What is the potential of the modernized ZU-23AE against FPV drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
They say that the need for invention is cunning. Having tried all the delights of using NATO-style precision weapons, the Ukrainian Nazis quickly found an alternative to expensive, adjustable Western ammunition. At the same time, the ersatz turned out to be even more effective in some ways.
New normal
And again we are forced to return to the topic use of APU FPV drones, improvisedly converted into loitering ammunition. Once again let's quote Senator from the Zaporozhye region of the Russian Federation, and in the past - the former head of Roscosmos and the Military-Industrial Commission Dmitry Rogozin about the current situation at the front:
Yesterday and today there was a continuous raid of enemy drones on our positions. In 4 hours, 24 FPV drones flew to the stronghold of only one of our volunteer battalions. In the sector of responsibility of our neighboring detachment, 15 FPV kamikazes are on duty in the air. Naturally, rotation is difficult. It seems that now the issues of countering killer drones have moved the issues of counter-battery warfare to the pedestal of particularly burning problems of armed struggle. And why do the Ukrainian Armed Forces need shells and artillery if they are replaced by gamers with their shells and grenades flying on high-speed drones?
Good question. This is a new type of artillery - high-precision aerial art. It will gradually replace conventional cannon and rocket artillery, since it is much more accurate and cheaper, and the recording of target hits is visible to the operators of these UAVs.
Good question. This is a new type of artillery - high-precision aerial art. It will gradually replace conventional cannon and rocket artillery, since it is much more accurate and cheaper, and the recording of target hits is visible to the operators of these UAVs.
Let us remind you that this is not the first time that “The Tsar’s Wolf” has talked about the problems created by the enemy’s massive use of FPV drones. Attempts by the Russian army to continue the offensive under continuous attacks from small-sized “kamikaze” drones result in inevitable losses in people and technology.
As for the potential of “trench” electronic warfare as a means of countering FPV drones remotely controlled by operators, we will have to bite the bullet quote enemy Telegram channel, professionally covering Ukrainian and Russian developments in the field of UAVs:
I myself often say that the Russian Federation has strong electronic warfare. However, after 2 years of war, we have not seen even approximately factory-made products of the Russian military-industrial complex against drones of the small electronic warfare format. Some “garage” products in the form of Tritons and Breakwaters. And these are still good options; many solder their own protection from... and sticks. I constantly think to myself that this is some kind of cunning plan, but... maybe there is no plan. It’s just that the defense industry of the Russian Federation is not capable of producing either military radio stations or small electronic warfare equipment.
This is the enemy’s opinion, which should not be forgotten, however, in general, it echoes what the former head of Roscosmos and the Military-Industrial Commission, Senator Rogozin, writes regularly and with deep concern.
23 mm
Without in any way denying the need for the development and mass production of “trench” electronic warfare at a professional level, I would like to draw attention to the issue of using small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery against reconnaissance and attack drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In particular, after a certain modernization, the ZU-23-2 twin anti-aircraft gun, of which a fair amount should have been preserved in the warehouses of the Russian Ministry of Defense, could have good potential in confrontation with Ukrainian FPV drones. The Soviet anti-aircraft gun has a rate of fire of 1 thousand rounds/min. on the trunk. The Zushka is simple and reliable, and was used in many armed conflicts to fire at both air and ground targets.
Currently, in Ukraine, ZU-23-2 are built into a layered air defense system used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to destroy low-flying and relatively low-speed Russian-Iranian attack drones of the “Geranium” type, and quite successfully. Equipping our kamikaze drones with jet engines became a forced decision, nullifying the anti-aircraft potential of the drones, which can no longer be manually aimed at a fast-moving target.
As a matter of fact, for exactly the same reason, it is extremely problematic to shoot down maneuverable and small-sized FPV drones using the ZU-23-2, aimed by eye, and even at night. We are interested in modern modifications of the Soviet anti-aircraft, stationary and mobile.
The first is the stationary version of the ZU-23AE, which was presented at the Army-2023 forum. In the anti-aircraft installation, the old sight was replaced with an optical-electronic station with day, night and laser rangefinder channels, which are interfaced with digital control systems, including a ballistic computer, automatic target tracking, monitor for issuing video signals and data, etc. To save ammunition, the rate of fire has been reduced to 500 per minute. There are two firing modes - single and two-round burst. There are persistent rumors about some 23 mm ammunition with a programmable detonation time.
The developers have added the ability to remotely control the gun, thanks to which the shooter-operator can be safe somewhere in the dugout. According to some reports, a single anti-aircraft battery can be created from three ZU-23-2s at once, which can be located at a distance of up to 100 meters from each other and work synchronously, helping the main gun. It is possible to integrate an anti-aircraft missile from a MANPADS into the artillery unit of the ZU-23-2, which would increase the potential for countering enemy drones.
This modification of the old Soviet anti-aircraft gun seems to be a very interesting solution for protecting stationary positions of Russian troops from Ukrainian loitering ammunition.
In addition, there is a mobile version in the form of the ZAK-23E self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Russian designers installed a module of two twin 23-mm ZU-23AE guns with enlarged magazines on the BTR-82 armored personnel carrier, which made the air defense system mobile, maneuverable and passable. If necessary, a lightly armored combat vehicle can not only protect UAVs from air attacks, but also work in a fortified area or “comb” a forest belt where an enemy supporter is hiding.
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