Self-propelled gun "Shilka". ZSU-23-4 Shilka

In the first two decades after its appearance, aviation became a formidable fighting force. Naturally, immediately began to appear funds to counteract its destructive onslaught. Even the simplest airplanes of the First World War could inflict considerable damage on the troops of the warring parties. Then there was Spain, Abyssinia and many other conflicts that took place with the use of aircraft that often bombarded defenseless positions or peaceful settlements, without encountering rebuff. However, the mass opposition to aviation began in 1939, when the Second World War happened. The artillery of air defense became a separate type of armament. Most often, the main problem of ground forces was represented by enemy ground-attack planes operating at low altitudes and causing accurate bombing strikes. This situation has not fundamentally changed in the last seven decades.

Historical background of the Shilka concept

Already in the late twenties of the XX century, many arms manufacturers, foreseeing the growing demand, engaged in the development of rapid-fire artillery systems, designed primarily to combat air targets. As a result, samples of small-caliber guns appeared on turret tripods, equipped with circular turning mechanisms. Examples are German anti-aircraft guns FlaK (short for Flugzeugabwehrkanone), adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1934. In the course of the war that began five years later, they were modernized many times and produced in huge numbers. The Erlikons, developed in Switzerland (1927), were widely known and were used by all warring parties of the Second World War. The systems showed high efficiency in the case of attack aircraft attack aircraft, forced to operate at low altitude. The caliber of these rapid-fire guns was usually 20 mm for different lengths of the cartridge (the initial velocity, and hence the range, depends on the volume of explosives in the cartridge case). The increase in the rate of fire was achieved using multi-barrel systems. So the general concept was formed, according to which the Soviet anti-aircraft self-propelled unit "Shilka" was subsequently created.

Why you need a self-propelled high-fire antiaircraft gun

In the 1950s, missile technology appeared, including anti-aircraft missiles. Strategic bombers and reconnaissance planes, previously feeling quite confident in a strange sky, suddenly lost their reach. Of course, the development of aviation went along the way of increasing the ceiling and speed, but it became unsafe for ordinary storm troopers to appear over enemy positions. True, they had one reliable way not to get hit by an air defense missile, and it consisted of entering the target at an extremely low altitude. As of the end of the sixties, the anti-aircraft artillery of the USSR was not ready to repel enemy air strikes flying along the trajectory at high speed. The response time turned out to be extremely small, a person even with the fastest "boxing" reflexes could not physically have time to open fire, let alone hit the target, flickering in the sky for a few seconds. Automation and reliable detection systems were required. In 1957, a secret resolution of the Council of Ministers initiated the start of work on the creation of rapid-fire ZSU. They came up with the name: anti-aircraft self-propelled unit "Shilka". It was a small thing: to design and manufacture it.

What is ZSU?

Requirements for the new technology included many items, among which were many unique to our gunsmiths. Here are some of them:

- The Shilka antiaircraft gun should have a built-in radar for detecting hostile aircraft.

- Caliber - 23 mm. It is, of course, small, but the practice of previous combat operations has shown that, at a high rate of fire, the explosive fragmentation charge may well cause damage sufficient to neutralize the combat capability of the attacking apparatus.

- As part of the system should be an automatic device that develops an algorithm for tracking the target during the fire, conducted in different conditions, including the move. If we take into account the elemental base of the mid-20th century, the task is not simple.

- Installation "Shilka" should be self-propelled, capable of moving over rough terrain no worse than any tank.

Cannon

The artillery of the USSR was the best in the world since Stalin's times, therefore there were no questions in everything related to the "trunks". It remained only to choose the optimal version of the charging mechanism (the best was recognized by the belt). Automatic cannon 23-mm caliber "Amur" AZP-23 with an impressive "performance" of 3400 rds / min. Needed forced liquid cooling (antifreeze or water), but it was worth it. Any target within a radius of 200 m to 2.5 km had little chance to survive, hitting the crossroads of the sight. The trunks were equipped with a stabilization system, their position was controlled by means of hydraulic drives. There were four cannons.

Where to put the radar antenna?

ZSU-23 "Shilka" is structurally made in accordance with the classical scheme with a combat compartment, a stern power unit, a rear transmission and a mobile tower. Some problems arose with the placement of the radar antenna. Between the trunks to place it was irrational, metal parts could become a screen for emitted and received signals. The lateral situation threatened the mechanical destruction of the "plate" from the vibrations arising during the shooting. In addition, in conditions of strong electronic countermeasures (jamming), a manual control option was provided aiming through the sight of the gunner, and the design of the emitter could block the view. As a result, the antenna was folded and placed above the power compartment at the stern.

Motor and chassis

The chassis is borrowed from the light tank PT-76. It includes six skating rinks on each side. Torsion springs, caterpillars are equipped with rubber bushings-seals to protect against premature wear.

The engine forced (В6Р), capacity of 280 l. With., Ejection cooling system. Transmission five-speed, provides a range of 30 km / h (in difficult terrain) to 50 km / h (on the highway). Cruising range without refueling - up to 450 km / h with fully filled tanks.

The ZU-23 is equipped with a perfect air filtration system, which includes a labyrinth system of partitions, as well as an additional screening of contaminations with exhaust gas.

The total weight of the machine is 21 tons, including towers - more than 8 tons.

Devices

Electronic equipment, which is completed with anti-aircraft self-propelled unit "Shilka", is integrated into a single control system of RPK-2M shooting. The radar complex includes a radar (1РЛ33М2, assembled on a lamp element base), an on-board computer (at the time of creation of the sample it was called a counting device), a system for protecting against radio interference, a duplicating optical sight.

The complex provides the possibility of detecting the target (at a distance of up to 20 km), its automatic tracking (up to 15 km), changing the carrier frequency of pulses in the case of jamming (wobble), calculating the fire parameters to achieve a high probability of hitting shells. The system can work in five modes, including memorizing the coordinates of the object, determining its angular rings and firing at ground targets.

External communication is carried out by radio station Р-123М, internal - on the intercom TPU-4.

Venerable age and experience of application

The anti-aircraft self-propelled unit "Shilka" was adopted for more than half a century ago. Despite the age so venerable for anti-aircraft weapons, four dozen states still have it in the arsenal of their armed forces. The Israeli army, which in 1973 experienced the crushing effect of four barrels of this SZU on its planes, continues to use sixty copies seized from Egypt plus additionally purchased later. In addition to the republics that formerly made up the USSR, Soviet anti-aircraft guns are ready in the event of war to apply many states of Africa, Asia and the Arab world. Some of them have experience in the combat use of these air defense systems, which managed to fight both in the Middle East and Vietnam (and not with weak opponents). They are also in the armies of the former Warsaw Pact countries, and in considerable numbers. And that is characteristic: ZU-23 nowhere and no one calls antiques or other nickname, characterizing obsolete weapons.

Modernization and prospects

Yes, the old good Shilka is no longer young. The anti-aircraft unit survived several upgrades, aimed at improving the performance and increasing reliability. She learned to distinguish her planes from strangers, began to act faster, electronics got new blocks on a modern element base. The last "upgrade" was in the nineties, then, apparently, the modernization potential of this system was exhausted. To replace the "Shilkam" come "Tunguska" and other SZU, which have much more serious possibilities. A modern combat helicopter can hit the ZU-23 with an inaccessible distance. What can you do, progress ...