In its heyday, the ZSU-23-4 Shilka (meaning “Awl”) was a much feared SPAAG (Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun) as it was far superior to all anti-aircraft guns then deployed by Western forces. The ZSU-23-4 proved its worth during the Yom Kippur War on 1973, devastating Israeli Air Force aircraft who were flying low to avoid 2K12 Kub (NATO reporting name SA-6 Gainful) SAMs (Surface-to-Air Missiles). The ZSU-23-4 was not just lethal to low flying aircraft but also against ground targets. Some NATO country military doctrines at the time stated when infantry units engaged Soviet or Warsaw Pact armored columns, if a ZSU-23-4 was present, it was to be targeted and destroyed first. This is because its four 23mm cannons could decimate infantry with ease. Eventually, the ZSU-23-4 was eclipsed by more modern SPAAGs and in Russian service, the 2K22 Tunguska was its successor. Nevertheless, despite entering service in 1962, the ZSU-23-4 remains in active service with 25 countries, including Ukraine. As such, some countries have upgraded the ZSU-23-4 to better compete on the modern battlefield. These countries include Belarus, India, Iran, the Netherlands, Russia, and Ukraine. The photograph shows a ZSU-23-4M1, one of sixteen, that were upgraded by donations made through the Come Back Alive Foundation. This particular vehicle is in service with the 13th. Operational Brigade “Khartia”, a unit within the National Guard of Ukraine. The name of the vehicle is “Alligator” (“АЛІГАТОР”) and the crew has shot down four Russian Geran-2 drones as shown by the kill markers on the hull side.
Power for the 20-ton ZSU-23-4 comes from a V6R-1 6-cylinder, water-cooled diesel engine that develops 290 horsepower and this can push the ZSU-23-4 along roads to a maximum speed of 31 miles per hour and off-road, terrain depending, to a top speed of 19 miles per hour. 136 gallons of onboard fuel provide the ZSU-23-4 with a maximum road range of 280 miles but if moving off-road, the range drops to 186 miles.
The ZSU-23-4 is built upon a GM-575 tracked chassis and the manufacturer in Russia was the Mytishchi Machine Building Plant. It has six road wheels per side and no track return rollers. The four man crew is protected by welded steel armor though it is not thick. The hull front and sides support 15mm thick armor while the turret has between 8mm to 9mm of armor protection. This makes the ZSU-23-4 vulnerable to most battlefield weapons. In fact, the 5.56mm M995 tungsten core AP (Armor Piercing) round can penetrate 12mm of armor at 100 meters so heavier calibers can threaten the ZSU-23-4 from much greater ranges. Other protective equipment include a overpressure NBC system and the ability to mount 81mm smoke grenade launchers. Communication equipment inside the ZSU-23-4 includes a digital R-123 system which has a maximum range of 31 miles. The driver is provided with a BMO-190 daylight periscope while the commander is provided with a TPKU-2 daylight periscope and a TKH-ITC infrared periscope.
The sole armament of the ZSU-23-4 consists of the AZP-23 “Amur” weapon system which consists of four water-cooled 2A7 23mm autocannons. The turret provides 360 degrees of traverse while the stabilized mounting for the AZP-23 permits a maximum of 85 degrees of elevation and 4 degrees of depression. Each 2A7 autocannon has a maximum cyclic rate of fire between 850 to 1,000 rounds per minute which means with all four autocannons firing, the ZSU-23-4 can put 3,400 to 4,000 rounds per minute into the sky. In practice, 10 to 30 round bursts are fired at a time for a 400 round per minute sustained rate of fire. The reason for short bursts is because the ZSU-23-4 has a maximum of 2,000 rounds of ready ammunition (520 rounds for each top cannon and 480 rounds for each bottom cannon) and once expended, it takes 20 minutes to reload. Another reason for short bursts is to prevent barrel overheating. The effective direct fire range of the AZP-23 is 1.6 miles and a effective vertical firing range of 3.2 miles. Typical ammunition fired includes the BZT blunt steel core API (Armor Piercing Incendiary) round which can penetrate 15mm of rolled homogeneous armor at a 30 degree slope at 1,000 meters and the OFZT HE-T (High-Explosive Tracer) round. Often, the ammunition will be a mixture of AP and HE rounds to engage different target types. In addition to radar controlled automatic target engagement, the AZU-23 can be manually aimed and fired if the radar system fails or is jammed.
The radar system in this upgraded ZSU-23-4M1 replaces the standard RPK-2 “Tobol” (NATO reporting name Gun Dish) fire control radar with a more modern set. While the specific performance parameters of the new radar have not been disclosed, a December 22, 2025 report on the website Zona Militar states that the effective radar range is “doubled” which would mean a 24 mile target detection range (the RPK-2 is 12 miles) and a tracking range of 22 miles (compared to 11 miles for the RPK-2). The ZSU-23-4's original fire control apparatus has been replaced with digital equivalents that reduces the engagement time from 12 to 18 seconds down to under 1 second. Also, the new radar permits simultaneous tracking of up to 20 targets.
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