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Norway Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
PROTECTOR MCT
Kongsberg's medium-caliber remote turret, mounting a 30mm or 40mm Bushmaster cannon with a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun for Infantry Fighting Vehicles and Amphibious Combat Vehicles. The first remotely operated turret fielded by the U.S. Army, now in full-rate production for the USMC's Amphibious Combat Vehicle.
3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-18
Pricing: Fielded on U.S. Army Stryker Dragoon; in full-rate production for USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV-30); selected for Bulgaria's Stryker brigade and the USMC Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle program
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Norway export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 3 operators
Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The PROTECTOR Medium Caliber Turret (MCT), commonly called MCT-30, extends Kongsberg's PROTECTOR remote-weapon-station family (over 24,000 units delivered) into medium-caliber firepower. It mounts a dual-feed XM813 or Mk44S 30/40mm Bushmaster automatic cannon firing all standard 30x173mm or Super 40x180mm NATO ammunition, including programmable air-burst rounds, alongside a 7.62mm M240 coaxial machine gun with 200 ready rounds. The turret supports under-armor reloading and operation for both weapons, and can be fitted with anti-tank guided missiles, a Commander's Independent Weapon Station for hunter-killer engagement, active protection systems, laser warning systems and Counter-UAS sensors/effectors. It is qualified and fielded on the U.S. Army's Stryker Dragoon (Infantry Carrier Vehicle-Dragoon) and is in full-rate production for the USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV-30), and has also been selected for the Bulgarian Stryker brigade and the USMC Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle programs.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the PROTECTOR MCT can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | XM813 or Mk44S 30/40mm Bushmaster dual-feed automatic cannon |
|---|---|
| Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods. | 7.62mm M240 coaxial machine gun (200 ready rounds) |
| Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters. | 30 mm |
| Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity. | 150 |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 1,250 kg |
|---|
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | Day camera (VIS95), Thermal camera, Laser range finder |
|---|---|
| Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations. | Yes |
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
| Caliber Bore diameter the round is fired from. | 30 mm |
|---|
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 3 |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-18.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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How much does the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT weigh? +
The Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT has a combat weight of 1,250 kg.
What is the main armament of the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT? +
The Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT's primary weapon is the XM813 or Mk44S 30/40mm Bushmaster dual-feed automatic cannon.
What is the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT used for? +
The Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT is a other typically used for infantry fighting vehicle armament, amphibious combat vehicle armament, short range air defense, counter uas.
How many countries operate the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT? +
The Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT cost? +
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace PROTECTOR MCT: Fielded on U.S. Army Stryker Dragoon; in full-rate production for USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV-30); selected for Bulgaria's Stryker brigade and the USMC Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle program. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
