Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon
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A self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon (SPAA, also self-propelled air defense, SPAD) is an anti-aircraft gun or surface-to-air missile launcher mounted on a mobile vehicle chassis.
Specific weapon systems include machine guns, autocannon, larger guns, or missiles, and some mount both guns and longer-ranged missiles. Platforms used include both trucks and heavier armored fighting vehicles such as APCs and tanks, which add protection from aircraft, artillery, and small arms fire for front line deployment.
Anti-aircraft guns are usually mounted in a quickly-traversing turret with a high range of elevation, for tracking fast-moving aircraft. They are often in dual or quadruple mounts, allowing a high rate of fire. The concept was pioneered mainly by Germany during World War II, with their flakpanzer series. Today, missiles have largely replaced antiaircraft guns.
The Russian equivalent of SPAAG is ZSU, for zenitnaya samokhodnaya ustanovka, ("anti-aircraft self-propelled mount").
German WWII self-propelled anti-aircraft guns include Möbelwagen, Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Kugelblitz, Coelian. Modern weapons include the Russian ZSU-23-4 Shilka, Chinese Type 88 SPAAG, American M163 VADS, German Gepard and similar versions with the British Marksman turret (which was also adapted for a number of other users), Italian SIDAM 25 and Otomatic and versions of the French AMX-13. Older post-war examples include the ZSU-57-2, the failed M247 Sergeant York, M16 Quad Fifty and M42 Duster.
Other examples include:
- ZSU-23-4 Shilka, Soviet Union
- Gepard, Germany
- PZA Loara, Poland
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