Air defense systems of Yugoslavia and Serbia: towed and self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery units
At the time of the collapse of Yugoslavia, rapid-fire anti-aircraft guns artillery 20-57mm caliber installations, together with licensed Strela-2M MANPADS and Strela-1M self-propelled missile systems, formed the basis of the military Defense Yugoslav People's Army. Anti-aircraft guns for the JNA were purchased from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Sweden, and were also manufactured at the Crvena Zastava plant in Kragujevac, central Serbia.
In the early 1990s, towed and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns were actively used in armed clashes between countries that had seceded from the federation. Anti-aircraft guns not only fired at aircraft (the Croatians shot down several Yugoslav Air Force fighters and attack aircraft), but also engaged infantry and light armored vehicles.
After the North Atlantic Alliance declared a no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995, Serbian anti-aircraft gunners repeatedly fired at NATO aircraft and helicopters, damaging several vehicles.
In 1999, it was the anti-aircraft artillery units that bore the brunt of the airstrikes. aviation NATO. However, the Yugoslav anti-aircraft gunners, who mainly provided barrage fire, failed to achieve any significant success. The anti-aircraft artillery could be credited with approximately two dozen cruise missiles. missiles and several drones.
In the 21st century, alongside the decommissioning of obsolete and worn-out anti-aircraft guns, some 40mm mounts were modernized, mounted on armored chassis and equipped with modern guidance systems.
20 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts
In the late 1940s, relations between Belgrade and Moscow deteriorated so much that the command of the Yugoslav army was forced to make purchases weapons In the West. At the same time, domestic industry was developing, and attempts were being made to create various types of weapons. This fully applied to anti-aircraft artillery.
Before describing the anti-aircraft guns, it's worth briefly discussing the ground-based air defense systems available in Yugoslavia after the end of World War II. The Yugoslav People's Army retained the 20mm single-barrel German 2,0 cm Flak 30 and 2,0 cm Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns, the triple-barrel 2,0 cm Flakdriling MG.151/20, and the quadruple 2,0 cm Flakvierling 38 until the early 1960s. Captured 20mm anti-aircraft guns were often mounted on trucks or railway platforms.
A 20 cm Flakdriling MG.151/2,0 20mm anti-aircraft gun mounted on a truck during a parade in Yugoslavia.
There were also 30-mm German anti-aircraft guns 3 cm Flak 103/38, as well as 37-mm 3,7 cm Flak 36, 3,7 cm Flak 37 and 3,7 cm Flak 43. Even before the end of hostilities, the Soviet Union transferred several dozen 37-mm 61-K guns of the 1939 model.
The presence of anti-aircraft mounts with different designs and ammunition types created difficulties in supplying, repairing, and training crews. Due to the political schism and difficult relations with the USSR, Yugoslavia did not purchase Soviet rapid-fire, lightweight 14,5mm anti-aircraft mounts. Therefore, in 1951, along with a large batch of finished products, Yugoslavia acquired a production license for the 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.804 automatic cannon, chambered for 20x110mm ammunition and featuring a 70-caliber barrel, mounted on the HSS.630-3 wheeled carriage. This anti-aircraft mount was known on the global arms market as the 20mm Flab Kan 43.
20 mm Flab Kan 43 anti-aircraft gun in combat position
The 20mm artillery piece was mounted on a lightweight mount with three folding supports and a detachable wheel chassis. The mount could be operated by a single gunner. Elevation angles ranged from -5° to +83°. The effective rate of fire, with a rate of fire of up to 750 rounds per minute, reached 160 rounds per minute. It was fed from a 60-round drum magazine. The effective range against aerial targets did not exceed 1200 meters. In combat position, the mount weighed approximately 400 kg. If necessary, it could be disassembled into individual components suitable for short-distance transport. Mounts of this type were typically towed by light all-wheel drive vehicles, but they were also mounted on various vehicles.
Initially, Yugoslavia licensed production of 20mm artillery machine guns and ammunition for them. However, in 1955, a Yugoslav copy of the 20mm Flab Kan 43 entered production under the designation Zastava 20mm/1 M55. In 1971, production of the lightweight M55A2 began.
In the late 1960s, the command of the Yugoslav People's Army Ground Forces raised the issue of increasing the firepower of 20mm anti-aircraft guns, prompting the development of a triple anti-aircraft mount. By that time, 20mm Flab Kan Dril 43 mounts were available on the global arms market, and Yugoslav engineers at Crvena Zastava adapted the design to local production conditions and began production in 1971 under the designation Zastava 20mm /3 M55.
20-mm triple anti-aircraft mount Zastava 20 mm /3 M55
In combat position, the mount weighed 1100 kg. The total rate of fire reached 2150 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire was up to 700 rounds per minute. The effective firing range against aerial targets was up to 2000 m. It was fed from 60-round drum magazines. The mount could be aimed vertically within an angle range of -5° to +83°. The crew consisted of six.
In 1978, a modernized version, the 20 mm/3 M55A3 B1, was introduced, featuring improved operational characteristics. Some of these mounts, mounted in the back of a TAM-110 all-terrain truck, were retrofitted with Yugoslav-made Strela-2M launchers.
The 20 mm/3 M55A4 B1 modification was a three-barreled mount mounted on a towed carriage of the Swiss GAI-D01 anti-aircraft gun. This model was equipped with a new guidance system with a Galileo ballistic computer, which automatically aimed the gun at a target using electromechanical drives. An electric generator was located under the gunner's seat. The guidance mechanisms, ballistic computer, and gunner were protected by a fragmentation shield.
20-mm anti-aircraft mount 20 mm /3 M55A4 B1
In 1983, the M55 A4 M1 (BOV-3) self-propelled anti-aircraft mount, based on the Yugoslav BOV wheeled armored personnel carrier, was submitted for testing. Firing data was generated by a Galileo J171 ballistic computer, capable of tracking targets flying at speeds up to 300 m/s.
ZSU M55 A4 M1 (BOV-3)
The 9-ton combat vehicle is protected by 8-10 mm of armor. It has a road speed of up to 90 km/h and a cruising range of up to 500 km. It has a crew of four. The anti-aircraft crew is housed in an open-topped turret.
Currently, there are no towed triple anti-aircraft mounts left in the combat units of the Serbian army, but, according to reference data, they are still stored in reserve in warehouses.
20mm triple anti-aircraft mounts Zastava 20 mm /3 M55 in storage
After the collapse of Yugoslavia, a significant number of 20mm triple guns went to Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and North Macedonia.
Triple 20mm anti-aircraft guns offered a fairly high firepower density, but their heavy weight and large dimensions made them difficult to use in mountainous terrain. Therefore, the military ordered a single-barrel 20mm anti-aircraft gun comparable in performance to the earlier 20mm/1 M55, but simpler, more technologically advanced, less expensive, and suitable for infantry carry and horse-drawn pack transportation.
In 1975, the JNA adopted the Zastava M75 lightweight, dismountable 20mm anti-aircraft mount with a detachable wheel chassis. Its combat weight was 232 kg (275 kg when traveling on wheels). By comparison, the Soviet towed 14,5mm ZPU-1 weighed 437 kg, and the dismountable "mountain" ZGU-1 weighed 220 kg.
20mm Zastava M75 anti-aircraft gun in combat position
The Zastava M75's rate of fire and range remain the same as the 20mm/1 M55, but its mobility has increased significantly. Its light weight and relatively low recoil make it easy to mount on pickup trucks and other wheeled platforms. In an emergency, fire can be maintained without removing the wheels, but accuracy is reduced.
Yugoslav-made triple and single-barrel 20mm anti-aircraft guns were actively sold on the global arms market, serving in over two dozen countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and participating in numerous regional conflicts. In Yugoslavia itself, the Zastava 20mm/3 M55 and Zastava M75 anti-aircraft guns achieved little success against airborne threats, but the lightweight single-barrel anti-aircraft guns were highly effective and accurate at ground targets, remaining out of the reach of rifle-caliber small arms during the interethnic conflicts in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo.
30 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts
One of the most recognizable Yugoslav anti-aircraft guns is the self-propelled M53/59, armed with two 30-mm machine guns, which trace their lineage back to the 3 cm Flakzwilling MK 303(Br) anti-aircraft guns, developed by designers at Waffenwerke Brünn (as the Czech Zbrojovka Brno was called during the war) on order from the German Kriegsmarine.
Towed 30-mm anti-aircraft installation ZK.453
The twin 30mm ZK.453 anti-aircraft mount, accepted into service in Czechoslovakia in 1953, had very impressive performance. The combined rate of fire from both barrels reached 1000 rounds per minute. The ammunition complement included armor-piercing incendiary tracer and high-explosive incendiary rounds. The 540g armor-piercing incendiary tracer round, with a muzzle velocity of 1000 m/s, could penetrate 55mm of steel armor at a distance of 500 m. The firing range against aerial targets was up to 3000 m. The mount's artillery section was mounted on a four-wheeled vehicle. When in firing position, it was raised on jacks. Its traveling weight was 2100 kg; its combat weight was 1750 kg. Calculation: 5 people.
At the same time, due to its significant weight and the need to use tow vehicles, the mobility of the ZK.453 mounts left much to be desired. For this reason, in 1959, the Czechoslovak Army adopted the Praga PLDvK VZ. 53/59 self-propelled anti-aircraft mount, unofficially known as "Jesterka" (Lizard) within the army.
ZSU PLDvK VZ. 53 / 59
The Praga V3S three-axle, all-wheel-drive cargo vehicle served as the basis for the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. The ZSU received an armored cabin. The armor provided protection against rifle-caliber small arms bullets and light shrapnel. The wheeled ZSU, weighing 10,300 kg, had good cross-country ability. The 98 hp diesel engine provided a road speed of up to 60 km/h. The cruising range was up to 600 km. The crew consisted of five people.
Compared to the ZK.453, the self-propelled gun's artillery was improved. To increase the rate of fire, the 30mm anti-aircraft guns were fed from box magazines with a capacity of 50 rounds.
Artillery unit ZSU PLDvK VZ. 53 / 59
With a loaded magazine weighing 84,5 kg, changing it for two loaders was a complex procedure requiring considerable physical effort. The aiming speed of the twin 30mm anti-aircraft gun was increased by using electric drives. Manual aiming was used as a backup. The gun had a 8-degree horizontal fire pattern, and vertical aiming angles ranged from -10° to +85°. In an emergency, firing on the move was possible. The effective rate of fire was up to 150 rounds per minute. The total ammunition load in eight magazines was 400 rounds.
An artillery mount using special guides, cables and a winch could be transferred to the ground and used permanently in prepared positions. This expanded tactical capabilities and made it easier to mask the anti-aircraft battery during defensive operations.
Yugoslavia purchased its first batch of 30mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns in 1965. A total of approximately 800 M53/59 ZSUs were acquired. Some sources claim that these self-propelled guns were produced in Yugoslavia under license, but this is untrue. At the same time, beginning in the mid-1970s, a significant portion of the vehicles in the JNA were modernized. The modernized version, designated M53/59/70, was equipped with a Galileo J-171 electronic ballistic computer, doubling its accuracy. New radios installed on command vehicles made it possible to receive external target designation from a centralized radio network directly from the air defense command post. During factory overhauls, the ZSUs received new transmissions and modern German-made diesel engines.
As of 1991, the Yugoslav army had approximately two hundred operational M53/59s. After the collapse of the country, some ZSUs remained in Croatia and Slovenia.
The Yugoslav M53/59 ZSU's baptism of fire occurred in the spring of 1992. The opposing sides actively used the self-propelled guns, armed with two 30mm anti-aircraft guns, to fire at ground targets.
From the very first combat encounters, the distinctive sound of 30mm automatic rifle fire had a profound psychological effect on soldiers: impervious to small arms fire, the self-propelled anti-aircraft gun easily stopped infantry and lightly armored vehicle attacks. To avoid losses from grenade launchers, ATGMs, and artillery, the M53/59 ZSUs were typically deployed behind the infantry's own formations. The self-propelled guns performed well in urban combat. Thanks to their high elevation angles, they could fire at the upper floors of buildings and attics, which was especially important when countering snipers. At a range of several hundred meters, 30mm armor-piercing rounds easily penetrated the brick and reinforced concrete walls of residential and office buildings, while fragmentation rounds struck exposed personnel. Due to the fact that these vehicles were often involved in close combat with enemy infantry, they were additionally armed with 7,62–12,7 mm machine guns.
During the NATO bombing of Serbia and Montenegro in 1999, 30mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns played an active role in repelling airstrikes and demonstrated good effectiveness in destroying aerial targets during daylight hours. Well-trained crews fired with relative accuracy at visually observed cruise missiles and drones. According to Serbian data, the M53/59 ZSU is credited with 12 cruise missiles and one UAV. The twin 30mm anti-aircraft guns could have posed a significant threat to attack helicopters and low-flying attack aircraft, but NATO generals hesitated to deploy them en masse.
About 20 years ago, the M53/59 ZSUs (including modernized ones) in Serbia were decommissioned and placed into storage.
40 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts
The purchase of 40mm Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft guns from Sweden is a typical example of Belgrade's "multi-vector" policy during the Cold War. In the mid-1970s, Yugoslavia acquired 142 L/70 anti-aircraft guns, complete with the then-modern Giraffe 75 radar.
Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft gun of the Serbian Armed Forces
The 40mm Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft gun, when equipped with modern target acquisition systems and using projectiles with programmable or radar fuses, which provide a high probability of hitting aerial targets, remains a highly effective weapon against low-flying aerial targets. In 1953, this weapon was adopted as the standard NATO anti-aircraft gun. It was produced in thousands of series, became widely used in pro-Western countries, and remains in service in a number of countries.
The artillery mount with its autonomous gasoline power generator weighs up to 4800 kg. Its maximum firing range against aerial targets is 8400 m. Its effective range is up to 4000 m. Its rate of fire is 330 rounds per minute. It is fed from a refillable 16-round magazine. The gun can be aimed vertically from -4° to +90°. The mount's crew consists of six people, four of whom are directly involved in combat operations. Centralized aiming of the anti-aircraft mounts is possible from a single anti-aircraft fire control device. This is accomplished using hydraulic drives, and commands are transmitted via cable. The mount's crew is partially protected on the front and sides by armor that can withstand light shrapnel hits. The Bofors L70 is transported on a four-wheeled rolling trailer. Once in position, the anti-aircraft mount is raised on jacks.
A Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft gun of the Serbian Armed Forces at Batajnica Air Base in 2012.
In the early 1980s, the Zastava enterprise began licensed production of 40mm guns. Later, a modification of the Bofors L/70 BOFI was introduced, equipped with a laser rangefinder and armed with remote-detonated projectiles. Yugoslav-made M85 Žirafa radars were used for fire control of the anti-aircraft battery. Currently, 36 towed 40mm anti-aircraft guns (six batteries) are in service, with a further number held in reserve.
About 10 years ago, specialists from the Belgrade Military Technical Institute began designing the PASARS-16 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun with a 40-mm Bofors L/70 artillery unit.
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun PASARS-16
The armored turret with a 40mm cannon is mounted in an armored rotating turret on a six-wheeled FAP 2026BS/AV all-terrain chassis. The combat vehicle weighs 17 tons. A 310-horsepower diesel engine can accelerate the vehicle to 100 km/h on the road. The cruising range is 800 km. The crew consists of three.
Fire control is performed by a computerized target acquisition and targeting system, which includes a 24-hour optoelectronic sight combined with a laser rangefinder. A new programmable airburst munition containing 1100 tungsten balls has been reportedly developed for the PASARS-16 ZSU. A modernized M85 "Žirafa" radar is used to control the fire of a battery of six combat vehicles.
Serial production of the PASARS-16 began in 2019. Yugoslav companies Zastava TERVO, FAP, and PPT Namenska are involved in production, with final assembly performed by Srboauto. As of 2024, 26 self-propelled guns have been produced.
Shortly after serial production began, some of the vehicles were equipped with anti-aircraft missiles. Apparently, this was for military testing.
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun PASARS-16 with RLN-1C and 9M37M missiles
Thus, the RLN-1C air-to-air missiles (Yugoslav version of the K-13M), equipped with an additional booster unit, the 9M37M SAM used in the Strela-10M SAM system, as well as the launch tubes of the Igla MANPADS were considered as SAMs.
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun PASARS-16 with launch tubes for the Igla MANPADS
It recently became known that the Serbian Armed Forces command plans to upgrade the PASARS-16 ZSU with French Mistral 3 short-range anti-aircraft missiles, for which additional funding has been requested.
57 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts
In addition to Czechoslovakian 30mm and Swedish 40mm anti-aircraft guns, Yugoslavia also purchased Soviet 57mm towed and self-propelled guns in the mid-1960s.
According to reference data, several anti-aircraft artillery regiments of the JNA in the 1970s were armed with more than two hundred 57-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns AZP-57 (S-60).
57-mm towed automatic anti-aircraft gun AZP-57
At the time of its development, the AZP-57 artillery system had very good performance characteristics, allowing it to remain in service for extended periods. The 57mm anti-aircraft gun has a combat rate of fire of 80–90 rounds per minute. Its rate of fire is 120 rounds per minute. It is loaded with a 4-round magazine. The gun weighs 4,8 tons and has a crew of 8. To control the fire of a six-gun anti-aircraft battery, the SFRY was supplied with SON-9A and PUAZO-6-60 gun guidance radars. The SON-9A's air target detection range reached 40 km. The automatic 57mm anti-aircraft guns, connected by cables to the anti-aircraft fire control device, are automatically aimed in azimuth and elevation using tracking drives.
The ammunition complement includes two main types of ammunition: fragmentation-tracer and armor-piercing-tracer. The OR-281U fragmentation projectile weighing 2,81 kg contains 168 g of explosive and has a fragmentation zone of 5 m. This projectile 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 BR-281U armor-piercing-tracer projectile weighing 2,85 kg has a muzzle velocity of 1,000 m/s and is capable of penetrating an armor plate 80 mm thick at a distance of 1,000 meters at an impact angle of 60°. Such armor penetration performance allows the vehicle to confidently engage armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, as well as penetrate the sides of primary combat vehicles. Tanks.
Due to their low mobility, the AZP-57 was used sparingly against ground targets during the military operations that began after the collapse of the federation. By 1999, the performance of the SON-9A gun-laying radar no longer met modern requirements, and the 57mm anti-aircraft guns were primarily used for ineffective barrage fire at night. During the day, optical sighting devices and rangefinders were used to generate data input into the PUAZO-6-60. Nevertheless, the AZP-57 shot down several cruise missiles and UAVs.
Currently, all 57-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns remaining in working order are in storage. In the past, the Serbian military expressed interest in upgrading the AZP-57, introducing a modern fire control system and remotely detonated ammunition into the anti-aircraft battery. However, this has not yet been realized.
Yugoslavia received about a hundred Soviet ZSU-57-2 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns between 1960 and 1964.
ZSU-57-2 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns on parade
The ZSU-57-2 was developed on the T-54 tank chassis. Its armament consists of a twin S-68 artillery mount, which uses 57mm AZP-57 cannons. The twin mount has a rate of fire of up to 480 rounds per minute. However, the effective rate of fire is no more than 180 rounds per minute. The vehicle weighs 28 tons in combat readiness. The internal components and crew are protected by 8–13mm of armor, protecting against rifle-caliber bullets and light shrapnel. The top of the anti-aircraft turret is unarmored. Road speed is up to 50 km/h. The crew consists of six.
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 mounts was significantly inferior to that of a six-gun AZP-57 battery. Firing accuracy was negatively impacted by the lack of a radar-based automated fire control system. When firing at aerial targets, the self-propelled gun crew determined the range and speed visually, and manually entered the data into the gunsight. The twin S-68 mount had a low aiming rate, making it difficult to engage fast-moving aerial targets. Consequently, in conflicts in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, crews of self-propelled ZSU-57-2s often resorted to barrage fire and achieved little success, unlike the towed AZP-57s.
By the time of the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, all ZSU-57-2 systems in the JNA were in storage. In 1992, some were retrieved from storage and used in combat.
Considering that anti-aircraft self-propelled guns were used exclusively for shelling ground positions, providing fire support, and repelling enemy infantry attacks, the combat vehicles were subjected to makeshift modifications. To protect against shrapnel, a roof was welded onto the open-topped turret, and the frontal and side armor was reinforced with boxes filled with sand and crushed stone.
The 57mm anti-aircraft guns had a high rate of fire and excellent accuracy, and a skilled gunner, working with agile loaders, could quickly destroy a squad of infantrymen caught in the field at a range of over 2 km, which had a profound demoralizing effect on the attackers' motivation. A volley of 57mm fragmentation shells was quite capable of destroying a wood-and-earth field fortification, and armor-piercing shells were effective against armored vehicles. All this gave the self-propelled anti-aircraft guns a formidable reputation. However, when faced with a competent enemy equipped with modern anti-tank weapons, the ZSU-57-2, protected by bulletproof armor and not designed to assault enemy positions or defend against even small-caliber armor-piercing shells, suffered heavy losses. After the armed clashes between Serbs, Bosnians, and Croats ended, the surviving self-propelled guns, along with other heavy weapons, were sent to storage facilities under the supervision of UN peacekeepers and, after some time, mostly disposed of. In the spring of 1999, Yugoslav air defense forces did not use the ZSU-57-2 against NATO aircraft.
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