Russia's new 57mm cannon....the IFV arms race is on...

via Sputnik

With a phenomenal rate of fire of 300 rounds per minute, and a guaranteed striking range of up to 12 kilometers, the AU-220M's 57 mm projectile is unlikely to cut through the 1 meter-thick front armor of an Abrams or a Leopard MBT, but even against the heaviest of armor, engineers bet on the hail of high-explosive projectiles knocking out optics, destroying aerials, smashing caterpillar tracks and jamming turrets.
New ammunition under development for the module include armor-piercing, high-explosive and even guided rounds.
Simonov noted that the new weapon is set to dramatically increase the fighting capacity of Russia's infantry fighting vehicles and armored transports. "If we take for example the 30-mm 2A42 or 2A72 guns, their effectiveness as the main gun on the same BMP [IFV] is several times lower than the same module, mounted on the same vehicle, but only with the 57-mm caliber. Here everything depends on fire characteristics –the rate of fire, and the munition."

Here.

The IFV arms race is on.  The 57mm is about to up the ante in a HUGE way.  IFVs are approaching the firepower of MBTs without the need to mount heavy cannons.

Yeah I know.  It can't penetrate a MBT but it can mess up the optics and if the RPG hits we saw against M1's in Iraq are any indication then they can get kills with proper targeting.

Is the 30mm going to be enough with this soon to hit the Russian armored fleet?  I don't think so.  Maybe its time to bring back the 60mm hypervelocity gun to try and balance the scales?