ZPU

ZPU Anti-aircraft Gun
ZPU-2
Type Anti-aircraft gun
Place of origin Soviet Union
Service history
In service 1949–present
Used by See Operators for users
Wars Korean War
Vietnam War
Yom Kippur War
Rhodesian Bush War
Western Sahara War
Cambodian Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
Soviet–Afghan War
Somali Civil War
Gulf War
Georgian Civil War
South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000)
First Chechen War
Second Chechen War
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Iraq War
2006 Lebanon War
Russo-Georgian War
First Libyan Civil War
Syrian Civil War
Second Libyan Civil War
War in Donbass
Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)
Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015-present)
Production history
Manufacturer Zpu
Variants ZPU-1, ZPU-2, ZPU-4
Specifications
Shell 14.5x114
Caliber 14.5 mm
Barrels 1-4
Action Gas operated

The ZPU (Russian: зенитная пулемётная установка, meaning "anti-aircraft machine gun mount") is a family of towed anti-aircraft gun based on the Soviet 14.5×114mm KPV heavy machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and is used by over 50 countries worldwide.

Quadruple (ZPU-4), double- (ZPU-2 and ZU-2) and single-barreled (ZPU-1) versions of the weapon exist.

Precursor

The 1931 ZPU for 7.62 mm machine guns

The first dedicated Soviet mount for anti-aircraft machine guns was developed around 1928 by Fedor Tokarev and was adopted for service in 1931. It was a base for mounting up to four 7.62 mm PM M1910 (Russian Maxim) guns. This was also called a ZPU, although the name М-4 was also assigned to it. It served the Soviet armed forces in all major conflicts until 1945.[1] 12.7 mm DShK 1938 was used an anti-aircraft weapon it was mounted on pintle and tripod mounts, and on a triple mount on the GAZ-AA truck. Late in the war, it was mounted on the cupolas of IS-2 tanks and ISU-152 self-propelled guns. As an infantry heavy support weapon it used a two-wheeled trolley which unfolded into a tripod for anti-aircraft use.

Description

Development of the ZPU-2 and ZPU-4 began in 1945, with development of the ZPU-1 starting in 1947. All three were accepted into service in 1949. Improved optical predicting gunsights were developed for the system in the 1950s.

All weapons in the ZPU series have air-cooled quick-change barrels and can fire a variety of ammunition including API (B32), API (BS41), API-T (BZT) and I-T (ZP) projectiles. Each barrel has a maximum rate of fire of around 600 rounds per minute, though this is practically limited to about 150 rounds per minute.

The quad-barrel ZPU-4 uses a four-wheel carriage similar to that once used by the obsolete 25 mm automatic anti-aircraft gun M1940. In firing position, the weapon is lowered onto firing jacks. It can be brought in and out of action in about 15 to 20 seconds, and can be fired with the wheels in the traveling position if needed.

The double-barrel ZPU-2 was built in two different versions; the early model has large mud guards and two wheels that are removed in the firing position, and the late model has wheels that fold and are raised from the ground in the firing position.

ZPU-2 turned out to be too heavy for the Airborne Troops, so a new UZPU-2 (later redesignated as ZU-2) was developed from ZPU-1.

The single-barrel ZPU-1 is carried on a two-wheeled carriage and can be broken down into several 80-kilogram pieces for transport over rough ground.

Versions of the weapon are built in China, North Korea and Romania.

History

Israeli ZPU-1
ZPU-2 in Technical museum Togliatti
Ukrainian ZPU-2

The series was used during the Korean War by Chinese and North Korean forces, and was later considered to be the most dangerous opposition to U.S. helicopters in Vietnam. Later it was used by Morocco and the Polisario Front in the Western Sahara War. It was also used by Iraqi forces during Operation Desert Storm and again in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 1974 the Cyprus National Guard artillery batteries used their ZPU-2's against the Turkish air force. In the Russian military, it was replaced by the newer and more powerful ZU-23 23 mm twin automatic anti-aircraft gun.

ZPU has seen widespread use by all sides in the 2011 Libyan civil war and Syrian Civil War often mounted on pickup-truck technicals with plenty of videos showing the gun engaging different air and ground targets.[2][3]

The Lebanese Army has mounted the ZPU-2 and ZPU-4 on M113 armored personnel carriers to create armored self-propelled AA vehicles.

Ammunition

  • API (BS.41) - Full metal jacket bullet round with a tungsten carbide core. Projectile weight is 64.4 g (2.27 oz) and muzzle velocity is 1,000 metres per second (3,300 ft/s). Armor-penetration at 500 m (550 yd) is 32 mm (1.3 in) of RHA at 90 degrees.[4]
  • API-T (BZT) - Full metal jacket round with a steel core. Projectile weight is 59.56 g (2.101 oz) and muzzle velocity is 1,005 m/s (3,297 ft/s). Tracer burns to at least 2,000 m (2,200 yd).
  • I-T (ZP) - "Instantaneous Incendiary" bullet with internal fuze, incendiary in tip, tracer container in base. Projectile weight is 60.0 g (2.12 oz).

Rounds are also produced by Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Poland, and Romania.

Variants

Romanian ZU-2
A Libyan technical with ZU-2.
  • ZPU-4
    • Type 56 - Chinese-built version.
    • MR-4 - Romanian-built version with a two-wheel carriage designed locally.
  • ZPU-2
    • Type 58 - Chinese-built version.
    • PKM-2 – Polish-built version.
  • ZU-2
  • ZPU-1
  • BTR-40A SPAAG - A BTR-40 APC with a ZPU-2 gun mounted in the rear. Entered service in 1950.
  • BTR-152A SPAAG - A BTR-152 with a ZPU-2 mounted in the rear. Entered service in 1952.

Specifications

Type-56/ZPU-4 14.5mm quad barrel anti aircraft gun Bangladesh Army.
ModelZPU-1ZPU-2ZU-2ZPU-4
Barrels 1224
Weight (travelling) 413 kg
(910 lb)		994 kg
(2,191 lb)		649 kg
(1,430 lb)		1,810 kg
(3,990 lb)
Weight (firing) 413 kg
(910 lb)		639 kg
(1,408 lb)		621 kg
(1,369 lb)		1,810 kg
(3,990 lb)
Length (travel) 3.44 m
(11.28 ft)		3.54 m
(11.61 ft)		3.87 m
(12.69 ft)		4.53 m
(14.86 ft)
Width (travel) 1.62 m
(5.31 ft)		1.92 m
(6.29 ft)		1.37 m
(4.49 ft)		1.72 m
(5.64 ft)
Height (travel) 1.34 m
(4.39 ft)		1.83 m
(6.00 ft)		1.1 m
(3.60 ft)		2.13 m
(7 ft)
Elevation +88/-8+90/-7+85/-15+90/-10
Traverse 360
Maximum range 8,000 m
(8,749 yds)
Maximum altitude 5,000 m
(16,404 ft)
Effective altitude 1,400 m
(4,593 ft)
Ammunition (rounds) 1200 2400 4800
Crew 4 5

Operators

See also

References

  1. ↑ Семен Федосеев (2009). Пулеметы России. Шквальный огонь. Яуза / Коллекция / ЭКСМО. pp. 377–380. ISBN 978-5-699-31622-9.
  2. ↑ The Telegraph, Libya Unrest, Pictures of the Clashes
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-lfzKmNJbA
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ Bhatia, Michael Vinai; Sedra, Mark (May 2008). Small Arms Survey, ed. Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed Groups, Disarmament and Security in a Post-War Society. Routledge. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-415-45308-0.
  6. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  7. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  8. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  9. ↑ Phil Moore (2013-07-16). "Civilians flee as Congo army pounds M23 rebels". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  10. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  11. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  12. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  13. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  14. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  15. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  16. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  17. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  18. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  19. ↑ Military Balance 2017
  • Jane's Land Based Air Defence 2005-2006. ISBN 0-7106-2697-5
  • Koll, Christian (2009). Soviet Cannon - A Comprehensive Study of Soviet Arms and Ammunition in Calibres 12.7mm to 57mm. Austria: Koll. p. 98. ISBN 978-3-200-01445-9.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.