The 2A72 is a late Cold War era 30mm autocannon of Soviet origin. It was developed as a less complex and lighter alternative to the widely used 2A42. Studies revealed that the 2A42 was virtually always used at the low rate of fire setting. By modifying and simplifying the 2A42 design it could be produced at lower cost and be used for a wider range of applications. The 2A72 is used both as main armament and as a coaxial weapon for the 100mm 2A70 low pressure cannon.

The 2A72 is a much simplified design based on the 2A42 consisting of only 349 parts instead of 578. Unlike the 2A42 it is not gas operated but recoil operated. A new design muzzle brake is used in order to retain enough recoil to cycle the weapon.

The 2A72 fires the common 30x165mm round of which several types are available. The rate of fire is 330 rpm which is effectively similar to the earlier 2A42 that was hardly used at the higher rate of fire setting. The effective range is 1.5 km versus armored vehicles. The effective range for the high explosive rounds is about 2 km versus infantry, vehicles and aircraft although it has a slant range of 4 km.

The 2A72 is mainly used as a coaxial weapon on the BMP-3 and as main armament for the BTR-80A. Other applications include the BMD-4 and various Chinese combat vehicles.