Shilka weapon. Shilka (anti-aircraft self-propelled gun)

We are smoothly moving from the ZSU-57-2 to the great (and I’m not afraid of this word at all) successor. “Shaitan-arbe” - “Shilke”.

We can talk about this complex endlessly, but one thing is enough. short phrase: “In service since 1965.” And enough, in general.

History... The history of its creation has been replicated in such a way that it is unrealistic to add anything new or piquant, but speaking about the “Shilka”, one cannot help but note several facts that simply fit the “Shilka” into our military history.

So, the 60s of the last century. Jet planes have already ceased to be a miracle, representing a completely serious striking force. With completely different speeds and maneuvering capabilities. Helicopters also mounted their propellers and were considered not only as vehicle, but also as a pretty decent weapons platform.

And most importantly, helicopters began to try to catch up with the planes of World War II, and the planes completely overtook their predecessors.

And something had to be done about all this. Especially at the army level, “in the fields.”

Yes, anti-aircraft missile systems appeared. Still stationary. The thing is promising, but in the future. But the main load was still borne by anti-aircraft guns of all sizes and calibers.

We have already talked about the ZSU-57-2 and the difficulties that installation calculations encountered when working on low-flying fast targets. Anti-aircraft systems ZU-23, ZP-37, ZSU-57 could hit high-speed targets by accident. The projectiles of the installations, impact action, without a fuse, had to hit the target itself to be guaranteed destruction. I cannot judge how high the probability of a direct hit was.

Things were somewhat better with batteries of S-60 anti-aircraft guns, the guidance of which could be carried out automatically according to the data of the RPK-1 radio instrument complex.

But in general, there was no longer talk of any accurate anti-aircraft fire. Anti-aircraft guns could put a barrier in front of the plane, force the pilot to drop bombs or launch missiles with less accuracy.

"Shilka" was a breakthrough in the field of hitting flying targets at low altitudes. Plus mobility, which has already been appreciated by the ZSU-57-2. But the main thing is accuracy.

General designer Nikolai Aleksandrovich Astrov managed to create an incomparable machine that performed well in combat conditions. And more than once.

Small amphibious tanks T-38 and T-40, tracked armored tractor T-20 "Komsomolets", light tanks T-30, T-60, T-70, self-propelled gun SU-76M. And other, less known or not included in the series models.

What is the ZSU-23-4 “Shilka”?

Perhaps we should start with the purpose.

"Shilka" is intended to protect combat formations of troops, columns on the march, stationary objects and railway trains from enemy air attacks at altitudes from 100 to 1500 meters, at ranges from 200 to 2500 meters at target speeds of up to 450 m/s. The Shilka can fire from a standstill and on the move, and is equipped with equipment that provides autonomous circular and sector search for targets, their tracking, and the development of gun pointing angles.

The armament of the complex consists of a 23-mm quad automatic anti-aircraft gun AZP-23 "Amur" and a power drive system designed for guidance.

The second component of the complex is the RPK-2M radar and instrument complex. Its purpose is also clear. Fire guidance and control.

This particular vehicle was modernized in the late 80s, judging by the commander’s triplex and night sight.

An important aspect: “Shilka” can work with both a radar and a conventional optical sighting device.

The locator provides search, detection, automatic tracking of a target, and determines its coordinates. But in the mid-70s, the Americans invented and began arming aircraft with missiles that could find a radar beam using a radar beam and hit it. This is where simplicity comes in handy.

The third component. The GM-575 chassis, on which everything is actually mounted.

The Shilka crew consists of four people: a self-propelled gun commander, a search and gunner operator, a range operator and a driver.

The driver is the most thieves member of the crew. It is in simply stunning luxury compared to others.

The rest are in the tower, where not only is it cramped and, like in a normal tank, there is something to hit your head on, but also (it seemed to us) it can easily and naturally apply an electric shock. Very cramped.

Positions of the range operator and gunner-operator. Top view in hover.

Analog electronics... You look in awe. Apparently, the operator determined the range using the round screen of the oscilloscope... Uh...

“Shilka” received its baptism of fire during the so-called “War of Attrition” of 1967-70 between Israel and Egypt as part of the Egyptian air defense. And after that, the complex was responsible for another two dozen local wars and conflicts. Mainly in the Middle East.

But “Shilka” received special recognition in Afghanistan. And the honorary nickname “Shaitan-arba” among the Mujahideen. The best way to calm down an ambush organized in the mountains is to use the Shilka. A long burst of four barrels and a subsequent shower of high-explosive shells at the intended positions is the best remedy that saved more than one hundred lives of our soldiers.

By the way, the fuse went off quite normally when it hit an adobe wall. And trying to hide behind the duvals of villages usually did not lead to anything good for dushmans...

Considering that the Afghan partisans did not have aviation, the Shilka fully realized its potential for firing at ground targets in the mountains.

Moreover, a special “Afghan version” was created: a radio device complex was removed, which was completely unnecessary in those conditions. Thanks to it, the ammunition load was increased from 2000 to 4000 rounds and a night sight was installed.

By the end of our troops' stay in the DRA, columns accompanied by Shilka were rarely attacked. This is also a recognition.

It can also be considered recognition that the Shilka is still in service in our army. More than 30 years. Yes, this is far from the same car that began its career in Egypt. “Shilka” has undergone (successfully) more than one deep modernization, and one of these modernizations even received its own name, ZSU-23-4M “Biryusa”.

39 countries, and not only ours" faithful friends", purchased from Soviet Union these cars.

And today in service Russian army“Shilki” are also listed. But these are completely different machines, which are worth a separate story.

ZSU-23-4 “Shilka”, GRAU index - 2A6, is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun manufactured in the USSR, whose serial production started in 1964. Fires at a rate of 3400 rounds per minute. Targeting is carried out in automatic, semi-automatic and manual modes. The first two use a radar station.

The functionality consists of eliminating air targets at altitudes up to 1.5 km and ranges up to 2.5 km, the speed of which is up to 450 m/s, and surface (ground) targets located at a distance of up to 2 km from a short stop, from a standstill and in move. It is also used for direct cover of ground troops. During the Soviet Union, it was in service with units air defense ground forces regimental level.

Potential opponents of the USSR noticed its great danger in relation to low-flying targets. But today this SPAAG is already outdated, mainly in terms of its characteristics, rather short range of fire against air targets and the capabilities of the radar station. For the purpose of replacement, the Tunguska self-propelled air defense missile system subsequently appeared. Nevertheless, the Shilka is still used today in anti-aircraft units in the armies of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and other states and is successfully used in local conflicts to fire at ground targets.

1. Photos

2. Video

3. History of creation

The debut Soviet anti-aircraft self-propelled gun was the ZSU-57-2, serial production of which started either in 1955 or 1957. It had very little combat effectiveness, and had only a low rate of fire, a manual optical guidance system and its low speed. Therefore, it could not shoot down high-speed jet aircraft flying at low altitudes. For these reasons, immediately after it began to be produced, two new rapid-fire installations with automatic radar guidance systems began to be developed. These are the ZSU-37-2 Yenisei with a twin 500P gun mount of 37 mm caliber and the ZSU-23-4 Shilka with a quad 2A7 gun mount of 23 mm caliber. In addition, each of them was equipped with a radar guidance system and landing gear. For Yenisei it was the Baikal RPK and the chassis from the SU-100P self-propelled gun, and for Shilka the Tobol RPK and the chassis from the ASU-85 self-propelled gun. As for use: the Yenisei had the task of providing air defense for armored forces, and Shilka - for motorized rifle units.

Their prototypes were produced at the end of 1960, and state and factory tests were completed ten months later. The Shilka was put into service in the fall of 1962. Its advantages over the Yenisei were revealed in the effectiveness of shooting at high-speed targets at altitudes of 0.2-0.5 km, but the Yenisei turned out to be better in terms of the maximum effective shooting altitude. Its weight was 28,000 kg, and Shilka’s was 19,000, but their cost was almost the same. Since none of the systems turned out to be better friend friend, they were both recommended for adoption, but the Council of Ministers of the USSR made a corresponding decision only regarding Shilka, and work on the Yenisei was stopped.

4. Performance characteristics

4.1 Dimensions

  • Case length, cm: 649.5
  • Case width, cm: 307.5
  • Height, cm: 264.4-376.4
  • Base, cm: 382.8
  • Track, cm: 250
  • Ground clearance, cm: 40.

4.2 Booking

  • Armor type: rolled steel bulletproof (0.9 – 1.5 cm).

4.3 Armament

  • Make and caliber of gun: four AZP-23 “Amur”, 23 mm caliber
  • Gun type: small-caliber rifled automatic guns
  • Barrel length, calibers: 82
  • Gun ammunition: 2000
  • HV angles, degrees: −4…+85°
  • GN angles, degrees: 360°
  • Firing range, m: 200 - 500
  • Sights: RPK-2 radar, optical sight.

4.4 Mobility

  • Engine type: V-6R
  • Engine power, l. p.: 280
  • Highway speed, km/h: 50
  • Speed ​​over rough terrain, km/h: up to 30
  • Cruising range on the highway, km: 450
  • Cruising range over rough terrain, km: 300
  • Specific power, l. s./t: 14.7
  • Suspension type: torsion bar individual
  • Climbability, degrees: 30°
  • Wall to be overcome, cm: 70
  • Ditch to be overcome, cm: 250
  • Fordability, cm: 100.

4.5 Other parameters

  • Classification: anti-aircraft self-propelled gun
  • Combat weight, kg: 21000
  • Layout scheme: classic
  • Crew, people: 4

5. Modifications

  • ZSU-23-4V – modernization. The service life of the gas turbine unit has been increased from 300 to 450 hours and the operational reliability has been increased. Conditions for the crew have become better. In order to point the tracking radar at the target, a commander's guidance device was used.
  • ZSU-23-4V1 - ZSU-23-4V was supplemented with a counting and solving device, which increased the reliability of automatic target tracking when the installation speed increased to 40 km/h, there was an increase in the efficiency and accuracy of fire, as well as the service life of the gas turbine unit up to 600 hours .
  • ZSU-23-4M1 - modernization of the 2A10 cannon to 2A7M and 2A10M and 2A7 assault rifles to increase the stability and reliability of the complex. The survivability of the barrels has increased - up to 4500 shots. The reliability of the radar station has improved, and the service life of the gas turbine unit has increased to 900 hours.
  • ZSU-23-4M2 – modernized ZSU-23-4M1, for operation in Afghanistan. The RPK was removed, due to which the ammunition load of shells increased to three thousand pieces. Night vision equipment was installed for shooting at ground targets at night
  • ZSU-23-4M3 Biryusa – modernized ZSU-23-4M1. The ground-based radio interrogator “Luk” has been introduced for the radar identification system of air targets based on the “friend or foe” principle
  • ZSU-23-4M4 Shilka-M4 – modernization. Installed radar fire control system, possible addition anti-aircraft missile system Sagittarius. Used by a battery of a mobile reconnaissance and control post Assembly M1, as a command post and the introduction into the ZSU of a telecode communication channel for data exchange between command post and installation. The analog counting and solving device was replaced by a central digital computer. A digital tracking system has been introduced. The tracked chassis has been improved in order to increase the maneuverability and controllability of the self-propelled vehicle and reduce the complexity of its operation and maintenance. A passive night vision device has been installed. Other radio stations, an automated monitoring system for the performance of radio-electronic equipment and an air conditioner were installed.
  • ZSU-23-4M5 Shilka-M5 is a modernized ZSU-23-4M4. An optical-electronic and radar fire control system was introduced.

6. Machines based

  • 1S91 - self-propelled guidance and reconnaissance installation for the Kub air defense system.
  • 2P25 – self-propelled launcher for the Kub air defense system.
  • "Sangguin" is a self-propelled laser system for countering optical-electronic devices of air targets.

7. Tactics

When anti-aircraft guns are involved in attacks, they provide support to the tanks, moving behind them at a distance of approximately 0.4 km.

At distances greater than 2.5 km, firing at air targets is ineffective and, because of this, is only possible in self-defense. Its shells fly three kilometers in six seconds.

7.1 Opposition

Shilka can be defeated by helicopters with TOW guided anti-tank missiles, whose launch range can be more than 3000 m. There is no great danger for helicopters in front of Shilka, because it can possibly fail to shoot down an air target flying at an altitude of more than 2.5 km above 10%.

8. Combat use

  • War of attrition - on the side of Egypt
  • The Vietnam War - on the side of North Vietnam
  • Arab-Israeli War - both sides
  • Battles for Mount Hermon - on the side of Syria
  • First Civil War in Angola – Angolan side
  • Egyptian-Libyan war - on the side of Libya
  • Ethiopian-Somali war - on the side of Somalia
  • Afghan war
  • Iran-Iraq War – on the Iraqi side
  • Civil war in Lebanon - on the side of Syria
  • They were used to protect against US aircraft attacks on Libya in the spring of 1986.
  • Gulf War – on the side of Iraq
  • Armed conflict in Transnistria – both sides
  • The Karabakh conflict is on the side of Armenia
  • First Chechen War – both sides
  • NATO operation against Serbia is on the side of Yugoslavia
  • Second Chechen War – both sides
  • Iraq War – on the Iraqi side
  • The civil war in Syria is on the Syrian side.

Designed to protect combat formations of troops, columns on the march, stationary objects and railway trains from attacks by aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles at altitudes up to 1500 m with a slant range from 200 to 2500 m and flight speeds up to 450 m/s. The ZSU can also be used to destroy moving and stationary ground targets at ranges up to 2000 m.

The composition of the Shilka self-propelled gun includes:

23-mm quad automatic anti-aircraft gun AZP-23-4;

Electrohydraulic power servo drives;

Radio device complex RPK-2M;

Power supply system;

Tracked self-propelled vehicle;

Navigation equipment;

Day and night observation devices;

External and internal communication equipment;

Anti-nuclear protection equipment.

The RPK includes a gun-targeting radar, a counting device and a sighting device.

In any weather and visibility conditions, with the help of the radar in the ZSU, the target coordinates are automatically determined, from which the computing device generates proactive data for aiming the AZP-23-4 gun mount. Automatic aiming of guns is ensured using hydraulic power drives. Distinctive Features The AZP-23-4 cannon machine gun is equipped with an electrical circuit to ensure firing and forced interlayer cooling of the machine gun barrels.
The A3P - 23 -4 assault rifle provides a rate of fire of about 4000 rounds/min.

The effectiveness of firing at an aircraft located within the firing zone ranges from 0.05 to 0.25.

ZSU-23-4 has an ammunition load of 2000 rounds (shells).

The time for transferring the ZSU from the traveling position to the combat position is about 5 minutes, the combat crew is 4 people.

The ZSU allows for several ways of aiming the cannon at the target and firing. These methods determine the five modes of combat operation of the ESU. When the ZSU operates in the first three modes, the gun is aimed by power guidance drives included in auto mode guidance, according to data coming from the PKK.

When operating in the fourth and fifth modes, the gun is aimed at the right head (sight-doubler) of the sighting device using power pointing drives included in the semi-automatic pointing mode or (in the fifth mode) manually using handwheels. The guidance power drives in these modes are controlled by the search operator using the T-55M1 radar handle block. The ZSU has a number of interlocks, the operation of which eliminates the possibility of turning on the power drives for guidance and firing. These interlocks are provided to ensure the safety of the crew and friendly troops during combat operation of the ZSU. The interlocks are installed so that turning on the power guidance drives is possible only when the turret and the swinging part of the AZP are unlocked, the driver's hatch is closed and the link collector hatch is closed.

Depending on the operating modes, the opening of fire is carried out either by the commander from the fire handle, or by the search operator from the handle of the T-55M1 block, or using the trigger pedal.
After the ZSU-23-4 was put into service in 1962, it underwent several upgrades.

The first modernization took place during 1968 -1969, as a result of which the reliability of the installation’s operation increased, living conditions for crews improved, and the service life of the gas turbine unit (GTA) was increased from 300 to 450 hours. To point the tracking radar at a visually detected target, a commander's guidance device (CPD). Modernized installation received the name ZSU-23-4V.

In 1970-1971 The calculating and solving device was modernized. This made it possible to increase the accuracy and efficiency of shooting, the reliability of automatic target tracking while increasing the speed of the installation from 20 to 40 km/h, and to increase the service life of the GTA from 450 to 600 hours. The installation was named ZSU-23-4V1. In 1971 - 1972 As a result of the development work, the survivability of the barrels was increased from 3000 to 4500 rounds, the reliability of the radar was improved and the service life of the GTA was again increased from 600 to 900 hours. The installation became known as ZSU-23-4M1.

During 1977 - 1978, a radio interrogator for the "friend or foe" aircraft identification system was built into the installation. After this, the Shilka ZSU received the name ZSU-23-4MZ.

In 1978 - 1979, the following modernization of the Shilka ZSU was carried out in order to better use it in mountain conditions, in particular, in battle formations in Afghanistan, the RPK was excluded from the installation, due to which the ammunition load of shells was increased from 2000 to 3000 pieces, and night vision equipment was introduced for firing at night targets at ground targets. The upgraded unit, called ZSU-23-4M2, proved effective when conducting combat operations in the mountainous conditions of Afghanistan.

In the course of further modernization, radar and optical location fire control systems, telecode equipment for exchanging information with the commander's control post are being introduced into the installation. The radar and main equipment of the installation have been transferred to a modern element base and digital signal processing, and the components and mechanisms of the basic self-propelled gun have been improved.

The ZSU turns into an anti-aircraft missile and gun system.

The probability of hitting a ZSU target increases (from 1 0.12 to 0.55 - 0.6), and each installation has the ability to receive target designation via a telecode communication channel from the commander's control post.

Main characteristics:

ZSU-23-4 ZSU-23-4M1 ZSU-23-4M2
MiG-17 target detection range, km12 12 -
Range of automatic tracking of MiG type targets, km10 10 -
The main method of aiming guns at a targetusing RPKusing RPKusing an optical sight and night vision devices
Firing zone for air targets, m:
200-2500 200-2500 200-2500
50-2000 50-2000 50-2000
Range of destruction of ground targets, mup to 2000up to 2000up to 2000
Probability of aircraft being hit0,05-0,20 0,05-0,30 -
Maximum speed of targets hit, m/s450 450 -
ZSU reaction time, s20 20 20
Expansion (collapse) time, min.3-5 3-5 3-5
Possibility of firing while moving with cannon weaponsavailableavailableavailable
Maximum speed of the ZSU, km/h50 50 50
Weight. ZSU, t21 21 21
Calculation, pers.4 4 4
Year of adoption1962 1973 1979

ZSU-23-4 "Shilka"

Main characteristics

Briefly

Details

8.0 / 8.0 / 8.0 BR

4 people Crew

341% Visibility

forehead / side / stern Booking

9 / 9 / 9 hulls

0 / 8 / 8 towers

Mobility

21.0 tons Weight

534 l/s 280 l/s Engine power

25 hp/t 13 hp/t specific

54 km/h forward
8 km/h back49 km/h forward
7 km/h back Speed

Armament

2,000 rounds of ammunition

1.0 / 1.3 sec recharge

500 shells clip size

850 rounds/min rate of fire

4° / 85° UVN

two-plane stabilizer

Economy

Description

ZSU-23-4 "Shilka"


At the end of the 50s. after adoption Soviet army high-precision anti-aircraft missiles, foreign aviation specialists urgently had to develop new tactics: pilots were asked to fly at extremely low altitudes to avoid detection by new air defense systems. During this period, the standard air defense system for the troops was the ZSU-57-2, but it could not cope with the new task, so it was urgently necessary to develop a more modern self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. This car appeared in 1964. It was a ZSU-23-4 Shilka.

Designed for direct cover of ground troops, destruction of air targets at ranges up to 2500 m and altitudes up to 1500 m, flying at speeds up to 450 m/s, as well as ground (surface) targets at ranges up to 2000 m from a standstill, from a short stop and in movement. In the USSR it was part of the regimental-level air defense units of the ground forces.

Main characteristics

Armor protection and survivability

Shilka in Victory Park

Almost along the entire projection, the Shilka is protected by armor plates 15 mm thick. Three of the four crew members are located in the turret, directly behind the ammunition rack, occupying the entire front of the turret. There is also a large fuel tank next to the driver. All this does not allow you to hold out for any length of time against any opponents: chamber shells will be cocked, destroying modules and causing critical damage to crew members; cumulative shells will detonate fuel tanks and ammunition; heavy machine guns penetrate weak armor and damage crew members, and aircraft (if, of course, they can get the Shilka due to certain circumstances) are capable of quickly destroying the vehicle with their forward weapons.

Meeting an enemy tank on the battlefield will most likely be fatal for the Shilka. The only thing you can try to do against such armored targets is to try to knock off the tracks and damage the barrel. And if the tracks are damaged quickly enough, then for many barrels the Shilka does not have enough projectile power to damage them.

Because of all of the above, it should be concluded that the Shilka is not a second or even third line equipment - it should remain in the shelter of houses, hills, and other obstacles from enemy ground equipment and concentrate on destroying enemy aircraft, without being distracted by ground .

Mobility

The Shilka has rather mediocre mobility and mobility - the specific power is 14.7 horsepower per ton. For some tanks such a relatively low figure would be a disadvantage, but for ZSU mobility is the least important characteristic, so it can be omitted and not considered as a disadvantage. Most of the safe positions from which you can effectively control the sky above the battlefield are often located close to the spawn points, so there is no need for better mobility.

Armament

There are three gun belts to choose from:

  • Standard: BZT - OFZT;
  • OFZT: OFZT - OFZT - OFZT - BZT;
  • BZT: BZT - BZT - BZT - OFZT.

Explanation:

  • BZT- Armor-piercing incendiary tracer projectile;
  • OFZT- High-explosive incendiary tracer projectile.

The maximum penetration rate of a BZT projectile is only 46 mm, which is often not sufficient for any effective fight with enemy ground vehicles, and the damage to air targets is insignificant (compared to a high-explosive projectile), although the chance of arson is high. The first two ribbons are of priority - standard, in case of less accurate shooting, in order to have a greater chance of setting the enemy on fire so that he does not leave, and OFZT for a higher shooting skill due to the better effectiveness of OFZT projectiles against air targets. The last tape (BZT) does not have any useful feature to use it.

Use in combat

Due to the possibility of the enemy taking off on an airplane at any moment, in arcade mode it makes sense to take the Shilka from the very beginning of the battle, take a position protected from enemy ground equipment and cover the allies from enemy attack aircraft and bombers. The position should be chosen so that the enemy cannot see the arcade marker above your vehicle. Usually such positions are at the spawn point or somewhere nearby. The lead marker will help well in targeting enemy aircraft, although due to increased maneuverability, it becomes an order of magnitude more difficult to hit a moving target (than in RB or SB). For your own protection, you should be wary not only of attack aircraft and bombers, but also of fighters without external weapons - at such a high level of combat, fighters have powerful forward weapons that can easily hit light armor"Shilki."

Due to the limitation of the realistic mode on aircraft departures, for some time after the start of the battle the sky will be clear (and in very rare cases the enemy will have no aircraft at all) and the need for the Shilka will disappear. It would be much more rational to use a tank as the first vehicle, thus bringing a disproportionately greater benefit to your team due to the inability of the Shilka to be at least somewhat effective in combating the bulk of ground vehicles due to the low penetration rate of its shells. If, by the time the enemy lost the first equipment, air targets had been spotted, you can safely take the Shilka and take a position from which it will be possible to effectively observe the sky near the battlefield, while remaining inaccessible to enemy ground equipment - this is either a courtyard surrounded by low houses , or a depression in a hilly area, and in extreme cases, just a rebirth point will do. The ideal position would be one that offers an excellent view of the direction to the enemy airfield - in this case, the enemy aircraft will be spotted in advance and it will be much easier to observe it before opening fire.

Most opponents at this rank already have planes high level, many are reactive, with high speed flight, which are especially difficult to shoot down if they do not attack Shilka herself, the equipment next to her, or simply fly past at a low altitude. There is no need to waste ammunition on enemy fighters that fly at a great distance from the battlefield - it is better to save the ammunition for enemy attack aircraft.

Attack aircraft pose a serious threat to the ground-based allied force and it is precisely this that is the main goal laid down during the creation of the ZSU. For example, a good pilot in a Do.217 bomber (which is capable of precision dive bombing) can destroy 3-5 tanks with one bomb load, and a rather futuristic looking Ho.229 V3 fighter, using a ground target belt, can damage several tanks, setting them on fire with hits in the engine compartment, distracting them from the battle with the allies. These aircraft are more dangerous for ground vehicles than many jet variants of the Il-28 type bombers due to their lower flight speed and better controllability, but this does not mean that jet bombers are completely useless in battle - they are also capable of causing significant damage to allied tanks.

The enemy aircraft must be brought close enough before opening fire for two reasons: first, despite the high rate of fire, there is a chance of not hitting an aircraft flying in the distance; the second - having seen the tracks of the Shilka cannons, the enemy can turn away and begin to look for targets away from the place from which they were fired at. In this case, the Shilka will not receive another note about the downed aircraft, and the enemy will attack allied ground equipment with impunity. Due to such a high density of fire on Shilka, the following shooting tactics can be used - when the enemy comes within 1.0 - 1.3 km. it is necessary to choose a lead in the direction of its flight, after which it is necessary to take a sufficient lead in speed and, changing the lead of the enemy’s speed axis (as if imagining that he is flying first at a lower speed - less lead, and then at a higher speed - more lead) to shower him with a hail of shells. Such shooting allows you to more effectively hit targets flying at medium and above medium distances.

If the enemy flies away from Shilka at a decent distance (more than 700-800 meters), then you should not waste ammunition - most likely the shells will fly past, and the opportunity to shoot down the plane will be when it returns - most often they return.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

  • Very high rate of fire and fire density.
  • Quite powerful high-explosive fragmentation shells.
  • High speed of turret and gun guidance.
  • Capacious ammunition.
  • No reloads (continuous tape power).

Flaws:

  • Large machine size.
  • The ammunition “surrounds” the turret.
  • Low mobility.
  • Low penetration rate of armor-piercing shells.
  • There are no sub-caliber shells.

Historical reference

Shilka at the parade on Red Square in Moscow

Immediately after the start of mass production

Our company is gradually starting to open up. There is an opportunity to talk and write about things that were previously stamped with state secrets. Today we want to tell the story of creation sighting system the legendary Shilka anti-aircraft self-propelled gun, which was put into service exactly 40 years ago (rich this year for anniversaries!). Here is a short essay written by two veterans of our company who took part in the creation of the world-famous self-propelled gun - Lydia Rostovikova and Elizaveta Spitsyna.

With development air fleet Specialists were faced with the task of creating means of protecting ground troops from enemy air raids. During the First World War, a number of European countries, including Russia, adopted anti-aircraft guns, which were constantly improved as technology developed. Entire anti-aircraft artillery systems were created.

Subsequently, it was recognized that artillery on mobile self-propelled chassis would most successfully cope with the tasks of protecting troops on the march from enemy aircraft. The results of the Second World War led to the conclusion that traditional anti-aircraft guns are quite effective in combating aircraft flying at medium and high altitudes, but are unsuitable for firing at low-flying targets with high speed, since in this case the aircraft instantly goes beyond the range of fire . In addition, gun shell explosions large caliber(for example, 76 mm and 85 mm) at low altitudes can cause significant damage to their own troops.

As the survivability and speed of aircraft increased, the effectiveness of small-caliber automatic anti-aircraft guns - 25 and 37 mm - also decreased. In addition, due to the increase in the speed of air targets, the consumption of shells per downed aircraft increased several times.

As a result, the opinion was formed that in order to combat low-flying targets, it would be most advisable to create a installation with a small-caliber automatic cannon and a high rate of fire. This should allow for highly concentrated fire with precise targeting during those very short periods of time when the aircraft is in the affected area. Such a setup must quickly change aiming in order to track a target moving at high angular velocities. The most suitable for this purpose was a multi-barreled installation, which had a much greater mass of a second salvo than a single-barreled gun, mounted on a self-propelled chassis.

In 1955, the OKB of the enterprise, post office box 825 (that was the name of the Progress plant, which later became part of LOMO), headed by the head of the OKB, Viktor Ernestovich Pikkel, was issued a technical assignment to carry out the Topaz research work. Based on the results of this development, the question of the possibility of creating an automatic all-weather gun mount on a self-propelled chassis for firing at air targets, which would ensure high efficiency in hitting low-flying air targets at speeds of up to 400 m/s, was to be resolved.

V.E. Pikkel

In the process of performing this work by the OKB team, post office box 825, under the leadership of chief designer V.E. Pikel and deputy chief designer V.B. Perepelovsky, a number of problems were solved in order to ensure the effectiveness of the developed artillery mount. In particular, the chassis was selected, the type of anti-aircraft installation, the maximum weight of the fire control equipment installed on the chassis, the type of targets served by the installation, as well as the principle of ensuring its all-weather capability were determined. This was followed by the selection of contractors and element base.

During the design studies carried out under the leadership of the Stalin Prize laureate, leading designer L.M. Braudze, the most optimal placement of all elements of the sighting system was determined: radar antenna, anti-aircraft gun barrels, antenna pointing drives, stabilization elements on one rotating base. At the same time, the issue of decoupling the sighting and gun lines of the installation was resolved quite ingeniously.

V.B. Perepelovsky

Formulaic and structural diagrams of the complex were developed, which formed the basis of the design and development work for the creation of the Tobol radio instrument complex. The stated goal of the work was “Development and creation of the all-weather complex “Tobol” for the ZSU-23-4 “Shilka”.

In 1957, after reviewing and evaluating the materials on the Topaz research work presented to the customer at mailbox 825, he was given a technical assignment to carry out the Tobol research and development work. It provided for the development of technical documentation and the production of a prototype of the instrument complex, the parameters of which were determined by the previous Topaz research project. The instrument complex included elements for stabilizing the sighting and gun lines, systems for determining the current and forward coordinates of the target, and radar antenna pointing drives.

The components of the ZSU were delivered by contractors to the enterprise, post office box 825, where general assembly and approval was carried out components between themselves.

In 1960, on the territory Leningrad region factory field tests of the ZSU-23-4 were carried out, the results of which prototype was presented for state tests and sent to the Donguzsky artillery range.

In February 1961, plant specialists (N.A. Kozlov, Yu.K. Yakovlev, V.G. Rozhkov, V.D. Ivanov, N.S. Ryabenko, O.S. Zakharov) went there to prepare for the testing and presentation of the ZSU to the commission. In the summer of 1961 they were successfully carried out.

It should be noted that simultaneously with the ZSU-23-4, a prototype ZSU was tested, developed by the State Central Research Institute TsNII-20, which in 1957 was also given the terms of reference for the development of the ZSU (Yenisei). But according to the results of state tests, this product was not accepted for service.

In 1962, the Shilka was put into service and its mass production was organized at factories in a number of cities in the USSR.

For two years (1963-1964), teams of LOMO specialists from SKB 17-18 and workshops went to these plants to establish serial production and testing technical documentation on the product.

The first two production models of the ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" in 1964 underwent full-scale firing tests using a radio-controlled model (RCM) to determine the firing efficiency. For the first time in the practice of world anti-aircraft artillery, one of the Shiloks RUM was shot down - the tests ended brilliantly!

In 1967, by the decision of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, for services in the field of special instrument making, the USSR State Prize was awarded to the Chief Designer of the ZSU-23-4 instrument complex, Viktor Ernestovich Pikkel, and his deputy, Vsevolod Borisovich Perepelovsky, as well as a number of specialists from serial factories and customers. On their initiative and with their active participation work on the creation of “Shilka” was started and completed.

In 1985, the German magazine “Soldier and Equipment” published a note containing the following phrase: “The serial production of the ZSU-23-4, which lasted 20 years, was stopped in the USSR. But despite this, the installation of ZSU-23-4 is still considered the best remedy combating high-speed, low-flying targets."


Employees of the enterprise who participated in the creation of "Shilka"

L. Rostovikova, E. Spitsyna
Material provided by: Nikolay Vlasov, JSC "LOMO"

Attacks... anti-aircraft gun

First, the blue rapiers of the spotlights flashed. Cutting through the pitch darkness, the rays began to run chaotically across the night sky. Then, as if on cue, they suddenly converged on a dazzling point, tenaciously holding the fascist vulture there. Immediately, dozens of fire trails rushed towards the detected bomber, and the lights of explosions flashed high in the sky. And now the enemy plane, leaving a trail of smoke behind it, rushes towards the ground. A blow follows, and a resounding explosion of unused bombs reverberates around...

This is how Soviet anti-aircraft gunners acted during the Great Patriotic War during the defense of many of our cities from raids by Luftwaffe bombers. By the way, the highest density of anti-aircraft artillery during the defense of, for example, Moscow, Leningrad and Baku was 8 - 10 times greater than during the defense of Berlin and London. And in total, during the war years, our anti-aircraft artillery destroyed more than 23 thousand enemy aircraft, and this speaks not only of the dedicated and skillful actions of the fire crews, their high military skill, but also of the excellent combat qualities of domestic anti-aircraft artillery.

Quite a few artillery anti-aircraft systems created by Soviet designers in the post-war years. Various examples of this kind of weapons, which fully meet modern requirements for combat operations, are in service with the Soviet Army and Navy and currently.

Dust swirls over the field road. The troops make a long march - as prescribed by the training plan. Columns move in an endless stream military equipment: tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery tractors, rocket launchers- they all must arrive at the specified places at exactly the calculated time.

And suddenly - the command: “Air!”

But the columns do not stop; moreover, they increase speed, increasing the distance between cars. The massive towers of some of them began to move, the barrels went up sharply, and now the shots merged into a continuous rumbling roar... It was the ZSU-23-4 anti-aircraft guns firing at the “enemy”, covering the columns of troops as they moved.

Before we start the story about this interesting armored vehicle, let's take a tour of... a shooting range, yes, a regular shooting range. Surely every boy has shot with an air rifle at some point. Many apparently tried to hit moving targets. But few people thought that the brain in this situation calculates the most complex math problem. Military engineers say that this solves the predictive problem of the approach and meeting of two bodies moving in three-dimensional space. In relation to a shooting range - a tiny lead bullet and a target. But it would seem so simple; caught a moving target on the front sight, set the aiming point and quickly but smoothly pulled the trigger.

At low target speeds, you can hit it with just one bullet. But to hit, for example, a flying target (remember the so-called skeet shooting, when athletes shoot at clay pigeons launched at high speed by a special device), one bullet is not enough. At such a target they shoot several at once - a shot charge.

In fact, a space charge moving in space consists of dozens of destructive elements. Once one of them hits the plate, the target is hit.

We needed all these seemingly abstract reasoning to figure out how to hit a high-speed air target, for example, a modern fighter-bomber, whose flight speed can exceed 2000 km/h! Indeed, this task is difficult.

Serious technical specifications anti-aircraft designers have to take into account. However, despite the complexity of the problem, engineers solve it using, so to speak, the “hunting” principle. An anti-aircraft gun should be rapid-firing and, if possible, multi-barreled. And its control is so perfect that in a very short period of time it can be carried out on target greatest number aimed shots. Only this will allow you to achieve the maximum probability of defeat.

It should be noted that anti-aircraft weapons appeared with the advent of aviation - after all, already at the beginning of the First World War, enemy aircraft represented real threat both for troops and for rear facilities. Initially, the fight against combat airplanes was carried out using conventional guns or machine guns, installing them in special devices so that they could shoot upward. These measures turned out to be ineffective, which is why the development of anti-aircraft artillery subsequently began. An example is the 76-mm anti-aircraft gun, created by Russian designers in 1915 at the Putilov plant.

Simultaneously with the development of air attack weapons, anti-aircraft artillery was also improved. Much success achieved by Soviet gunsmiths who created before the Great Patriotic War anti-aircraft guns with high firing efficiency. Its density also increased, and the fight against enemy aircraft became possible not only during the day, but also at night.

In the post-war years, anti-aircraft artillery was further improved due to the advent of rocket weapons. At one time it even seemed that with the advent of the era of ultra-high-speed and ultra-high-altitude aircraft, barrel installations had become obsolete. However, the barrel and the rocket did not at all deny each other; it was simply necessary to distinguish between their areas of application...

Now let's talk in more detail about the ZSU-23-4. This is an anti-aircraft self-propelled gun, the number 23 means the caliber of its guns in millimeters, 4 is the number of barrels.

The installation is intended to provide air defense to various objects, combat formations of troops in a head-on battle, columns on the march from enemy aircraft flying at altitudes of 1500 m. The ZSU-23-4 can fire at ground targets, and just as successfully as at air. In this case, the effective fire range is 2500m.

The basis of the self-propelled gun's firepower is the quadruple 23-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun. The rate of fire is 3400 rounds per minute, that is, every second a stream of 56 shells rushes towards the enemy! Or, if we take the mass of each projectile equal to 0.2 kg, the second flow of this avalanche of metal is about 11 kg.

As a rule, shooting is carried out in short bursts - 3 - 5 or 5 - 10 shots per barrel, and if the target is high-speed, then up to 50 shots per barrel. This makes it possible to create a high density of fire in the target area for reliable destruction.

The ammunition load consists of 2 thousand rounds, and two types of shells are used - high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing incendiary. The trunks are fed by tape. Interestingly, the ribbons are equipped strictly in a certain order- for every three high-explosive fragmentation shells there is one armor-piercing incendiary shell.

The speed of modern aircraft is so high that without reliable and fast aiming equipment, even the most modern anti-aircraft guns not enough. This is exactly what the ZSU-23-4 has. Precision instruments continuously solve the same prognostic problem of the encounter, which was discussed in the example of shooting from an air rifle at a moving target. In a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, the barrels are also directed not to the point where the air target is located at the time of the shot, but to another point, called the lead one. It lies ahead - on the path of the target. And the projectile must hit this point simultaneously with it. It is characteristic that the ZSU fires without zeroing - each burst is calculated and fired as if it were a new target each time. And immediately to defeat.

But before hitting the target, it must be detected. This task is assigned to the radar - radar station. It searches for a target, detects it and then automatically accompanies the enemy air force. The radar also helps determine the target coordinates and range to it.

The radar antenna is clearly visible in the pictures of the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun - it is installed on a special column above the tower. This is a parabolic “mirror”, but the observer sees only a flat cylinder (“washer”) on the tower - an antenna casing made of radio-transparent material that protects it from damage and atmospheric precipitation.

The very task of aiming is solved by the SRP - a computing device, a kind of brain of an anti-aircraft installation. In essence, this is a small-sized on-board electronic computer that solves the prognostic problem. Or, as military engineers say, the SRP develops lead angles when pointing a gun at a moving target. This is how the shooting line is formed.

A few words about the group of devices that form the system for stabilizing the line of sight of the shot line. The effectiveness of their action is such that, no matter how much the ZSU throws from side to side when moving, for example, on a country road, no matter how much it shakes, the radar antenna continues to track the target, and the gun barrels are precisely directed along the line of fire. The fact is that the automation remembers the initial aiming of the radar antenna and gun" and simultaneously stabilizes them in two guidance planes - horizontal and vertical. Consequently, the "self-propelled gun" is capable of accurate targeted shooting while moving with the same efficiency as from a standstill.

By the way, neither atmospheric conditions (fog, poor visibility) nor the time of day affect the accuracy of firing. Thanks to the radar station, the anti-aircraft installation is operational under any meteorological conditions. And she can move even in complete darkness - infrared device provides visibility at a distance of 200 - 250 m.

The crew consists of only four people: commander, driver, search operator (gunner) and range operator. The designers very successfully assembled the ZSU and thought through the working conditions of the crew. For example, to transfer a gun from a traveling position to a combat position, you do not need to leave the installation. This operation is performed directly from the site by the commander or search operator. They control the gun and fire. It should be noted that much here is borrowed from the tank - this is understandable: the “self-propelled gun” is also an armored tracked vehicle. In particular, it is equipped with tank navigation equipment so that the commander can constantly monitor the location and path traveled by the ZSU, as well as, without leaving the vehicle, navigate the terrain and plot courses on the map,

Now about ensuring the safety of crew members. People are separated from the gun by a vertical armored partition, which protects them from bullets and shrapnel, as well as from flames and powder gases. Special attention devoted to the functioning and combat operations of the vehicle when used by the enemy nuclear weapons: the design of the ZSU-23-4 includes anti-nuclear protection equipment and fire-fighting equipment. The microclimate inside the anti-aircraft gun is taken care of by the FVU - a filter-ventilation unit capable of purifying the outside air from radioactive dust. She also creates inside the combat vehicle overpressure, which does not allow contaminated air to get inside through possible cracks.

The reliability and survivability of the installation are quite high. Its components are very advanced and reliable mechanisms, and it is armored. The maneuverability of the vehicle is comparable to the corresponding characteristics of tanks.

In conclusion, let's try to simulate a battle episode in modern conditions. Imagine that a ZSU-23-4 is covering a column of troops on the march. But the radar, continuously conducting a circular search, detects an air target. Who is this? Yours or someone else's? A request immediately follows about the ownership of the aircraft, and if there is no answer, the commander’s decision will be the only one - fire!

But the enemy is cunning, maneuvering, attacking the anti-aircraft gunners. And in the midst of the battle, a shrapnel cuts off the antenna of the radar station. It would seem that the “blinded” anti-aircraft gun is completely disabled, but the designers provided for this, and even more difficult situations. A radar station, a computer and even a stabilization system may fail - the installation will still be combat-ready. The search operator (gunner) will fire using a backup anti-aircraft sight, and will enter leads using the angle rings.

That's basically all about the ZSU-23-4 combat vehicle. Soviet soldiers skillfully manage modern technology, mastering such military specialties that appeared in Lately as a result of the scientific and technological revolution. The clarity and consistency of their work allows them to successfully resist almost any air enemy.



Similar articles