Anti-aircraft installation Zu 23 2 performance characteristics. Advantages of modernized models
modernization of the ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun, which was supposed to be of interest to domestic and foreign customers. The ZU-23/30M1-3 project and its variant ZU-23/30M1-4 were developed by the Podolsk electromechanical plant PEMZ Spetsmash. The goal of this project was to create a new version of the obsolete ZU-23 anti-aircraft system, suitable for use in modern conditions . It was proposed to equip the basic anti-aircraft installation with a set of new equipment designed to automate various processes and improve combat performance. Modernized family anti-aircraft systems
received the general designation ZU-23/30M1. At the same time, however, the family currently consists of only two units - ZU-23/30M1-3 and ZU-23/30M1-4. There is no information about the existence of systems with indexes “1” and “2”.
Anti-aircraft gun ZU-23/30M1. Photo Arms-expo.ru An important feature of the ZU-23/30M1 family of projects is the architecture of the proposed modernized anti-aircraft installation. As a basis for new technology
the basic ZU-23 is used with minimal design changes. A set of additional equipment is mounted on it, designed to improve the performance of the basic system. The new equipment includes mechanical guidance drives, control systems, optical-electronic equipment, etc.
The main platform has a rotating mechanism on which the upper platform with the artillery unit, control equipment and operator's workstation is located. The general architecture of the upper platform units has generally remained the same, but has undergone some changes directly related to the addition of new equipment. In the center of the platform there are two automatic guns with vertical guidance systems. Behind them on the left there is an operator’s workplace with a set of necessary controls and systems for monitoring the operation of the installation. To the right of the operator are boxes with other equipment.
Anti-aircraft gun ZU-23/30M1-4, rear view. Photo Pemz-podolsk.ru
The artillery part of the ZU-23 installation does not change when converted into a ZU-23/30M1-3 or ZU-23/30M1-4. Two 2A14 automatic cannons of 23 mm caliber are used as the main means of attacking air and ground targets. The guns use gas-operated automatics and are capable of firing at a rate of up to 800-1000 rounds per minute each. The total rate of fire of the two guns is up to 2000 rounds per minute. The 2A14 guns use 23x152 mm shells. To date, several variants of such ammunition have been created: various operators can use both the Soviet-developed BZT armor-piercing incendiary projectile and other foreign-made projectiles. Two boxes located on the sides of the guns hold 100 shells.
When upgrading to the ZU-23/30M1 state, to the right of the guns, a block of optical-electronic equipment for target detection is installed on a special bracket, capable of swinging in a vertical plane along with the guns. This unit contains a video camera and a thermal imager, which allows the operator to observe and attack detected targets at any time of the day and in any weather conditions. The video signal of the optical-electronic system and other information are displayed on a monitor installed at the operator’s workplace.
Unit of optical-electronic equipment. Photo Pemz-podolsk.ru
An important feature of the ZU-23/30M1-3 and ZU-23/30M1-4 modernization projects was the use of electric drives for the guidance system. The system operator retains the ability to aim the guns manually, but special electric motors are used as the main way to change the aiming angles. Such mechanisms are controlled using two handles on the operator console located under the monitor. They also house the fire control buttons.
The new equipment of the ZU-23/30M1 family of anti-aircraft systems includes a computing device responsible for the operation of the installation in semi-automatic and automatic modes. New electronics allow the operator to detect aircraft and helicopters at a range of up to 8 km, which significantly exceeds the performance of sighting devices of older models. The developer declared the possibility of aiming guns in manual, semi-automatic and automatic modes. All these modes differ in the distribution of various tasks between the operator and the automation. Thus, it is possible to automatically track a target and calculate lead with control of guidance mechanisms. It is claimed that the use of new equipment makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the installation by an order of magnitude.
To power new electronic equipment on units of the ZU-23/30M1 family, existing batteries or an external source can be used. In the latter case, a generator of suitable power or any other equipment of similar purpose must be placed at the position.
Control panel and bracket for mounting a missile launcher. Photo Pemz-podolsk.ru
The main difference between the ZU-23/30M1-4 system and the ZU-23/30M1-3 is the expanded list of equipment and weapons. This modification is equipped with an additional control panel missile weapons, as well as a launcher for portable anti-aircraft guns missile systems. The installation provides fastenings for mounting two transport and launch containers of Igla missiles or similar systems. Searching for targets and preliminary guidance of missiles is carried out using the existing optical-electronic system. Automation is capable of determining target parameters and giving the operator a recommendation regarding the use of barrel or rocket weapons. After launch, the missiles are aimed independently.
Modernization using new equipment made it possible to maintain some characteristics at the same level, as well as increase a number of other parameters. When using anti-aircraft guns, it is possible to fire at targets at ranges up to 2500 m and at altitudes up to 1500 m. The design of the anti-aircraft gun allows firing in any direction with elevation angles from -5° to +80°. The drives used can point guns in the horizontal plane at speeds of up to 60 degrees per second and at speeds of up to 45 degrees per second in the vertical plane. The reaction time, according to the developer, does not exceed 6 seconds. It is possible to fire at targets moving at speeds up to 400 m/s. Maximum firing efficiency is achieved at target speeds of no more than 200 m/s.
Operator console and MANPADS launcher. Photo Arms-expo.ru
The ZU-23/30M1-4 anti-aircraft gun, equipped with missile weapons, has great characteristics damage in range and height. The Igla and Igla-S missiles can hit targets at ranges of up to 6 km and altitudes of up to 3.5 km. The speed of the effectively hit target in this case reaches 400 m/s. After firing two missiles on the launcher, installation of new containers takes no more than a few minutes and is carried out by crews.
Modernized if necessary anti-aircraft installations can be used to attack ground targets. In this case, the fire is conducted with a minimum elevation angle of the barrels. The maximum range for hitting ground targets, depending on their type, corresponds to the firing range for air targets. However, the effective firing range directly depends on the type of target. Thus, unprotected vehicles can be effectively hit over the entire range of distances, while armored vehicles should be attacked at a shorter distance. In addition, the effective firing range against armored vehicles depends on the type of shells used.
According to available data, anti-aircraft guns of the ZU-23/30M1 family can operate as part of batteries. In this case, the operator controls one installation with a full set of equipment and interacts with several similar systems in a simplified configuration. The operation of such a battery is controlled by an operator who monitors the air situation and determines targets for attack. In this case, the automation of the “main” installation can issue target designation and commands to other installations that have only guidance drives and fire control systems. This mode of operation can combine up to four anti-aircraft installations into a single structure: one “master” and three “slave”.
Anti-aircraft gun ZU-23/30M1-4 with missiles. Photo Pemz-podolsk.ru
The development company offers customers a whole range of tools designed for the full operation of a modernized anti-aircraft installation. In addition to the actual towed installations ZU-23/30M1-3 or ZU-23/30M1-4, this complex includes a maintenance vehicle, a set of spare parts, as well as training systems for training operators. There is also information about the creation of a special support platform that allows you to mount an anti-aircraft gun in the back of any suitable truck.
In the basic towed version, anti-aircraft guns of the ZU-23/30M1 family are serviced by a crew of five people, including the tractor driver. The weight of the installation, depending on the modification, does not exceed 1260 kg. The design of the unit's chassis allows it to be towed at speeds of up to 70 km/h on the highway and no faster than 30 km/h on a dirt road.
Projects for modernized anti-aircraft guns ZU-23/30M1-3 and ZU-23/30M1-4 were offered to customers at the end of the 2000s. Soon information appeared about the first purchases of such weapons. In the first half of 2011, deliveries of several types of Russian anti-aircraft systems to Venezuela began. A large contract implied the supply of various missile and artillery systems, including ZU-23/30M1-4 installations. According to the Venezuelan press, 300 such systems with the possibility of using anti-aircraft missiles were ordered. The first samples of such weapons were handed over to the customer in May 2011.
Installation of ZU-23/30M1-4 at a parade in Venezuela
On July 5, 2011, Independence Day, a military parade took place in Caracas. During this event, various types of weapons and equipment purchased by Venezuela recently were demonstrated. Among other samples, the ZU-23/30M1-4 anti-aircraft guns in a towed version were shown. Apparently, the parade included equipment supplied as part of one of the first batches.
Information on other contracts for the supply of anti-aircraft guns of the ZU-23/30M1 family is not yet available. Probably, new buyers have not yet shown interest in these systems. However, we can expect that in the near future the Podolsk electromechanical plant PEMZ Spetsmash will receive new orders for such weapons. ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns and their modifications are in service with a large number of countries around the world, which may be interested in modernizing or replacing them, but do not have the opportunity to buy more complex and advanced air defense systems.
Based on materials from sites:
http://pemz-podolsk.ru/
http://arms-expo.ru/
http://vestnik-rm.ru/
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/
During the Great Patriotic War In the years 1941-1945, our army was faced with two sad circumstances: the almost complete absence of anti-aircraft installations. No, they were there to guard airfields, but there was often simply nothing to guard military columns on the march. The result was a long, almost three-year dominance of fascist aviation in the air and huge losses in equipment and manpower.
That is why in the post-war years the best scientific and technical personnel of the USSR were sent to development. The result of their work, among other things, was the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun, which appeared as a result of the modernization of the simple ZU-23. It has been in service for more than 50 years, and its further development, which resulted in the appearance of the twin (gun-missile) ZU-30, leaves no doubt about the exceptional success of the idea itself.
How did she appear?
So, after the Great Patriotic War, the entire anti-aircraft weapons system underwent a complete revision and reorganization. It was immediately decided that 25-mm guns, due to their excess weight, were suitable exclusively for the fleet. The effectiveness of the 37-mm caliber, popular at that time, turned out to be clearly insufficient to perform specific “land” tasks.
But at the same time, the troops urgently demanded small-caliber automatic gun following the example of those installed on attack aircraft during the war. Actually, the gun from the legendary Il-2 was taken as the basis. Note that the many thousands of ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns and their 20-mm analogues that currently exist have become no less famous than the guns of their distant “ancestor”.
Already in 1955, a project for a 23-mm anti-aircraft machine gun 2A14 was presented. Engineers proposed two configurations: single and twin. The latter immediately had increased priority, and therefore was manufactured in three versions at once. All varieties had only a manual drive option and were equipped with a standard ZAP-23 anti-aircraft sight.
The commission decided that the ZU-14 model most fully meets all the military requirements. In 1959, it was she who was “put through” all stages of combined arms testing in several military districts. It was put into service in 1960, giving the name ZU-23. Production was carried out by plant No. 535. It should be noted that the further elimination of all identified deficiencies and “childhood diseases” took 10 years, after which the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun was born.
Design features
The automation operates using the energy of exhausted powder gases. The bolt is a wedge type, the barrel is locked by resting its “outgrowths” in the cutouts receiver. The successful design of the barrel mounts allows it to be replaced in a combat situation in just 15-20 seconds. Also very successful were the horizontal and vertical guidance drives, equipped with spring shock-absorbing devices.
The operator spends very little time to accurately aim at the target. If you look at the description of the ZU-23-2, which is given by the official manufacturer of these installations, you can find information there that a trained crew can aim at a target in just 5-15 seconds. And this is subject to the use of mechanical means of correction! In the case when soldiers have at their disposal a modernized ZU-30M with optical-electronic systems, the capture and tracking of an object is carried out almost instantly.
The barrels can be moved to the opposite side in just three seconds! Ammunition supply is of the belt type. The belt used is metal, the standard size is 50 rounds, which are placed in a metal box, allowing the gun to be reloaded in the shortest possible time. Each such box with tape and cartridges weighs almost 35.5 kg. The installation platform is ball-shaped, equipped with three screw jacks. With their help, the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun is securely mounted in the combat position.
The platform is equipped with a towing ledge. In the stowed position, the unit stands on two wheels from a GAZ-69 car. There is a torsion bar suspension that serves to minimize the likelihood of damage to the gun when transporting it over rough terrain. This is an important circumstance, since in places of intense military clashes more or less normal roads remain extremely rarely.
Guiding and shooting at different types of targets
Aiming the ZU-23-2 is carried out using the ZAP-23 sight already mentioned above. The current range to the target can be entered in a range of up to 3000 meters. This is true for heading direction 00 and ground speed tracked object up to 300 m/s. The sight allows you to very accurately set the required lead, which has a beneficial effect on the likelihood of destroying the aircraft under fire.
When shooting at ground targets, the same corrections can be made at distances of up to 2000 meters. In some cases (experimental calculation), the range can be determined “manually”, but usually a stereo range finder is used for this. The operator enters all other data by eye. The angles of the target and its azimuth are especially important. Because of this, the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun (we present its performance characteristics in the article) is very “demanding” of having a well-trained crew.
A special feature of this anti-aircraft gun was the fact that the design of the standard ZAP-23 sighting system includes a T-3 sight for ground targets. Note that it has an independent line of sight.
Advantages of an anti-aircraft installation
Oddly enough, the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun is famous not for its “aerial” talents, but for its ground use. In all local conflicts recent years It turned out that this weapon is ideally suited as the main strike weapon of motorized rifle companies, since they simply do not have anything more suitable. Firstly, the ZSU can be deployed almost instantly into combat position. Secondly, with its help, all types of targets located at a direct shot distance (up to a kilometer) can be suppressed just as instantly.
Very often, the need for such use of the ZU-23-2 arises in collisions with irregular enemy military formations, that is, during counter-terrorism operations. Alas, over the past 20 years they have become a real “fashion trend”.
Other “highlights” of the design
The enormous advantage of this installation is the fact that it does not require preliminary engineering preparation of the position. Just a more or less flat surface is enough. Here you should take into account the capabilities of screw jacks, due to which you can turn even a slope of 30 degrees into an ideal plane. This was especially valuable in Afghanistan and Chechnya, where the 23mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun was used in the mountains.
It is believed that a coordinated one is able to bring the installation into a combat position in just 15-20 seconds. From combat to marching - in 35-40 seconds. In practice, it has been proven that, if necessary, the ZU-23-2 can fire on the move, in a stowed position. Of course, it’s difficult to call the accuracy and accuracy satisfactory, but it will do for an emergency battle.
Separately, we need to talk about the excellent mobility of the installation. It can be towed by any army vehicle, since even when fully equipped, the mass of the charger is significantly less than one ton. On paved roads, transportation speeds can reach up to 70 km/h, and off-road - up to 20 km/h. So the ZU-23-2, which we present, is an extremely “all-terrain” anti-aircraft gun.
A very significant advantage is also the highest maintainability. Only the simplest and most common grades of steel were used in the design, so repairs can be organized at any enterprise that has at least the most primitive machines and other equipment.
Ammunition, characteristics of cartridges
The standard ammunition load of the ZU-23-2 includes 23 mm cartridges. There are two types of shells used - BZT and OFZT (OFZ). The first is armor-piercing-incendiary-tracer. It is produced with a solid warhead, the mass of which is 190 g. The bottom part contains a charge for tracing, the head contains an incendiary composition. OFZ, that is, high-explosive fragmentation charges, have a warhead weighing 188.5 g. Until the 90s, ZU-23-2 ( technical description installations are given in the article) most often used this type of ammunition.
The fuse in both cases is used brand V19UK (in earlier versions - MG-25). Its peculiarity is the presence of a self-liquidator; its operation time is 11 seconds. Regardless of the brand of the projectile, 77 grams of 5/7 CFL grade gunpowder are used as the propellant charge. Note that specifically for the creation of these ammunitions, several domestic research institutes were simultaneously engaged in the creation of new types of gunpowders that would have maximum energy intensity and combustion rate.
Ballistic characteristics of ammunition
The total mass of the cartridge (regardless of the brand) is 450 g. The main ones are also the same. The initial speed is 980 m/s, the maximum height (“ceiling”) is 1500 m, the maximum guaranteed destruction range is up to 2000 m. Note: at present, OFZ-type projectiles are used extremely rarely, due to their combat power modern requirements doesn't answer.
In any case, the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun (we have already examined its characteristics) earned a lot of criticism during both Chechen campaigns: it turned out that OFZ shells are very poorly suited for working in urban conditions, as they have poor penetration ability.
As a rule, the belt is equipped according to an unwritten rule: four OFZT shells per one BZT. And further. The MG-25 fuse, which had a lot of shortcomings, has now been completely replaced by the V-19UK. The reasons for this are simple. Firstly, its sensitivity to dense surfaces is completely similar to that of the previous model, but the fuse does not detonate when the projectile comes into contact with raindrops. Secondly, it has much better moisture resistance.
Combat use
The first triumphant use of the ZU-23-2 occurred during the Afghan campaign. Due to their light weight, compactness, ease of transportation and lethality, they were ideal for covering small groups of retreating Mujahideen. Of course, the main role in this was played by “Shilkas”...
But there were absolutely not enough self-propelled guns for everyone. At first, soldiers “semi-underground” installed “Zushki” in the backs of trucks traveling in military convoys, and only then the ZU-23-2 in this role received official approval from military authorities at all levels. They began to be mounted especially often on Ural-375 and KAMAZ trucks. At the same time, it was found that five ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns could reliably protect a military column even from a numerous ambush, literally “crumbing” the latter in the shortest possible time.
The fact is that the BMP-1, with a gun that had a tiny elevation angle, became effective means defense of military columns from Mujahideen ambushes in the mountains. The wars that broke out in many regions of the USSR immediately after the collapse of the country could not have happened without the participation of these weapons. And today there are plenty of ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, photos of which are in the article, in all the “hot spots” of the world. Among recent events, it is worth mentioning the low-intensity Ukrainian conflict, in which both sides are intensively using “zushki”.
Moreover, in this case, the ZU-23-2 twin anti-aircraft gun was used exclusively for work against ground targets. The opposing sides no longer had a particular need to shoot down aircraft at the height of hostilities (there simply weren’t any left), but during the assault on fortified points, this weapon proved its worth.
Modern modifications
Alas, for all its advantages, even the declared efficiency against air targets is low, amounting to only 0.023. The probability of hitting a modern aircraft (with the possible exception of helicopters) is even lower, and significantly.
However, barrage fire from this installation has not lost its relevance, since just a couple of hits will disable almost any aircraft. The logical solution is to install automatic sights and target tracking systems. This is exactly what specialists from the Tochmash design bureau are currently doing. A.E. Nudelman. Their work formed the basis for the emergence of new ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns. Photos of these models are easy to distinguish, since they contain launch containers for anti-aircraft missiles.
Advantages of modernized models
In addition, the modernized guns have electromechanical motors for guidance systems, the latest sights with illuminated working area, and a laser rangefinder that allows you to determine the distance with an accuracy of up to a meter even in poor visibility conditions. To operate at night, the system can additionally be equipped with thermal imaging sights that accurately detect the thermal radiation of enemy equipment several kilometers away. Theoretically, this makes it possible to shoot down even a modern combat helicopter.
The outdated ZAP-23 sight with a gunner's station was completely excluded from the design of the modernized anti-aircraft gun. Its place was taken by an optical-electronic module with additional guidance and control systems. The Podolsk developer claims that as a result of all these innovations, the probability of hitting a target has increased threefold. But the real “hit” was the ZU-30M model, the design of which provides for the installation of MANPADS containers such as “Igla”, Stinger or others, at the request of the end customer.
So the characteristics of which we discussed in the article gave rise to the development of a whole complex of simple, effective and cheap anti-aircraft guns. Having been modernized, the “zushka” can be used for its intended purpose for many years to come. Let us also note that Poland, in whose “bins” there are many such anti-aircraft guns left, is voluntarily engaged in the production of modernized models based on them. Domestic designers are very upset by the fact that the Poles do not respect copyright.
We hope that the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun we described and its performance characteristics were of interest to you. This weapon is an excellent example of how the inherent modernization potential allows the use of anti-aircraft guns of the times cold war to this day.
23-mm twin anti-aircraft gun ZU-23
ZU-23 is a Soviet twin anti-aircraft gun of 23 mm caliber, consisting of two 2A13 anti-aircraft guns, created on the basis of an aircraft gun, manual mechanical drives for vertical and horizontal guidance, a ZAP-23 optical-mechanical sighting system, as well as an optical sight for combating ground targets. Entered service on March 22, 1960.The 2A13 ZU-23 towed anti-aircraft gun is designed to protect objects and units from air attacks.
The automation of anti-aircraft guns is based on the use of the energy of powder gases discharged through a special hole in the barrel. The wedge-type barrel bore is locked by lifting the bolt. The trigger mechanism allows only automatic fire. For firing at air and ground targets, cartridges with high-explosive fragmentation-incendiary-tracer, high-explosive fragmentation-incendiary and armor-piercing incendiary-tracer shells are used.
The machine guns are powered from metal belts containing 50 rounds each. For effective shooting at air targets moving at speeds of up to 300 m/s, the ZAP-23 sight is used. When firing, the following are entered into it: course, speed, range, target dive angle.
The installation can be used to destroy ground-based lightly armored targets and firing points at ranges up to 2,000 m.
The anti-aircraft gun can be transported behind GAZ-66, Ural-375, KamAZ-4320 and UAZ-469 vehicles. ZU-23 allows you to fire on the move when transporting it in a trailer truck. For airborne units, the installation is mounted on an MTLB chassis.
The twin anti-aircraft gun is operated by five people: a commander, a gunner, an aiming gun and two loaders.
The gun has a mechanical sight and guidance drives. This greatly limits the possibilities of conducting anti-aircraft fire, but makes the weapon as cheap as possible and accessible to soldiers with extremely low level preparation. There is no standard anti-aircraft fire control device (FCU) that provides data for firing at air targets, as a result of which only barrage non-targeted fire can be fired at all types of air targets (except for hovering helicopters).
The disadvantages of the gun as a modern artillery system include the limited range of ammunition.
The ammunition of the Russian ZU-23 includes 23-mm cartridges with only two types of projectiles - BZT (armor-piercing incendiary tracer solid-body projectile with a hemispherical head and a steel ballistic tip) and OFZT (high-explosive fragmentation projectiles equipped with an MG-25 head fuse).
Tactical and technical characteristics
|
Calculation |
5 people |
|
Caliber |
|
|
Weight in firing position |
950 kg |
|
Installation length |
2,555 mm |
|
Barrel length |
2,010 mm |
|
Rate of fire |
2,000 rounds/min |
|
Mass of fragmentation projectile |
190 gr. |
|
Initial projectile speed |
970 m/s |
|
Firing range |
2,500 m |
|
Firing height |
1 500 m |
|
Time to transfer the installation from traveling to combat position |
15-20 s |
|
Maximum movement speed: along the highway off-road |
70 kph 20 km/h |
Small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery (MZA) acquired its special role back in the battles of World War II. It was at this time that anti-aircraft guns, in addition to their main task of fighting low-flying aircraft, began to be actively used in ground battles. MZA guns played the role of a heavy heavy machine gun against enemy infantry and field fortifications, and against light tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns, tractors and vehicles - the role of close support artillery. It was anti-aircraft automatic guns that turned out to be that universal fire weapon, the search for which was actively carried out before the Second World War.
Despite the feverish military development of the 30s, by the end of the war there was no light anti-aircraft artillery in the Red Army at all.
Domestic designers were never able to create a model suitable for the army, although such work was carried out. When the situation with anti-aircraft artillery, in the full sense of the word, catastrophic, was finally realized, as always, urgently, in a matter of months, it was necessary to create and organize in the USSR the production of a whole family of several types of automatic anti-aircraft guns according to a specially purchased model, only designed for domestic calibers - 25 37 and 45 mm.
It turned out to be a huge success that the best-in-class 40-mm Swedish Bofors gun was chosen as this model.
However, during the war it turned out that the enemy’s weapons - German 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns on a detachable two-wheel drive - weighed less, were more compact and easily moved across the battlefield by crew forces, and required less effort when opening a trench and camouflaging the gun.
After 1945, when it became possible to analyze the experience of the war in a calmer environment, all lung system anti-aircraft weapons of the Soviet Army underwent revision.
The 25-mm guns were immediately abandoned due to the excessive weight of the structure and the low power of the projectile, leaving this caliber only for the fleet. The 37 mm caliber also began to be considered weak, and the production of 37 mm guns was gradually stopped, moving to the 57 mm caliber. As always, the eternal Soviet understanding of improvement and enhancement has won - this must necessarily be enlargement, strengthening, weighting.
NEW TASKS. SEARCHING FOR AN OPTIMAL DESIGN
Already by the 50s, to arm the rapidly developing airborne troops, a light, universal, automatic small-caliber gun similar to an air cannon was required. The VYa (Volkov-Yartsev) 23-mm aviation cannon gained an excellent reputation during the war, but its entire production was used to equip the Il-2, and repeated proposals to use this cannon for MZA during the war did not pass. In the early 50s, such an opportunity arose and the finally formulated tactical and technical requirements for the development of a 23-mm anti-aircraft machine gun chambered for the VYa cannon in single, twin and quadruple installations were issued by the GAU in 1954.
In February 1955, TsKB-14 (later KBP) presented designs for the 23 mm 2A14 anti-aircraft gun in single and twin configurations.
The quadruple installation was implemented much later in the design of the famous ZSU-23-4 "Shilka", which deserves a separate and very long story.
In April 1956, a single 23-mm ZU-1 mount, created according to the design of the 14.5-mm anti-aircraft mining pack mount ZGU-1 (6U3) under the leadership of E. K. Rachinsky and R. Ya. Purtsen, entered factory testing. The installation had small dimensions, a lightweight detachable two-wheel drive, was quickly disassembled into units, and was easily transferred from the traveling position to the combat position and back. Work on it was stopped due to serious damage to the chassis and the recognized excess weight of 440 kg.
- The twin 23mm mount was designed and tested in three versions.
- ZU-40 E.V. Vodopyanova had a separable four-wheel drive. When the ZU-40 was transferred to the combat position, the front end with two front wheels was separated, the rear wheels were hung at an angle to the side, and the base was placed on the ground with four jacks. The ammunition was placed on the front end in magazine boxes, and on the battlefield the ZU-40 could move without a front end.
- ZU-575 S. N. Zhdanov, Rachinsky and Purtsen was installed on a four-wheel drive with closed torsion bar suspension.
It was intended to cover moving columns on the march and could provide all-round fire while moving, but in the normal combat position the wheels were hanging out.
Later, on the basis of the ZU-375, a self-propelled unit with a motorcycle engine, fashionable at that time, was designed. Due to complexity, the project was stopped at the preliminary stage.
All variants had manual guidance drives and a ZAP-23 anti-aircraft sight.
Competitive field tests of the ZU-40, ZU-575 and ZU-14 installations took place in 1957. According to their results, preference was given to the simplest and lightest ZU-14. Tests and improvements since the production of the first prototype (October 1955) took more than three years, and finally, in the spring of 1959, the installation series ZU-14 passed military tests in the Belarusian and Turkestan military districts.
With modifications, the designers managed to increase the practical rate of fire to 300 rounds/min, as specified by the tactical and technical requirements, to 400 rounds/min. The reloading process was made semi-automatic and reduced to one single operation - replacing the cartridge box. To achieve this, a simple mechanism was introduced to ensure that the moving parts were locked in a given position on the sear when the last cartridge remained in the belt, and a feeder with a lever was installed in the cartridge box. When advancing the cartridge box in the box holder, the lever ensured the rotation of the feeder, which sent the first cartridge from the cartridge box to the receiver of the machine gun, and the blocking of the moving parts was automatically removed.
The long-awaited installation 2A13 (GRAU index) was put into service on March 22, 1960 by resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers No. 313-125 under the name ZU-23.
It’s unlikely that anyone then imagined what a long and glorious life awaited this weapon. For more than 40 years, the ZU-23, or - by its army nickname - "slingshot", has been one of the most necessary and most effective types of weapons, first of the Soviet and then of the Russian army, of dozens of countries of our former and current allies.
DESCRIPTION OF DESIGN AND PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION ZU-23 (2A13)
The ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun consists of the following main parts: two 23-mm 2A14 assault rifles, their machine, a platform with movement, lifting, rotating and balancing mechanisms and a ZAP-23 anti-aircraft automatic sight.
The design of the machines is almost the same, only the details of the feed mechanism differ. The right machine has right power, the left one has left power. Both machines are fixed in one cradle.
The basis of the machine gun is the barrel, consisting of a receiver, bolt frame, bolt and mechanisms: feed, trigger, return.
The automation of the 2A14 gun operates using the energy of powder gases discharged through a side window in the barrel. The barrel bore is locked with a wedge-type bolt by lifting the bolt in the grooves of the receiver. When replacing overheated barrels during intense shooting, the design allows the crew to replace the barrel in just 15-20 seconds.
The ZU-23 uses very successful and compact manual drives for vertical and horizontal guidance with a spring-type balancing mechanism. Brilliantly designed units allow you to transfer the trunks to the opposite side in just 3 seconds!
The machines are powered by tape. The belts are metal, each of them is equipped with 50 cartridges and placed in a quickly replaceable cartridge box. The weight of each cartridge box with loaded tape is 35.5 kg.
The installation platform is a stamped-welded frame with a ring that has cracked protrusions for fastening the upper machine, as well as three screw jacks with support plates, which serve to level the charger in the firing position. At the front, the platform ends with a towing boom with a pivot ring. In the stowed position, the unit rests on two removable wheels with a torsion bar suspension. Tires GK 6.00x16 type GAZ-69 or GAZ M-20 "Pobeda", reinforced.
One of the main advantages of the installation is that it does not require preliminary preparation of a firing position and is fixed at three points on any relatively flat area. When the installation is transferred from the traveling position to the combat position, its wheels turn up and to the sides, and the installation itself rests on the ground with the platform jack plates.
A trained crew is able to transfer the charger from the traveling position to the combat position in just 15 - 20 s, and back in 35 - 40 s.
Nevertheless, if necessary, the ZU-23 can fire from wheels and even on the move - directly when transporting the ZU behind a car, which is extremely important for a fleeting combat encounter.
The mobility of the installation is simply excellent. The ZU-23 can be towed behind any army vehicle, since its mass in the stowed position, together with covers and loaded ammunition boxes, is less than 1 ton. The maximum speed is allowed up to 70 km/h, and on off-road conditions - up to 20 km/h.
One of the significant advantages of the charger is its exceptional maintainability. A small technical description book contains information about the materials used in the design, which allows you to organize repair and maintenance of the charger at any suitable metalworking enterprise.
FIRE AND Crew OPERATION
The ZU-23 is aimed by the ZAP-23 automatic anti-aircraft sight. The sight allows you to enter a current range of up to 3000 m at a target course of 00 and a speed of 300 m/s and solves the problem of determining the lead (or the meeting point of a projectile with a target) when firing at both ground and air enemies at a distance of up to 2000 m. Range up to The target is determined by eye or using a stereo range finder.
The remaining data is determined by the eye. Target elevation angles and azimuths are entered directly by sighting.
For shooting at ground targets, the ZAP-23 sight is equipped with a T-3 optical ground sight, which has a line of sight independent from the ZAP-23.
The commander determines "by eye" the course, speed and range to the target, the angles of its dive or pitching. According to his instructions, the aiming number of the crew enters this sight, and then, throughout the entire shooting, it adjusts the setting of the course and range to the target, following the orders of the commander, who monitors the target’s maneuvers.
The gunner, using guidance mechanisms, keeps the collimator crosshair on the target and opens fire by pressing the trigger pedal.
In total, the crew consists of 5 people: commander, gunner, sighting, right loader and left loader.
During continuous firing, the installation shoots both belts completely in three seconds, so special accuracy is required in the work of the loaders.
Despite the fact that the main firing mode of the ZU-23 is a short burst, if necessary, loaders are required to ensure continuous firing of the installation by quickly disconnecting empty cartridge boxes and connecting full ones.
AMMUNITION ZU-23
For firing, 23-mm unitary cartridges with a single-shot steel case and two types of projectiles are used - with high-explosive fragmentation explosives and with armor-piercing tracer BZT.
In OFZ, the tracer burning time corresponds to a range of 2,500 m, and the projectile explodes from the self-destruct device 5-11 s after the shot. For the V-19U fuse, the self-destruction time is 5-11 s; for the 19UK fuse, the self-destruction time is 5-8 s.
The combat equipment of the cartridge belt is usually produced according to the type - one BZT cartridge for three cartridges with an OFZ or OFZT projectile.
MODERNIZATION OF STORAGE IN RUSSIA AND ABROAD
During this modernization, electromechanical drives for horizontal and vertical guidance, a guidance console, a binocular collimator sight with a built-in miniature viewing device and luminous reticles for working against air and ground targets, an optical-electronic system containing a laser range finder, a television channel, and an optical-mechanical unit are installed (can be retrofitted for night operation with a heat direction-finding channel or low-level TV system), automatic acquisition and tracking device (automatic target tracking).
The ZAP-23 sighting system and the operator’s workplace are excluded from the ZU-23M, and instead, an optical-electronic module and a container with electronic control equipment are mounted on the rotating platform of the installation. As a result of these measures, the probability of hitting an air target increases by 3 times.
To further enhance combat characteristics, the modernized ZU-23 also provides the possibility of mounting launchers for two missiles such as "Igla", "Stinger" or others.
The proposal was made a long time ago, however, the conventional ZU-23 remains in service with the Russian army; there is no money yet to bring them to the level of the ZU-23M. The vacant niche of memory modernization in the arms market is being actively explored by former “friends”.
Since during its existence Warsaw Pact The USSR transferred a huge amount of military technology to the “brotherly countries” for next to nothing; Poland received a whole range of production facilities: small arms, tanks, tractors, MANPADS “Strela-2”, “Igla”, and also ZU-23.
Now, without having any obligations to Russia (more precisely, not wanting to have them), Poland is an independent manufacturer and seller of Soviet-designed weapons. Thus, based on the ZU-23 technology, the heavy engineering plant in Tarnow produces a whole range of modernized and modified models.
On the base standard installation two variants were created - ZU-23-2S and ZU-23-2M. The modified anti-aircraft gun, named ZUR-23-2S "JOD", is equipped with a new simplified optical sight and two launchers with 2K32M anti-aircraft missiles (9M32 "Strela-2M" ) or the “new” “Grom” missile (the Poles, of course, try not to mention that this is a Russian “Igla”) with a target designation system.
The artillery unit provides barrage fire, and the missiles will ensure reliable destruction of the target in the absence of interference. When fighting ground targets, the effectiveness of the modernized ZU-23 remains at the level of the standard installation.
The ZUR-23-2Mr is designed for small-tonnage warships, characterized by greatly enlarged cartridge boxes, flame arresters similar to a KPV machine gun, and water-cooled barrels.
In addition, a version of the ZU-23 with water-cooled barrels is used in the Polish-developed SOPEL ZSU.
Two Finnish companies Instrumentointi Oy and VAMMAS introduced into the ZU-23 gun mount an optical sighting system for semi-automatic target tracking, a laser range finder, a digital computer, power drives for vertical and horizontal weapon guidance and a number of other devices.
The generation of lead angles is supposed to be done using lead coordinate prediction technology.
Therefore, most likely, the accuracy of generating proactive coordinates should be lower than that of the original Russian modification of the ZU-23M.
"ZUSHKI" IN BATTLE The ZU-23 installation gained rich combat experience in participating not only in air, but above all in ground battles local wars
, since its fire is exceptionally effective compared to any other type of motorized rifle weapon. Deployed into a combat position, the charger can instantly and effectively suppress enemy firing points that suddenly manifest themselves at a direct shot range (about 1000 m). This is most often required in short-term combat clashes with irregular military formations operating in small but heavily armed dispersed groups, that is, in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.
Moreover, if in order to organize cover for important stationary objects it is enough simply to have such a massive and cheap fire weapon in the troops as the ZU-23, then to cover a military column or participate in a maneuverable battle, a kind of “cart” is required - installing the ZU on any suitable mobile base capable of provide the necessary mobility. Soviet army faced with the need to fight a counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan. The mountainous terrain of the country uniquely determined anti-aircraft installations main role
Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns "Shilka" could not be enough for all needs, therefore, first semi-underground, and then on a completely official basis, trucks with ZU-23 standing directly in the bodies were included in the transport convoys. The small dimensions and weight of the charger made it possible to install it on all types of army on-board vehicles used in transportation - GAZ-66, ZIL-130, ZIL-131, Ural-375.
Before the appearance of the BMP-2, which had an automatic 30-mm cannon with a large elevation angle, the BMP-2 was generally the only weapon of this kind. In addition, a tracked vehicle (BMP or ZSU), even one with similar characteristics of on-board weapons, is incomparably more complex and expensive, which ensured the truck with undisturbed dominance when performing convoy escort missions in Afghanistan. After leaving Soviet troops Afghans have successfully adopted the Soviet experience, and now on the roads of Afghanistan it is not uncommon to see a shabby civilian-looking truck - a ZIL or KamMAZ, with a ZUshka in the back. The wars that unfolded on the territory of the USSR after its collapse also could not have happened without the involvement of the ZU-23. They can be found in any of the “hot spots” - Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Tajikistan, Georgia, Abkhazia and Chechnya.
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| ZU-23 in Chechnya. Photo by AFP |
The Russian army had to remember the rich Afghan experience in Chechnya. A situation in which there is neither a front line nor a clearly defined enemy requires constant readiness fire weapons, and the memory is indispensable here.
Anti-aircraft installations in a number of battles became the main factor ensuring victory. The most recent examples were provided by the “second Chechen”.
In the famous January 2000 operation to destroy militants leaving the city of Grozny along a mined corridor kindly provided by the federals, ZU-23 and tanks opened fire from pre-prepared ambushes from a distance of 400-800 meters, which finally scattered the “fighters for independence” and causing them huge losses.
The need to fire to kill at night forced us to turn to the experience of the Great Patriotic War - the battlefield was illuminated by searchlights. However, the mere presence of anti-aircraft installations does not guarantee success. A surprise attack and close contact combat can negate the advantage of the charger. In the infamous battle of the first Chechen war On April 16, 1996, in the 245th motorized rifle column, the combat cover, consisting of a T-80 tank, a KamAZ with a ZU-23, a BRDM and a BMP-2, was destroyed by concentrated fire from ambushes, after which the entire column was killed. In a similar situation, during the fighting in Dagestan, an anti-aircraft gun was shot from an ambush near the village of Novolakskoye internal troops
in a GAZ-66, rushing to the aid of the Lipetsk riot police, surrounded by Wahhabis and breaking out of the village.
Keeping the enemy at a distance and not allowing him to raise his head is the main task of the anti-aircraft guns here. In Chechnya, their role is still great, although after the decline in active hostilities, the main burden shifted to providing protection for military convoys, to which vehicles with memory are assigned at the rate of one for every five escorted vehicles. In addition, the military units continue to participate in strengthening commandant’s offices and checkpoints.
COUNTER-TERRORIST CARRIER
As a rule, the rear half of the body is sufficient for free operation of the calculations. The cabin prevents forward fire, so an awning or canopy is placed in the front of the body for storing ammunition and resting the crew. Fire from the ZU-2 is fired sideways and backwards both when escorting a convoy and at checkpoints. On the most “advanced” vehicles, the upper part of the sides is even cut off to ensure firing along a downward trajectory.
Absence reliable protection from small arms crew and driver, limitation of the firing sector by the cabin and the impossibility of aimed shooting in long bursts due to the rocking of the vehicle are the main disadvantages when placing the ZU-23 in the back.
In addition, the center of gravity is high, so there is a risk of overturning on mountain serpentine roads.
But the advantage of a high-mounted charger is invaluable; it does not require additional deployment or covering with a cover to protect it from dirt flying from under the wheels (which is inevitable when towing), and therefore is always ready for work.
Despite the fact that the ZU-23, in principle, can fire on a trailer, and not just in the back, the actual use of the ZU in this way in Transnistria ended very sadly. The Moldovan guardsmen who entered Bendery, in order to maximize the use of space in the bodies of KamMAZ vehicles for accommodating personnel, attached a ZU-23 to the back and tried to fire in this way. As far as we know, the KamAZ trucks that entered the city were eventually burned along with their chargers.
STORAGE ON ARMOR
First of all, the Airborne Forces, for which the ZU-23 was actually intended, have their own designs for its installation. In addition to the BMD, lightweight GAZ-66s with a cut-off cabin roof were intended to equip the landing force, but has anyone seen such a vehicle, not in a training film, but in real combat? Of course, by transferring an entire airborne division, you can also supply it with trucks, but in fact it turns out that apart from the infantry fighting vehicles and ammunition, the airborne units have nothing else and there is no time to deliver anything. Is it really possible to carry the charger by hand?
The Airborne Forces have at their disposal a vehicle whose flat roof does not have a turret with weapons and is suitable for placing a “slingshot” charger on it. This is an armored personnel carrier - BTR-D, which is a BMD extended by one roller, devoid of standard artillery weapons. The BTR-D with the ZU-23 installed on its roof was called BTR-ZD, that is, “anti-aircraft.” Now he has become a real “TV star”, since the unusual and menacing appearance of the car is very popular with correspondents. They are happy to photograph the BTR-ZD
Russian Airborne Forces in a wide variety of training and combat situations, in which it plays the same role as trucks with ZU-23 motorized rifle and MVD units. The presence in the troops of a large number of MT-LBs, used as an armored personnel carrier, and its weak standard weapons (only one PKT) led to the installation of the ZU-23 on these vehicles, although on a much smaller scale. The MT-LBs that went to them are also “strengthened” various countries CIS. Desire to strengthen
Kharkov residents went the furthest along this path. During the overhaul of the BTR-80, instead of the standard turret, a new one was installed, which housed the ZU-23. In addition, the vehicle is additionally equipped with a mini radar for reconnaissance of ground targets - 1RL133, used on PRP-3 and PRP-4, as well as previously on the "Afghan" Shilka - ZSU-23-4M2.
The “new” armored personnel carrier, pretentiously named BTR-94, in the amount of 50 pieces, was sold to Jordan, and the buyer allegedly had complaints about both the quality of repairs and the regularity of delivery.
The first Soviet-built vehicle modified in this way was apparently the BTR-152A. Vehicles with ZPU-2, delivered in the 60s from the USSR to the Middle East to strengthen tactical air defense, immediately began to be used by the Arabs to support infantry, since they had armor, albeit light. Later, to increase firepower, the machine gun mount was replaced with a ZU-23. This modernization became known after one of the vehicles was captured by the Israelis in Lebanon from Palestinian troops during the 1982 war.
A similar version was given to UNITA in battles with Angolan government forces. Apparently, similar options are made by everyone - the idea is on the surface. A bunch of various options
The installation of the Russian ZU-23 on cars and armored vehicles was manufactured all over the world on the basis of Soviet, Japanese and even American trucks and armored personnel carriers. The Israelis installed a charger on the old American MZ, the so-called. called the "South Lebanon Army" - on the M113, Syria - on the chassis of the self-propelled gun "Gvozdika" with the turret removed. The design, built in South Africa on its own armored wheelbase, was even offered for wide sale to interested customers. With its perfection, it aroused international interest and was included in military reference books.
COLORS
ZU-23, supplied abroad, had practically no differences from the installations in service with the Soviet and later Russian army. The ammunition boxes still had the stamping in the shape of a star (in some places it was still stamped); the “native 4BO” protective painting of the parts was preserved (except for the blued ones).
The only widely known variants other than the standard color scheme are those of the Indian Army. There, all the green parts were repainted yellowish (ochre) with irregular brown spots. A number of installations were painted so-called. “mountain” version: dark brown rectangles and squares of varying sizes are scattered throughout the light brown color.
PROJECTIONS
Information sources
BTV. Issue 1, 2002
Text: O. Zheltonozhko. Ekaterinburg. Photo of ZU-23 detailing: V. Belogruda.
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Anti-aircraft gun ZU-23-2
ZU-23-2 is a 23-mm anti-aircraft gun designed to destroy air targets, enemy personnel, protect military columns and stationary objects.The ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun was developed in the USSR at TsKB-14 (later KBP) under the leadership of E.K. Rachinsky and R.Ya. Purtsen. This installation was put into service on March 22, 1960. The production of the ZU-23-2 was later carried out not only by the USSR, but also by Egypt, China, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Finland.
ZU-23-2 consists of the following main elements:
- two 23-mm 2A14 assault rifles,
- machine,
- platforms with movement,
- lifting, rotating and balancing mechanisms,
— anti-aircraft automatic sight ZAP-23.
Two machine guns are fixed in one cradle, which is located on the upper machine of the carriage. On the base of the upper carriage there are two seats and a rotating mechanism handle. The guns are aimed vertically and horizontally manually. The rotary handle is located to the right of the gunner's seat.
The anti-aircraft gun is equipped with two trigger mechanisms: foot and manual. Fire is fired simultaneously from two barrels. To the left of the trigger pedal is the brake pedal of the rotating unit.
The main element of the machine gun is the barrel, which consists of a receiver, bolt frame, bolt and mechanisms (feeder, trigger, return). The automation of the 2A14 cannon is powered by the energy of the powder gases, which are discharged through a side window in the barrel. The barrel bore is locked with a wedge-type bolt due to the lifting of the bolt in the grooves of the receiver. The machine is powered by tape. The metal belt is supplied with 50 cartridges. The weight of each cartridge box together with the loaded belt is about 35.5 kg.
A two-wheeled chassis with springs is mounted on road wheels. In the firing position, the wheels are raised and tilted to the side, and the gun is mounted on the ground on three support plates.
The anti-aircraft gun can be towed using any army vehicle.
The main advantage of this memory, according to experts, is its exceptional maintainability. Repair of the ZU-23-2 can be organized at any metalworking enterprise.
The ZU-23-2 ammunition consists of 23-mm cartridges with the following types of projectiles: armor-piercing incendiary tracer (BZT) projectile and high-explosive fragmentation projectile OFZT.
Performance characteristics | ZU-23-2 |
Deployment time | |
Ammunition | |
Rate of fire of two guns | 400 rounds per minute |
Firing range against ground targets | |
Firing range at air targets | |
Maximum target speed | |
Probability of defeat |
The following modifications of the ZU-23-2 are known:
— ZU-23M1 (the installation is equipped with the Strelets kit, which ensures the use of two Igla-type MANPADS),
— ZUR-23-2S “JOD” (Polish version of ZU-23-2),
— ZUR-23-2M “Wróbel” (Polish modernization for installation on ships).
These anti-aircraft installations have proven themselves during Afghan war. Today, ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns are in service with Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Angola, Armenia, Afghanistan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Libya, Cuba and other countries. It is worth noting that the ZU-23-2 is used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the National Guard in the ATO zone. Also, ZU-23-2 installations were repeatedly used by terrorists of the DPR and LPR.