ZPU-4 14.5 mm anti-aircraft quadruple guns technical data | Russia Russian army light heavy weapons UK | Russia Russian army military equipment vehicles UK

: 10 February 2019

ZPU-4 Anti-aircraft quadruple guns 14.5 mm

Technical Data

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Description

The ZPU-4 is a russian made anti-aircraft 14.5 mm quadruple guns. The ZPU-4 entered service with the Soviet Army in 1949 and although no longer in front-line service with the Russian Army, like the ZPU-2 may be found in second-line units defending airfields and other high-priority targets. Many countries have since replaced the ZPU-4 anti-aircraft guns with the ZU-23 twin anti-aircraft guns 23 mm. China produced variants under license known as the Type 56 and Type 58.

Variants :

- Type 56: Chinese variant

Technical data

Design

The ZPU-4 uses four 14.5 mm Vladimirova KPV (Krubnokalibernyj Pulemet Vladimirova) heavy machine gun, which has a quick-change barrel, mounted on a wheeled chassis. In the firing position, the wheels are raised off the ground and the carriage is supported at four points, screw jacks at each end of the carriage and on outriggers on each side of the carriage that are also provided with screw jacks. The weapon can be brought into action in 15 to 20 seconds but can, if required, be fired with the wheels in the travelling position.

Ammunition

The ZPU-4 14.5 mm twin guns can fired the following fixed ammunition:
- API (BS 41) projectile weighing 64.4 g, with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 m/s, which will penetrate 32 mm of conventional steel armour at an incidence of 0º at a range of 500 m
- API-T (BZT) projectile weighing 59.56 g
- I-T (ZP) projectile weighing 59.68 g.
The ZPU-4 14.5 mm twin guns has an effective slant range of 1,402 m, effective limit at +45º elevation is 975 m while effective altitude limit at +65º is 1,280 m.

Mobility

The quadruple guns ZPU-4 uses a four-wheel carriage similar to that once used by the obsolete 25 mm automatic anti-aircraft gun M1940. In firing position, the weapon is lowered onto firing jacks. Rhe ZPU-4 can be brought in and out of action in about 15 to 20 seconds, and can be fired with the wheels in the traveling position if needed.

Accessories

Two ammunition boxes are mounted at the front of the wheeled chassis, one under each gun. Each ammunition boxes can carried 2,400 rounds of 14.5 mm. The ZPU-4 is equipped with a single optical sight. Improved optical gunsights was added later in its production life.

Specifications

Armament

Four 14.5 mm guns

Country users

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bulgaria, Burkina-Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, China, RDC, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Chana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Laos, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, malta, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, romania, Russia, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Congo, Zimbabwe

Type

Anti-aicraft quadruple guns
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Carriage

Four wheels, can be mounted on armoured and light vehicles or tracted

Crew

5 soldiers

Weight

1,810 kg

Rate of fire

150 rds/min
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Range

8,000 m max
1,400 m effective range