ZU-23-2

ZU-23-2
ZU-23-2
	A ZU-23-2
Type	Towed 23 mm anti-aircraft twin autocannon
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1960–present
Used by	See Operators section
Wars	Angolan Civil War; South African Border War; United States invasion of Grenada; Lebanese Civil War; Soviet–Afghan War; Western Sahara War; Somali Civil War; Iran–Iraq War; Operation Praying Mantis; Gulf War; First Chechen War; Second Chechen War; War in Afghanistan (2001–2021); Georgian Civil War; South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000); 2006 Lebanon Conflict; Russo-Georgian War; First Libyan Civil War; Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile; Syrian Civil War; Northern Mali conflict; Russo-Ukrainian War; War in Donbas; Second Libyan Civil War; Yemeni Civil War (2014–present); Tigray War; Russian invasion of Ukraine; War in Amhara
Production history
Designer	KBP Instrument Design Bureau
Designed	Late 1950s
Produced	1960–present [1]
Variants	See Variants and upgrades
Specifications (ZU-23-2)
Mass	0.95 tonnes (2,094 lbs)
Length	4.57 m (10 ft)
Barrel length	2.008 m (79.1 in) (87.3 calibers)
Width	2.88 m (9 ft 5 in)
Height	1.22 m (4 ft)
Crew	2 (gunner and commander)
Shell	23x152B
Caliber	23 mm
Barrels	2
Action	Gas operated
Elevation	−10° to +90°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	2000 rpm cyclic, 400 rpm practical (per cannon)
Effective firing range	2.5 km (2 miles) effective range
Feed system	2x 50 round belt

The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23×152mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for Zenitnaya Ustanovka (Russian: Зенитная Установка) – anti-aircraft mount. The GRAU index is 2A13.^[6]

^ Francesco Palmas (2012). "Il contenzioso del sahara occidentale fra passato e presente" (PDF). Informazioni della Difesa (in Italian). No. 4. pp. 50–59.
^ "SPLA-N weapons and equipment, South Kordofan, December 2012" (PDF). HSBA Arms and Ammunition Tracing Desk. Small Arms Survey: 8. February 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
^ ^a ^b Neville, Leigh (19 April 2018). Technicals: Non-Standard Tactical Vehicles from the Great Toyota War to modern Special Forces. New Vanguard 257. Osprey Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 9781472822512.
^ Rebel Forces in Northern Mali: Documented weapons, ammunition and related materiel, April 2012-March 2013 (PDF) (Report). Conflict Armament Research and Small Arms Survey. April 2013.
^ Foss, Christopher (1977). Jane's Pocket Book of Towed Artillery. New York: Collier. p. 221. ISBN 0-02-080600-0. OCLC 911907988.
^ "Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis: IHS Jane's – IHS". articles.janes.com. Retrieved 6 May 2018.

[Sahara-1] Francesco Palmas (2012). "Il contenzioso del sahara occidentale fra passato e presente" (PDF). Informazioni della Difesa (in Italian). No. 4. pp. 50–59.

[SAS_Kordofan-2] "SPLA-N weapons and equipment, South Kordofan, December 2012" (PDF). HSBA Arms and Ammunition Tracing Desk. Small Arms Survey: 8. February 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2019.

[Technicals_10-3] Neville, Leigh (19 April 2018). Technicals: Non-Standard Tactical Vehicles from the Great Toyota War to modern Special Forces. New Vanguard 257. Osprey Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 9781472822512.

[4] Rebel Forces in Northern Mali: Documented weapons, ammunition and related materiel, April 2012-March 2013 (PDF) (Report). Conflict Armament Research and Small Arms Survey. April 2013.

[5] Foss, Christopher (1977). Jane's Pocket Book of Towed Artillery. New York: Collier. p. 221. ISBN 0-02-080600-0. OCLC 911907988.

[articles.janes.com-6] "Defense & Security Intelligence & Analysis: IHS Jane's – IHS". articles.janes.com. Retrieved 6 May 2018.

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