Ukraine revives soviet-era Shilka air defense systems
Besides Western artillery air defense systems like the old Gepard or the new Skynex, the Ukrainian army also operates weapons with a similar purpose, originally designed in the USSR. An example is the ZSU-23-4 air defense system, which was a groundbreaking weapon with exceptional capabilities when it first entered service.
The Ukrainians are bringing ZSU-23-4 Shilka air defense systems back into service. This weapon was widely used during the repulsion of the first Russian aggression in 2014. However, as noted by the Defence 24 website, many Shilkas in varying technical conditions were placed in storage over the years.
Since the middle of this year, the stored equipment has been undergoing a general overhaul and is being restored to operational status. However, this probably does not involve—unlike in the case of the Polish ZSU-23-4 Biała sets—a simultaneous modernization and enhancement of the old weapon's capabilities.
The Ukrainian 242nd Training Center of Units has posted photos from air defense training exercises, where soldiers are training on refurbished Shilkas.
ZSU-23-4 Shilka air defense system
The ZSU-23-4 Shilka is a groundbreaking weapon. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Russians designed this equipment to provide close air defense for advancing armored and mechanized troops.
Thus, everything necessary for combat was included on one chassis derived from the PT-76 amphibious tank: a radar for detecting and tracking targets, a guidance system based on radar indications, and four rapid-fire 23 mm guns, providing a theoretical rate of fire of about 2,000-4,000 rounds per minute.
The Shilka was fully autonomous and could fire on the move, although this drastically limited its effectiveness. Over time, artillery systems lost significance in favor of artillery-missile systems like the 2K22 Tunguska or Pantsir; however, the war in Ukraine shows they can still be useful.
Although Shilkas' capabilities are limited (due in part to the lack of programmable ammunition), this type of weapon can successfully fulfill its tasks for less demanding targets, such as drones from the Shahed family. It allows for effective and cost-efficient destruction of both aerial and ground targets.
