Israeli anti-aircraft artillery
As already mentioned in the previous publication of this cycle, the basis of the Israeli anti-aircraft artillery For a long period of time, the IDF's primary anti-aircraft guns consisted of 20mm towed and self-propelled guns. However, the IDF also used anti-aircraft guns of other calibers, imported from other countries and captured from the enemy. These included 30, 37, 40, 57, 85, and 94mm caliber anti-aircraft guns. Some were in service for short periods, while others served for decades.
30-mm anti-aircraft guns Hispano Suiza NS-831A
During the Sinai campaign of 1956, the IDF captured several 30-mm Hispano Suiza HS-831A (Oerlikon KCB) anti-aircraft guns from the Egyptians, which made a favorable impression on the Israeli military and were subsequently used along with existing weapons Defense.
30mm Hispano Suiza HS-831A anti-aircraft guns captured from the Egyptians
The 30mm Hispano Suiza HS-831 is a further development of the 30mm HS-830 cannon, developed at the end of World War II from the 20mm HS-820. The primary motivation for creating the 30mm anti-aircraft gun was to increase the effective range of anti-aircraft fire and the lethality of the projectile. The artillery system featured a combined blowback mechanism with a gas-operated breech mechanism.
A 30mm Hispano Suiza HS-831A anti-aircraft gun is on display at the Israeli Museum.
By 1950s standards, the 30mm Hispano Suiza HS-831A had very good performance. Weighing 138 kg, the gun mount weighed 1150 kg in its firing position. It was fed from a 30-round drum magazine or a 40-round box magazine. Its rate of fire reached 600 rounds per minute. Its combat rate of fire was up to 100 rounds per minute.
The gun has a 75-caliber monoblock barrel equipped with a muzzle brake, a three-frame carriage, and a single-axle wheeled chassis. The automatic cannon fired single-piece rounds with 30x170 mm steel cases, including high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing incendiary tracer rounds. The 300-gram armor-piercing incendiary round had a muzzle velocity of 1080 m/s and could penetrate 22 mm of armor at a normal range of 1000 m. The effective range against aerial targets was 2500 m. The altitude reach was 1800 m.
Having gained experience using captured 30-mm towed guns, the Israelis acquired an additional batch of HS-831A through intermediaries, and as of 1960, the troops had 114 30-mm anti-aircraft guns, which were actively used against the Arab aviation During the Six-Day War of 1967, these anti-aircraft guns remained in service at the start of the Yom Kippur War, but they were already in a secondary role, covering targets in the rear.
37mm anti-aircraft guns 3,7 cm Flak 37
In the late 1940s, the Israeli military acquired several German-made 37 cm Flak 3,7 37mm anti-aircraft guns. The origin of these guns in Israel has not been determined. The most likely supplier was Czechoslovakia, but these anti-aircraft guns could also have been imported from Spain or France.
Israelis train with the 37 cm Flak 3,7 anti-aircraft gun, 1948.
The 3,7 cm Flak 37 automatic anti-aircraft gun, unlike its predecessor, the 3,7 cm Flak 36, featured a larger number of stamped parts, reducing metal consumption, production costs, and weight. The 3,7 cm Flak 36, in turn, was created after analyzing the combat experience of the 37 cm Flak 18 anti-aircraft gun in Spain. The 3,7 cm Flak 18's artillery unit was converted from a four-wheeled "cart" to a two-axle vehicle, resulting in significant weight savings. The 3,7 cm Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun was significantly lighter than the 3,7 cm Flak 18, weighing 1550 kg in combat position and 2400 kg in travel position.
While maintaining the ballistic characteristics and rate of fire of the previous modification, the maximum elevation angle was increased from 80 to +85°. The time it took to transition from traveling to combat position and back was significantly reduced. The four-legged carriage could be removed and mounted on a single-axle trailer in three minutes using a chain winch. Towing speed on highways increased from 30 to 60 km/h.
37mm anti-aircraft gun 3,7 cm Flak 37 in transport position
Advances by German specialists in the development of mechanical ballistic computers allowed for the production of the Sonderhänger 52 anti-aircraft sight with a computer. Fire control for the anti-aircraft battery was carried out using the Flakvisier 40 rangefinder. Thanks to these innovations, fire accuracy at close to maximum ranges increased by approximately a third. The maximum firing range against aerial targets was 6500 m. The ceiling was up to 4800 m. The rate of fire was 130 rounds per minute. The effective rate of fire was up to 70 rounds per minute.
The gun was clip-fed (with six 37x263mm rounds per clip) and could fire fragmentation-incendiary, fragmentation-tracer, and armor-piercing-tracer rounds. The 680g armor-piercing-tracer round, fired in a 2,106mm-long barrel, accelerated to 800 m/s. The armor-piercing-tracer round penetrated 25 mm of armor at a range of 800 m at an angle of 60°.
A 37 cm Flak 3,7 anti-aircraft gun on parade in 1950.
Apparently, the 37mm 3,7cm Flak 37 anti-aircraft guns were not in service with the IDF for long, and were replaced by 40mm Bofors L/60 machine guns in the mid-1950s.
37-mm anti-aircraft guns model 1939 61-K and B-47
In 1967, the IDF captured over 240 Model 1939 61-K cannons. By the start of the Yom Kippur War, there were 217 serviceable 37mm anti-aircraft guns in storage and in the IDF's possession. In 1973, another 101 such anti-aircraft guns were captured, and in 1982, Israelis seized several dozen more 37mm machine guns in Lebanon.
A 37mm 61-K anti-aircraft gun captured by the IDF in 1967.
The Soviet 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun was based on the Swedish 40-mm Bofors L60 anti-aircraft gun and is very similar in design and performance. The 61-K gun is capable of engaging aerial targets at a range of up to 4000 m and an altitude of 3000 m. Its effective anti-aircraft range is approximately half that. Its rate of fire is 160 rounds per minute. Its effective rate of fire is 60 rounds per minute. Its combat weight in the firing position is 2100 kg. It has a crew of seven.
A 37mm 61-K anti-aircraft gun on display at an Israeli museum.
As of 1982, the IDF Air Defense Forces had 144 37mm 61-K anti-aircraft guns in service and in storage, and they remained in service until 1987.
37mm anti-aircraft gun 61-K on the Golan Heights
The Israelis also captured 37mm twin B-47 anti-aircraft guns and their Chinese Type 65 clones.
A twin 37mm Type 65 anti-aircraft gun on display at the Israeli Museum.
Several Soviet-made B-47 twin 37mm guns fell into Israeli hands in 1973, serving alongside Type 61-K cannons. In 1982, the IDF recaptured approximately two dozen Chinese Type 65s in Lebanon.
IDF trophies in 1982
The Chinese twin-barreled anti-aircraft gun was a replica of the Soviet B-47, in which two sets of 37mm 61-K automatic gun barrels were combined on a single carriage. This design significantly increased the practical rate of fire and the probability of hitting a target. The Type 65 anti-aircraft gun weighs 2650 kg in its stowed position and 2550 kg in its combat position. Its rate of fire is up to 300 rounds per minute. It has a crew of seven. Its range and vertical reach remain the same as those of a single-barreled gun.
40mm Bofors L60 anti-aircraft guns
Between 1962 and 1964, Germany transferred 119 Bofors L60 40mm anti-aircraft guns to Israel. Approximately 90 more of these guns were acquired from another unnamed country, after which the number of such anti-aircraft guns in service and in storage may have exceeded 200. In total, at the beginning of 1967, the Israeli army had 343 20, 30, and 40mm guns, with a further number in storage.
For the most part, the Israelis used 40mm guns on a modernized M2A1 mount, which could be aimed electrohydraulically using data from a fire control device. An anti-aircraft sight, into which data was manually entered, served as a backup. Typically, 40mm guns were combined into batteries of 4–6 guns, controlled by a fire control device. However, if necessary, each anti-aircraft gun crew could operate independently. In addition to anti-aircraft fire, the IDF also practiced firing at ground targets.
A Bofors L60 40mm anti-aircraft gun manned by an Israeli crew during training exercises, 1958.
The Bofors L60 mount's artillery section is mounted on a four-wheeled vehicle, which is raised on jacks at the firing position. In an emergency, firing could be carried out directly from the vehicle's wheels, without any additional procedures, but with less accuracy. The mount's combat weight is approximately 2400 kg. Elevation angles range from -5° to +90°. Rate of fire: 120 to 140 rounds per minute. The effective rate of fire is approximately 60 rounds per minute. Crew: 5-6. The mount was loaded from a four-round clip.
A magazine with 40mm rounds of various types
The 40×311R round, with various projectile types, was adopted for the Swedish-designed anti-aircraft mount. The primary round was a 900-gram fragmentation-tracer round loaded with 60 grams of TNT, exiting the barrel at a velocity of 850 m/s. A 40-mm solid armor-piercing-tracer round weighing 890 grams and with a muzzle velocity of 870 m/s could penetrate 50 mm of armor at a range of 500 meters. In terms of effective range and projectile weight, the Bofors L60 anti-aircraft mount slightly outperformed the German and Soviet 37-mm Flak 36/3,7 and 61-K 37 cm machine guns, boasting a roughly equivalent rate of fire but being heavier.
Parade in Haifa, 1958
Bofors L60 anti-aircraft guns, due to their excellent balance of operational and combat characteristics, were popular with the armed forces of many countries and were produced in Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Great Britain, the United States, and Canada. By the end of World War II, over 100 Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns had been manufactured worldwide. However, in the post-war era, a number of more effective anti-aircraft artillery systems were developed, meaning the Bofors L60 remained in service for a relatively short time.
A twin 40mm naval anti-aircraft gun on display at an Israeli museum.
According to available documents, Bofors L60 mounts were no longer present in frontline ground units by 1967. However, the Israelis used these anti-aircraft guns in the Seven Day War, and they may have been returned from storage on the eve of the next armed Arab-Israeli conflict. As of 1967, the IDF Ground Forces had 343 anti-aircraft guns of 20, 30, and 40 mm calibers. Single-barrel and twin-barrel 40 mm guns served on patrol boats and destroyers until the late 1970s.
40mm Bofors L70 anti-aircraft guns
The IDF used 40mm Bofors L70 anti-aircraft guns for much longer and on a larger scale. Israel purchased them in a secret deal with West Germany, with US approval. Between 1962 and 1964, 119 L70s and 516,000 rounds were purchased. Subsequently, due to the high consumption of ammunition in combat, additional ammunition was purchased.
The 40mm Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft gun is a further development of the Bofors L/60, but to increase its firing range, it uses the more powerful 40×364R ammunition with an 870g projectile. The increased internal volume of the cartridge case, combined with the lighter projectile, allowed the muzzle velocity to be increased to 1030 m/s, which improved accuracy and slightly increased its range. Furthermore, the carriage and recoil mechanism were redesigned. In November 1953, this gun was adopted as the standard NATO anti-aircraft gun, and soon thousands of it were produced, becoming widely distributed in pro-Western countries.
A 40mm Bofors L70 anti-aircraft gun is on display at an Israeli museum.
The artillery mount, complete with its independent gasoline-powered power generator, weighed up to 4800 kg. Its maximum firing range against aerial targets was 8400 m, with an effective range of up to 4000 m. Its rate of fire was 330 rounds per minute. It was fed from a refillable 16-round magazine. The gun could be aimed vertically from -4° to +90°. The mount's crew consisted of six people, four of whom were directly involved in combat operations. Centralized aiming of the anti-aircraft mounts was possible from a single anti-aircraft fire control device. This was accomplished using hydraulic drives, with commands transmitted via cable. The mount's crew was partially protected on the front and sides by armor that could withstand light shrapnel hits.
The Bofors L70 was transported on a four-wheeled rolling cart. Once in position, the anti-aircraft mount was raised on jacks.
Bofors L70 anti-aircraft guns on parade, 1968
The muzzles of anti-aircraft guns operated by the IDF in the 1960s had frames with magnetic sensors to measure the muzzle velocity of the projectile, which was taken into account when calculating corrections during anti-aircraft fire, but these were abandoned in the early 1970s.
To control the fire of the anti-aircraft battery of six 40-mm guns, a Super Fledermaus (Feuerleitgerät 63) gun-laying radar with a pulse-Doppler radar operating in the 8600–9600 MHz range was used.
Super Fledermaus gun aiming station
The station, with a pulse power of 150 kW, could detect a fighter-type target at a distance of up to 40 km. Firing data was transmitted via cable lines to anti-aircraft artillery mounts.
An Israeli Super Fledermaus gun-laying radar crew
At the time of their introduction into IDF service, the Bofors L70 mounts, paired with anti-aircraft fire control radars, were a fairly advanced low-altitude air defense system. However, by the early 1980s, the Super Fledermaus system, built with vacuum tubes, could no longer be considered modern. Consequently, 18 anti-aircraft battalions were assigned Ramit radars beginning in the mid-1980s, and the Super Fledermaus systems were replaced with the Eagle Eye fire control system, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries.
Ramit radar
The Ramit centimeter-wave radar, developed by the American company Sanders Associates and mounted on a three-axle truck, was capable of detecting small, low-flying aerial targets at a distance of up to 70 km and providing target designation for anti-aircraft artillery and air defense systems.
The 40mm Bofors L70 anti-aircraft guns performed well in repelling attacks by Arab air forces. They were responsible for the destruction of an Iraqi Tu-16 (1967), four Egyptian Su-7Bs (1967–1969), six Egyptian MiG-17Fs (1967–1973), two MiG-21s (1973), and an Egyptian cruise missile. Rocket KSR-2 (1973). In addition to directly destroying air attack targets, the Israeli 40mm gun crews' intense and accurate firepower forced Arab pilots to abandon targeted strikes on ground targets or to drop all their bombs in one pass. The 40mm L70 guns served in regular air defense units until 1994. A few years later, they were also removed from reserve service. Some of the guns (with the Eagle Eye fire control system) were sold to Colombia.
Towed 57-mm anti-aircraft guns AZP-57 and self-propelled guns ZSU-57-2
Among the numerous other trophies of the 1967 war were 135 57mm AZP-57 (S-60) anti-aircraft guns. Of these, over 100 automatic cannons entered service with the IDF. They were refurbished at an Israeli repair facility in 1968–1969. Approximately 50 more AZP-57s were captured in 1973 and 1982.
57mm AZP-57 anti-aircraft guns captured by the IDF in 1967
In combat position, the AZP-57 weighs 4800 kg. It is loaded with 4-round clips. The rate of fire is 120 rounds per minute. The effective rate of fire is up to 70 rounds per minute. The ammunition complement consists of two main types of ammunition: fragmentation-tracer and armor-piercing-tracer. The fragmentation projectile weighs 2,81 kg and has a muzzle velocity of 1000 m/s and is equipped with an impact fuse with a self-destruct device. Self-destruction occurs 15-16 seconds after leaving the barrel at a range of 6,5-7 km. The range is 6000 m, and the altitude is 4000 m.
The automatic 57mm anti-aircraft gun has decent anti-armor capabilities. For this purpose, it was equipped with a 2,85 kg armor-piercing tracer round. It leaves the barrel at a muzzle velocity of 1000 m/s and penetrates 80 mm of armor plate at a range of 1000 meters at a 60° impact angle. The crew consists of eight men. An anti-aircraft battery typically has six guns, which are automatically aimed in azimuth and elevation using tracking drives, following commands transmitted via cable from the control station.
A 57mm AZP-57 anti-aircraft gun, an optical rangefinder, and a gun-laying station are on display at the Israeli museum.
In the 1960s, centralized gun guidance systems based on PUAZO-6-60 data and the SON-9 towed radar were supplied to Egypt and Syria to control the fire of 57mm anti-aircraft guns. In the early 1970s, RPK-1 Vaza radar instrument complexes on Ural-375 chassis were supplied. Due to the Israelis' failure to capture a sufficient number of SON-9 and RPK-1 Vaza gun guidance stations, and the operational difficulties of those they had, Super Fledermaus stations were adapted for fire control in some S-60 batteries.
Israel had sufficient ammunition for its existing 57mm automatic cannons, and the condition of the repaired anti-aircraft guns allowed them to be used for a very long time. However, all AZP-57s in the IDF's inventory were decommissioned in the second half of the 1970s, apparently due to the poor performance of their fire control systems, which were based on outdated vacuum tube components.
The Israelis also had approximately fifteen ZSU-57-2 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns at their disposal. This vehicle is armed with a twin 57mm S-68 artillery mount, which uses 57mm S-60 cannons. The rate of fire of the twin mount reaches 480 rounds per minute. However, the combat rate of fire did not exceed 180 rounds per minute. The self-propelled gun weighs 28 tons in combat readiness. The internal components and crew are protected by 8-13mm bulletproof armor. The top of the ZSU-57-2 turret is unarmored. Road speed is up to 50 km/h. The crew consists of six.
Captured ZSU-57-2 at the parade, 1968
Two such self-propelled guns with Israeli tactical markings on their frontal armor were demonstrated at a parade in 1968, leading to the assertion that these vehicles were in IDF service. However, it was not possible to confirm the use of the captured ZSU-57-2s for their intended purpose, which can be attributed to the low effectiveness of the twin mounts against aerial targets.
ZSU-57-2 on display at the Israeli Museum
Although the mobility of a tracked self-propelled gun armed with two 57mm anti-aircraft guns increased compared to a towed gun, the effectiveness of an anti-aircraft artillery battery with four combat vehicles was significantly inferior to that of a six-gun AZP-57 battery. The lack of a radar-based automated fire control system negatively impacted firing accuracy. When firing at aerial targets, the ZSU-57-2 crew determined the range and speed visually. Furthermore, the twin S-68 gun mount had low aiming rates. weapons on the target and could in fact only conduct barrage fire at air targets.
According to unconfirmed official reports, several captured ZSU-57-2 self-propelled guns, modified for ground fire, were used by the Israelis in 1967–1968 on the Sinai Peninsula in fixed firing positions. One such self-propelled gun is currently in the collection of the armored vehicle museum in Latrun.
85-mm anti-aircraft guns KS-1
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia transferred about 500 85mm KS-1 anti-aircraft guns (model 1944) to Egypt and Syria, and several dozen of these guns ended up in the possession of the Israelis.
An 85mm KS-1 anti-aircraft gun on display at an Israeli museum.
In combat position, the gun weighed approximately 4400 kg. A fragmentation grenade with a remote fuse weighing 9,2 kg exited the barrel at a muzzle velocity of 800 m/s. The altitude range was just over 10,000 m. The rate of fire was up to 20 rounds per minute. The road towing speed was up to 50 km/h. The crew consisted of nine people. The anti-aircraft battery included anti-aircraft fire control devices, the data for which came from optical rangefinders. The ammunition complement did not include projectiles with radio fuses, and the guns themselves did not have centralized remote aiming using electric or electrohydraulic drives.
By the standards of the late 1960s, all of this was an anachronism and insufficient to effectively counter jet fighters flying at transonic speeds at low altitudes. 85mm anti-aircraft guns, when used en masse, could pose a threat to relatively slow-moving air attack aircraft at medium and high altitudes, but in this niche, anti-aircraft missile systems are far more successful.
Predictably, the IDF abandoned the use of captured 85mm anti-aircraft guns for their intended purpose. A number of KS-1s were permanently deployed on the Golan Heights to fire at ground targets, as well as on the coast to counter potential Arab naval incursions. Considering that the firing range of an armor-piercing shell exceeded 3 km, and that of a high-explosive fragmentation grenade reached 15 km, this use of obsolete anti-aircraft guns can be considered entirely justified.
94-mm QF 3.7-inch AA gun
Several British heavy 94-mm QF 3.7-inch AA guns were captured by Jewish armed forces in 1948. During the military operation in Sinai, the goal of which was to stop Palestinian fedayeen raids and unblock the Suez Canal after its nationalization by Egypt, the Israeli army captured at least 12 of these anti-aircraft guns from October 29 to November 5, 1956.
A 94mm QF 3.7-inch AA gun is on display at the Israeli Museum.
This 94mm heavy anti-aircraft gun was accepted into service in 1939 and served as the primary air defense weapon for the British Isles at medium and high altitudes during World War II. A total of approximately 10,000 anti-aircraft guns of three modifications were produced. Production continued until 1945, averaging 228 guns per month. The anti-aircraft artillery system was consistently modernized, significantly improving its performance characteristics.
By World War II standards, 94mm anti-aircraft guns had excellent elevation range and projectile damage. A 12,96 kg fragmentation shell with a muzzle velocity of 810 m/s could hit targets at altitudes of up to 9000 m. The firing range against ground targets exceeded 18 km. The gun weighed 8392 kg in its firing position. A crew of seven operated the gun.
The QF 3.7-inch AA gun Mark III, used post-war, was equipped with an improved fire control system, a mechanical rammer, an automated fuse setting device (resulting in a rate of fire of 25 rounds per minute), and remote aiming. When the automatic system was functioning properly, gun crews were limited to cleaning the guns and servicing the automatic loader.
A 40mm Bofors L60 submachine gun and a 94mm QF 3.7-inch AA gun at a captured weapons exhibition, 1958.
For a time, several batteries of British-made 94mm anti-aircraft guns were deployed near major Israeli cities. However, in the mid-1960s, after the arrival of American MIM-23 Hawk air defense systems, these large-caliber anti-aircraft guns were placed in reserve, where they remained for approximately 10 years.
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