ZSU-23-4 - Revision history

U79270549: Adjusted notice in radar section to include other tracking modes along with changing the default to 90° from 60°

2024-11-24T08:10:19Z

Adjusted notice in radar section to include other tracking modes along with changing the default to 90° from 60°

U161584615: /* Pros and cons */ edited and unified general pros and cons with the zsu 23 4m4

2024-09-11T09:52:20Z

‎Pros and cons: edited and unified general pros and cons with the zsu 23 4m4

U161584615: /* Main armament */ added a small description, taken from the ZSU-23-4M4 article and edited to make it fit

2024-09-11T09:40:31Z

‎Main armament: added a small description, taken from the ZSU-23-4M4 article and edited to make it fit

U43191476: /* See also */

2024-08-09T01:13:09Z

‎See also

U58217070: added information about the slightly better armor thanks to angle over the 37-2 and fixed grammar

2024-06-18T06:38:40Z

added information about the slightly better armor thanks to angle over the 37-2 and fixed grammar

U38088265: /* Description */

2024-06-07T18:46:58Z

‎Description

U91965995: New Description Project

2024-06-04T01:29:17Z

New Description Project

U17577377 at 20:24, 30 September 2023

2023-09-30T20:24:38Z

U68923840: /* See also */

2023-09-28T00:03:40Z

‎See also

U44629479: Undo revision 165836 by U56862421 (talk)

2023-06-27T17:56:15Z

Undo revision 165836 by U56862421 (talk)

@@ Line 99: / Line 99: @@
 {{main|1RL33}}
 The ZSU-23-4 is equipped with a [[1RL33]] search and tracking radar, mounted on top of the turret, at the rear. The radar system lacks track while scan, but can track targets in a full 360° area around the turret (instead of just to the front of the turret). The radar has very slow scan speed.
-{{Notice|By default the radar will scan a 60° arc, this can be changed to a 360° scan if desired, using the "change radar search mode" key.}}
+{{Notice|By default the radar will scan a 90° arc, this can be changed to a 60°, 30°, or 360° scan if desired, using the "change radar search mode" key.}}
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

@@ Line 140: / Line 140: @@
 '''Pros:'''
-* High rate of fire; allows for area saturation
+* High rate of fire with quad-mount 23 mm autocannons which can be devastating
-* Relatively high top speed
+* Generous ammunition pool for prolonged firing
-* High ammo count
+* Chassis is mobile enough to navigate in the battlefield with relatively high top speed
-* Fast turret traverse
+* Sufficient turret traverse speed for quick targeting
 * Can penetrate lightly armoured vehicles (other SPAAs)
-* Radar-assisted fire control; a lead indicator is shown in Realistic.
+* Radar-assisted fire control, even with weak radar it still makes taking down aircraft much easier
 '''Cons:'''
-* Thin armour; aircraft cannons will cause severe damage
+* Large vehicle profile makes for a easy target when spotted
 * Low power to weight ratio; struggles with slopes and off-road
-* Low penetration for 23 mm cannons; means troubles penetrating certain MBTs from the side
+* Huge ammo rack by the front of the turret with a high risk of detonation
-* Radar has very low scan speed
+* Obsolete radar systems that hinders overall search capabilities: visual and aural searches may be more reliable
 == History ==

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
 <!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
-{{main|AZP-23 (23 mm)}}
+{{main|AZP-23 (23 mm)}}The ZSU-23-4 is armed with the AZP-23 quad-mount autocannons onboard; known as the ''sewing machine'' due to its iconic firing sound. There were field modifications which even has its radar systems removed to store extra ammunition against insurgents; this also somewhat showed a major downside of the system - inferior, or perhaps old-school radar system. Although the sound from the firing can sometimes deter enemy aircrafts, for players who understand the rather curved trajectory of the 23 mm autocannon, they will have easy time taking down the Shilka; sudden attack with the autocannons is always the best idea to utilize the vehicle. Leave the shells for aircrafts instead as the penetration of 23 mm shells are rather disappointing, sometimes barely able to penetrate NATO tanks from their sides.
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"

@@ Line 179: / Line 179: @@
 * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
-'''Similar role in USSR'''
+'''Related development'''
 * [[BTR-ZD]]
-'''Analogues in other nations'''
+'''Vehicles of similar configuration or role'''
-* [[M163]]
+* [[ZSU-37-2]]
 * [[SIDAM 25]]
 * [[AMX-30 DCA]]
 == External links ==

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-Arguably the single most iconic self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the '''ZSU-23-4 ''Shilka''''' is a force to be reckoned with. First fielded in 1965, the Shilka completely superseded its predecessor, the antiquated [[ZSU-57-2]] by the 1970s. Notably upgrades were a radar fire control system to assist gunners in aiming the gun, a gun stabilizer to enable firing on the move, as well as the search radar itself which greatly assisted in awareness. Designed on the [[ASU-85]] hull, the Shilka was almost fielded alongside its competitor, the [[ZSU-37-2]] Yenisei, but the Yenisei was cancelled during a hearing and the Shilka became the backbone of the Soviet air defense suite. The Shilka served a long and illustrious career with the Soviet Armed Forces and many other militaries around the world, seeing combat across the globe. One notable use was in the Soviet-Afghan War, where Shilkas had their radars removed and additional ammunition was added and were used against enemy guerilla fighters to devastating effect.
+Arguably the single most iconic self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the '''ZSU-23-4 ''Shilka''''' is a force to be reckoned with. First fielded in 1965, the Shilka completely superseded its predecessor, the antiquated [[ZSU-57-2]] by the 1970s. Notable upgrades were a radar fire control system to assist gunners in aiming the gun, a gun stabilizer to enable firing on the move, as well as the search radar itself which greatly assisted in awareness. Designed on the [[ASU-85]] hull, the Shilka was almost fielded alongside its competitor, the [[ZSU-37-2]] Yenisei, but the Yenisei was cancelled during a hearing and the Shilka became the backbone of the Soviet air defense suite. The Shilka served a long and illustrious career with the Soviet Armed Forces and many other militaries around the world, seeing combat across the globe. One notable use was in the Soviet-Afghan War, where Shilkas had their radars removed and additional ammunition was added and were used against enemy guerilla fighters to devastating effect.
 Introduced in [[Update 1.63 "Desert Hunters"]], the "Shilka" presents a much higher rate of fire than its predecessor [[ZSU-57-2]], and allows the user to oversaturate a given area of the sky to increase the odds of hitting an enemy aircraft. The Shilka is unlocked after the [[ZSU-37-2]] Yenisei, its unproduced rival, and usage cases between the two differ. The Yenisei deals a heavier, crippling blow with its 37 mm cannon, but lacks the volume of fire of the Shilka to saturate an area, while the Shilka lacks comparative engagement range as well as the penetration to go through enemy armour from the side consistently. The Shilka is best used at sub-2 km ranges, when enemies have little room to manoeuvre from the sheer amount of shells being thrown in the air, and is second to none in this role.
@@ Line 131: / Line 131: @@
 You have a high ammo count with this vehicle, meaning that you can afford to find a good spot away from the main fight in order to pick off enemy planes. Unless you need to reload your ammo, avoid spawn points. They are usually the hub of most of the fighting and going to them will put you in the firing line.
-While it is fully enclosed, the ZSU-23-4 has armour which makes the M18 Hellcat look like a heavy tank. Even 7.62mm machine guns stand a fair chance of penetrating this vehicle. This makes you a primary target for aircraft, which at this vehicles BR are usually armed with cannons or high penetration machine guns, which will easily take you out.
+While it is fully enclosed, the ZSU-23-4 has armour which makes the M18 Hellcat look like a heavy tank. Even 7.62mm machine guns stand a fair chance of penetrating this vehicle, although the slightly increased angle provides marginally better protection over the Yenisei. This makes you a primary target for aircraft, which at this vehicles BR are usually armed with cannons or high penetration machine guns, which will easily take you out.
 Top rank helicopters and the FJ-4B VMF 232 are the greatest threat to your existence. They are both capable of sitting comfortably outside your firing range while firing lethal ATGMs at you. Hide from them until they are either dealt with by an allied plane or they come close enough to be dealt with by your 23 mm cannons.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The Shilka preforms more or less like a roided up Wirbelwind, minus the tank hunting ability. As such, the fewer the planes that know your location the better. If one is headed your direction, let them get as close as possible (within reasonable safety, of course) before opening up, to guarantee a hit. The few props and lower rank jets that occur at top rank are easy pickings at most distances due to the wide spread of the 23mm river, but 9.0 jets are trickier to hit, even at medium ranges, so the more of an element of surprise you have, the better.
+Arguably the single most iconic self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the Shilka is a force to be reckoned with. First fielded in 1965, the Shilka completely superseded its predecessor, the antiquated [[ZSU-57-2]] by the 1970s. Notably upgrades were a radar fire control system to assist gunners in aiming the gun, a gun stabilizer to enable firing on the move, as well as the search radar itself which greatly assisted in awareness. Designed on the [[ASU-85]] hull, the Shilka was almost fielded alongside its competitor, the [[[ZSU-37-2]] Yenisei, but the Yenisei was cancelled during a hearing and the Shilka became the backbone of the Soviet air defense suite. The Shilka served a long and illustrious career with the Soviet Armed Forces and many other militaries around the world, seeing combat across the globe. One notable use was in the Soviet-Afghan War, where Shilkas had their radars removed and additional ammunition was added and were used against enemy guerilla fighters to devastating effect.
 == General info ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{About
 | about = Soviet SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
-| usage = the other version
+| usage = the other versions
-| link = ZSU-23-4 (Israel)
+| link = ZSU-23-4 (Family)
 }}
 {{Specs-Card

@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 ==== Ammunition ====
 * '''Default:''' {{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}
 * '''HEFI-T:''' {{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEFI-T|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|Armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}
@@ Line 169: / Line 170: @@
 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_zsu_23_4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
@@ Line 177: / Line 179: @@
 '''Similar role in USSR'''
 * [[BTR-ZD]]
-'''Analogues on other nations'''
+'''Analogues in other nations'''
 * [[M163]]