ZSU-23-4 (Shilka) Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) 1965
Channel: Main Battle Tank
Date: 2023-02-04

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The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" system has been - and in many examples continues to be - a much-feared anti-aircraft system for pilots of low-flying aircraft all over the world. The effectiveness of the Shilka at low altitudes is a well documented story as the system has seen considerable action in several major global conflicts. The Shilka was initially reserved mainly for the Soviet Army and her (now former) supported states during the Cold War and went on to be exported heavily to ally nations in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America. The Shilka defense system continues to serve in some impressive quantities with several armies around the world despite her 1960s-era origins. At the time of her inception, no anti-aircraft gunnery platform in the NATO inventory could match the lethality that was the ZSU-23-4 Shilka series.

The Shilka came about through a need by the Soviet Army to upgrade its existing self-propelled anti-aircraft gun capabilities. Her primary adversaries of the time were the United States and Great Britain and both were fully capable of fielding top-of-the-line ground attack aircraft including helicopters that would - in the event of all-out war in Europe - be called to limit the usefulness of Soviet armor. At the time, the primary system available to the Red Army was the ZSU-57-2 tracked series mounting a powerful set of 57mm cannons. However, despite this large-caliber armament, the system was inherently limited by its optically aimed tracking system, lack of integrated radar with no provision for engaging targets while "on the move". Onboard ammunition storage capability was also limited to just 300 rounds of 52mm projectiles.

Development on a replacement began in 1957 and continued into 1962. The new design - to become the ZSU-23-4 (otherwise known as the "Shilka" after the Shilka River found in Eastern Russia) - incorporated the tracked chassis of the GM-575 with a flat, rounded turret system mounting 4 x 23mm rapid fire autocannons. A water-cooling system was fitted to keep the guns from overheating and at least 2,000 of 23mm ammunition could be carried aboard. A radar system (the RPK-2 "Tobol") was installed to aid the crew in the tracking and engagement of targets along the rear of the turret roof. The vehicle would be crewed by four personnel made up of a driver, commander, gunner and radar operator with the driver located at the forward portion of the hull and the rest of the crew in the turret. The turret was set at the middle of the hull roof with the engine mounted in a rear compartment. The vehicle utilized six rubber-tired road wheels with a long running set of tracks which gave good cross-country mobility in keeping up with Soviet armored formations. This effectively allowed the weapon to be stationed just about anywhere a tank or similar wheeled vehicle could. The turret allowed for a full 360-degree traversal with extensive elevation that would let the crew engage both low-flying aerial targets as well as ground-based ones. Aerial targets could be engaged at 2.5 miles out while land-based ones at 1.5 miles. The radar itself could pick up targets as far out as 12 miles allowing the crew to be prepared to greet. Armor protection for the crew ranged from over 9mm on the turret to 15mm on the hull. Power was supplied from a V-6R series 6-cylinder, 4-stroke airless-injection water-cooled diesel engine developing 280 horsepower that allowed for speeds up to 50km/h on roads with a range out to 450km. The hull was seated on an individual torsion bar suspensions system with hydraulic shock absorbers fitted to several of the wheel pairings. Production by Mytishchi Engineering Works began in 1964 and continued on to 1982 to which some 6,500 examples were produced all. The ZSU-23-4 formally entered service in 1965 and over 38% of the production total went to serve in 23 countries around the globe.