomber was armed with a total of seven AM-23 cannon. A single cannon was fixed in the nose of the aircraft, and the others were mounted in pairs in the defensive turrets. The Tu-95 bomber was in most versions equipped with a total of six AM-23 cannon located in three defensive turrets. Later, the tail turret of the Tu-95 was completely replaced by an electronic countermeasures installation, which resulted in the Tu-95MS. Apart from the Tu-16 and Tu-95, the AM-23 cannon was also installed on the Antonov An-8, An-12B, B-8, B-10, Ilyushin Il-54, Il-76, Myasishchev M-4, 3M and M-6 bombers and cargo aircraft.

The AM-23 was also adapted for use on naval vessels, designated AN-23 and mounted on the Project 125 hydrofoils.^[2]

China bought a licence to produce a copy of the AM-23 cannon, which they designate Type 23-2.