Loara 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (Poland)
Channel: Main Battle Tank
Date: 25/01/2023

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The Loara Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) was developed in Poland during the late 1990s. This air defense system successfully passed trials in 2001. Some sources report that Polish Army ordered a small number of these SPAAG systems. Other sources claim that only a single Loara was ever delivered. Anyway the project was abandoned and this air defense system was withdrawn from service in 2013.

   The Loara is fitted with two Oerlikon KDA 35 mm guns. This gun was license produced in Poland. Rate of fire of each gun is 550 rounds per minute. Maximum range of fire against air targets is 4 km. This SPAAG is also effective against lightly armored vehicles and other ground targets.

   The Loara is fitted with surveillance and tracking radars, laser rangefinder and radar based fire control system. The Loara is fitted with friend-or-foe identification system. Radar has a range of 26 km and can track and identify up to 64 targets at once. The radar can be operated on the move. The Loara has all-weather day/night capability and can operate in under heavy electronic counter measures. The system has short reaction time of less than 10 seconds.

   The Loara SPAAG is based on the Polish PT-91 main battle tank chassis, which is an improved variant of the Soviet T-72 MBT. Vehicle is fitted with the S-12U diesel engine, developing 850 horsepower. However since 2012 production of the S-12U engine stopped. Another engine was proposed as an alternative. It is German MTU-881 Ka500. However it could not fit into the Loara's hull. In 2014 it was reported that Poland plans to acquire 120 tracked chassis of the South Korean K9 self-propelled howitzer. Some of these might be fitted with Loara turrets and used as air defense vehicles.

Variants.

   Loara-R surface-to-air missile system, fitted with Rbs.23 BAMSE of SAHV-3 missiles. This SAM system was developed to replace both the ageing ZSU-23-4 Shilka and Strela-10 (Western reporting name SA-13 or Gopher) in service with the Polish Army, however this project was cancelled.