The anti-aircraft artillery has not yet said the last word
At the Army-2023 forum, the newest armored vehicle with a Soviet-era ZU-23-2 rapid-fire anti-aircraft gun mounted on it was exhibited. Photo by Vladimir Karnozov
Today, a serious problem arises before ground-based air defense: the enemy is able to achieve its oversaturation through the mass use of unmanned aerial vehicles (including very cheap and small-sized ones), as well as high-precision weapons (air-to-surface missiles and guided aerial bombs), a significant part of which can be launched from beyond the reach of even the most long-range anti-aircraft guided missiles. In such a situation, anti-aircraft artillery can become indispensable, since it has a very large number of very cheap means of destruction (anti-aircraft shells). This is exactly what is happening now in Ukraine, where anti-aircraft artillery from both sides is used both as ground-based "superpulemets" and to combat aerial targets, primarily drones and missiles.
The role of ground air defense in a special operation is not very noticeable, but it is extremely large. This role is still waiting to be described.
THE BIRTH OF A NEW CONCEPT
Due to the rapid increase in the speed and practical ceiling of combat aircraft after World War II, anti-aircraft artillery seemed to be losing its importance. Even the most powerful Soviet anti-aircraft guns (100-mm KS-19 and 130-mm KS-30) lacked the accuracy and rate of fire to defeat enemy aircraft. The main means of air defense (air defense) were anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS) of long and medium range.
However, in Vietnam ( "Phantoms" against "MiGs", "HBO", 24.03.23), these same medium-range air defense systems in the face of the Soviet S-75 drove American aircraft to low altitudes, where they were met and inflicted huge losses by anti-aircraft artillery. Now they were Soviet and Chinese small-caliber guns copied from them, which had a short firing range and modest reach in height, but a very high rate of fire.
Soviet anti-aircraft self–propelled guns ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" caused noticeable losses to Israeli aviation during the October 1973 War ( "Israel's Doomsday", "HVO", 19.10.18). In addition, anti-aircraft artillery "drove" aviation back to medium heights, where anti-aircraft missile systems could work effectively on them (SAM). The advantages of anti-aircraft artillery over SAMs were the extreme cheapness of ammunition, the absence of "dead zones" and the possibility of use against ground targets (at least for self-defense).
The Soviet Union was the undisputed leader in the development of anti-aircraft artillery. The first generation of military air defense equipment, which entered service during the 1960s, became, in particular, the ZU-23-2 anti–aircraft gun, it is also in a self-propelled version in the form of the ZSU–23-4 "Shilka". The ZU-23–2 and the Shilka had a firing range of 2.5 km and an altitude reach of 1.5–2 km, the rate of fire was 2000 rounds per minute for the Zushka and 3400 rounds per minute for the Shilka.
They are practically unable to hit a supersonic jet, although they are effective against helicopters and subsonic aircraft at low altitudes. It is difficult to establish the exact results of their combat use in various conflicts: they often had a rather psychological effect on enemy aircraft, forcing them to leave from small to medium heights, under the fire of the SAM. However, in October 1973, Egyptian and Syrian "Shilkas" may have shot down up to 40 Israeli Air Force aircraft.
Now the ZU-23–2 and "Shilki" are used as a kind of "superpulemets" against ground targets. Therefore, they bear the main losses on the ground.
The Russian Armed Forces lost up to 10 "Shilok" and "zushki" in Chechnya, Syria – more than 50 ZSU and anti–aircraft guns, Yemen – at least five "Shilok", Libya – at least 13 "Shilok", Nigeria - three "Shilki" during the current civil wars. Iraq lost at least 30 ZSU and anti-aircraft guns during the wars against the United States. The troops of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic lost at least three "Shilkas" during the second war for Karabakh (" Armenia –Azerbaijan: 26 years later ", "HVO", 11/27/20).
FOREIGN COMPETITORS
In the United States, this class of weapons was dealt with according to the "residual principle", focusing primarily on aviation, and secondly on the SAM (" Sky Shield of America ", "HBO", 09.06.23). The only American anti-aircraft gun was a 20-mm six-barrel Vulcan with a firing range of up to 3 km and a rate of fire of up to 3 thousand rounds/min. It was used both in the towed version of the M167 and in the variant of the M163 ZSU (on the chassis of the M113 APC). Israeli M163s may have shot down up to three Syrian Air Force planes and helicopters during the 1982 Lebanon War (" Lebanon in the Arab-Israeli Wars: How the Country was Split ", "HBO", 05/29/20).
Outside the USSR, Switzerland was the leader in the creation of small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery. Here, the Oerlikon company created families of 20-mm HS guns (aka GAI-CO) with a firing range of 1.5–3 km (based on one of these guns, the German Rh-202 anti–aircraft gun with a firing range of up to 2.5 km and the Norwegian twin FK20-2) and 35-mm twin GDF guns were developed with a firing range of up to 4 km and a rate of fire of 550 rounds/min. on the trunk.
With the fire of GDF-002, the Argentines shot down two British Harriers over the Falklands (" War for the Islands ", "HBO", 04/19/19). At the same time, however, 15 of these guns were captured by the British. In China, the GDF-002 is produced under license under the name Toure 90, based on it, the Toure 09 ZSU was created, they form the basis of the anti-aircraft artillery of the PLA ground forces (" Evolution of the Chinese Umbrella ", "HVO", 03/25/12).
In addition, the same Swiss guns are installed on several foreign ZSU – the German "Cheetah" (on the chassis of the Leopard-1 tank), the Japanese Tour 87 (on the chassis of the Tour 74 tank), the Turkish "Korkut" (on the chassis of the ACV-30 BMP). On the Cheetah and Tour 87, in addition to two 35-mm guns, two radar stations (radar) (detection and guidance) are located. Korkut operates as part of a battery of three ZSU, which receive external target designation from a command post with radar.
The British ZSU "Marxman" and the Polish "Loara" with the same Swiss guns did not go into the series. The six-barrel version of the Swiss 35 mm gun is used in the German air defense systems "Skyshield" and MANTIS. These systems are compatible with each other, are stationary and, accordingly, are used for the defense of stationary objects (for example, airfields).
Swedish 40-mm anti-aircraft guns of the company "Bofors" are a little less popular in the world. The L/60 gun was created in the early 1930s, had a firing range of more than 7 km and a rate of fire of 120 rounds/min. During the Second World War, it was used by all the belligerents, was produced in many countries, in some it remains in service until now. Its development was the L/70 anti-aircraft gun with a firing range of more than 12 km and a rate of fire of at least 240 rounds/min. Both guns were used in almost all local wars, the L/60 was used on the AC-130 gunships of the US Air Force.
In the Czech SSR at the end of the 1950s, the M53/59 Prague ZSU was created, which was a paired 30 mm cannon on the chassis of the Prague V3S armored car. The firing range was 3 km, the rate of fire was not less than 100 rounds/min. on the trunk. Being extremely outdated, nevertheless, this ZSU still remains in service in some countries of Europe and the Middle East.
In Yugoslavia, in the early 1970s, the M55 triple-barreled 20-mm anti-aircraft gun was adopted, which was also used in the BOV-3 variant of the ZSU (on the chassis of the BOV wheeled APC). The firing range is 4-5 km, the rate of fire is at least 700 rds./ min. It was actively used during the Civil War in Yugoslavia ("The Truth and Myths about the War in Yugoslavia ", "HBO", 01.02.19), the losses of the Yugoslav People's Army and the Armed Forces of Serbia amounted to at least four BOV-3.
In Greece, in the early 1980s, a paired 30-mm anti-aircraft gun "Artemis-30" was created with a firing range of about 8.5 km and a rate of fire of 800 rounds/min. on the trunk. Only the Greek Armed Forces themselves entered service, and in limited quantities.
In France, in the late 1960s, the AMX-30DCA ZSU was developed, which was a paired 30 mm cannon on the chassis of the AMX-30 tank. The only buyer of this car was Saudi Arabia. The French Armed Forces themselves were armed with a 20-mm 53T2 Tarask anti-aircraft gun with a firing range of up to 6 km and a rate of fire of over 700 rounds/min.
The South African Armed Forces adopted a very peculiar ZSU "Zumlak" in the 1980s, which was a captured Soviet twin anti-aircraft gun ZU-23–2, mounted in the back of a Samil-100 truck. Another South African ZSU with a similar gun – "Ratel" AA on the chassis of the armored personnel carrier "Ratel", adopted in service only in Jordan.
The Italian Armed Forces in the late 1980s received a 25-mm quad ZSU SIDAM-25 on the M113 APC chassis. The firing range is 2.5 km, the total rate of fire is almost 2.5 thousand rounds/min. In this case, guidance is carried out using an optoelectronic system, there is no radar on the car.
Since the mid-1980s, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea have used the ZSU K263 with the aforementioned American Vulcan cannon, but on the chassis of their own K200 BMP. Then, on the same chassis, the ZSU K30 "Biho" was created with a paired 30-mm cannon having a firing range of 3 km and a rate of fire of at least 600 rounds/min.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE ZRPC
The installation of short-range anti-aircraft missiles on the ZSU allows you to create an anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex (ZRPC). It is more complicated and more expensive than the ZSU, but combines the advantages of the SAM and the ZSU and eliminates the disadvantages. For the main purposes, the ZRPC uses anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM), missed or less valuable targets are achieved with guns, which can also be used for self-defense in ground combat.
The first ZRPC was the Soviet Tunguska. The Tunguska ZRPK combat vehicle carries two radars (target detection and tracking), two 30-mm anti-aircraft assault rifles (total rate of fire up to 5 thousand rounds /min., firing range 2-4 km, altitude reach up to 3 km) and eight anti-aircraft missiles with radio command guidance (up to 8 km and up to 3.5 km, respectively). The Russian army lost from two to six of these vehicles in the battles for Grozny in January 1995, the Ukrainian army lost two Tunguskas in the Donbass.
It should also be noted the ZRPC "Shell", which, unlike the "Tunguska" is placed on a wheeled chassis. It also carries two radars and two 30-mm submachine guns, but 12 missiles (range up to 20 km, height reach from 15 m to 15 km). The Syrian army, having lost three or four "Shells", destroyed with their help several Turkish Anka and Bayraktar UAVs and Israeli missiles. The UAE Armed Forces lost eight or nine "Shells" in Libya, while they shot down up to 20 "Bayraktars" and possibly several aircraft of opposing Libyan groups.
In China, the Tour 95 ZRPC was created, which now forms the basis of the air defense of Chinese combined arms brigades, and its artillery part is copied from the aforementioned Italian SIDAM-25. The Polish Armed Forces in the late 1980s received a very peculiar "towed ZRPC" ZUR-23-2S, in which two portable anti–aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) "Strela-2M" are installed on the ZU-23–2. In the early 2000s, the ZUR-23-2KG was created with the Polish Thunder MANPADS instead of the Strela-2.
The three aforementioned ZSU can be converted into a ZRPC – the Turkish Korkut (by installing the Stinger or Igla-S MANPADS), the South Korean Biho (by installing the domestic MANPADS KR-SAM Shingun, aka Chiron), the Chinese Tour 09 (obviously by installing MANPADS QW-1/2 and or FN-6). But at the moment none of these options are being implemented in practice.
The only ZRPC created outside of Russia and China so far is the Serbian PASARS-16. The above–mentioned Swedish L/70 cannon, an optical guidance system and two missiles are installed on the chassis of the armored truck - either French Mistral MANPADS, or Russian Igla MANPADS, or domestic RLN-1C missiles created on the basis of Soviet R-13 air-to-air missiles. However, it is still unclear whether the Serbian ZRPC will go into mass production.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.
