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Zu-23-2The ZU-23-2 (Zenitnaya Ustanovka) is a towed Soviet short-range air defence cannon introduced in the 1960s. It mounts two 23 mm cannons on a small trailer which can be converted into a stationary mount for firing the guns. It is aimed and fired manually, with the help of a mechanical sight which provides some automatic aiming to the gunner for use against airborne targets. It also has a simpler sight for use against ground targets such as troops and lightly armoured vehicles. It is based on the design of the earlier ZPU-2 which mounted two 14.5 mm machine guns, but with different placement of the ammunition boxes and the addition of flash suppressors for the guns (as well as the larger caliber). The earlier machine-gun versions of the guns came in three layouts - in addition to the ZPU-2, there is a ZPU-1 (single gun) and ZPU-4 (quad gun). However, there is only one layout for the 23 mm towed gun. This is probably because a single gun is of limited use and four are inconveniently large and heavy, as well as requiring twice as much ammunition for a given amount of time with the trigger depressed. Development of this weapon into a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) lead to the ZSU-23-4 Shilka. Recently, a number of countries have modernised the ZU-23-2. One example is the Polish ZUR-23-2TG, which has improved sights and is also armed with missiles. External links
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