Russo-Ukrainian War: The ZSU-23-4M1 Shilka SPAAG

Source: front_ukrainian on X™

     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 in 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 comprises 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.

Russo-Ukrainian War: T-80BVM with "Hedgehog" Armor

Source: 6TV.ru

     Photographed in early December 2025, a Russian T-80BVM main battle tank shows off its new anti-drone protection which had been fitted to it by a Russian repair battalion. This type of defense has become known as “hedgehog” armor as it has a resemblance to the spines found on the upper bodies of hedgehogs. Personally, I prefer “toilet brush” armor. When first encountered in smartphone videos in 2025, the rolling “bushes” garnered a good bit of ridicule. Except, that ridicule has since dwindled. Why? That is because the “hedgehog” armor, despite how crazy it looks, works and works well. While mostly seen on Russian tanks, “hedgehog” armor is being applied to other tracked vehicles and even civilian vehicles which Russians utilize. Even some Ukrainian vehicles are adopting the defense.

     So, exactly what makes up “hedgehog” armor? Plain steel cabling. Steel cabling is made up of multiple strands of steel wire wrapped around a fiber or steel core. To make one section of “hedgehog” armor, all that is involved is taking a length of steel cable and unraveling the strands then arranging them into a “bush” so that the strands point outwards in multiple directions. The end of the cable is then welded or bolted down to the vehicle hull. Add more and more sections and the result is what is shown in the photograph. The sections overlap, creating a formidable defense against drones. From this side view of the T-80BVM, there are very few gaps a drone can target and those we do see, there are explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks visible which could defeat a FPV drone. The repair battalion encompassed the turret with a metal frame to which the sections are secured. Soft ERA bags can be seen (the light gray colored objects) above the tank's standard turret ERA.

     From a FPV drone operator's point of view, trying to tackle a “hedgehog” equipped tank is a serious problem. For one, the cameras used by FPV drones are not high quality. This is intentional as FPV drones are expendable and thus costs need to be kept low. Anyone who has viewed FPV drone attack videos knows how grainy the feed are. Now, couple the poor video quality and then add the need for the operator to find a gap in the “hedgehog” armor and exploit it. Any mistake and the FPV drone can get impaled on a strand, a strand can catch a part of the drone and damage it, or a strand can set off the FPV drone's warhead by striking it. If the target is actively moving, well, that exploitation chance diminishes even more. There are videos on social media which show Russian “hedgehog” tanks with Ukrainian FPV drones stuck in the strands. These tanks were ultimately defeated but it took a large number of FPV drones to accomplish the task where without the “hedgehog” armor, one or two drones would have been enough.

     “Hedgehog” armor is not without its disadvantages. For one, larger loitering munitions, the speed of attack makes the bendable strands less effective and sheer velocity can win the day. For example, the Russian ZALA Lancet's terminal attack speed is a little over 186 miles per hour. By comparison, the typical FPV drone musters only 62 miles per hour. Another problem is the weight the additional anti-drone defenses add to the vehicle. This added weight, which the vehicle's engine and drive train is not designed to cope with, leads to mechanical failures. In a Soldier of Fortune Magazine article from December 24, 2025 by A.R. Fomenko, he cites a Russian tank driver whose tank has a full “hedgehog” armor set up. The driver said that the added weight crippled his tank and that it was rare his tank made 6 miles before something in the drive train broke. When available, some “hedgehog” armor equipped tanks are moved by tank transporters to get them closer to the front before the tank has to drive on its own.

For further information on the T-80BVM, visit:

https://photosofmilitaryhistory.blogspot.com/2025/01/russo-ukrainian-war-t-80bvm-obr-2022.html