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AZP S-60

History

The S-60 was originally designed as a single-tube towed 57mm air defense system. Developed in the late 1940s, the gun was influenced by the German capture system of World War II, particularly the 5.5cm Gerat 58 and 5cm Flak 41 series guns. The S-60 itself became a short- and medium-range weapon with powerful qualities capable of engaging low-flying aircraft and even lightly armored vehicles.

The weapon system was introduced to the Warsaw Pact countries in 1950, and soon after the weapon was sold to pro-communist countries throughout the Middle East and South Asia.

S-60 Tour

The original S-60 had an elongated barrel covered with a perforated muzzle brake. A large gun shield is attached to either side of the barrel, reminding them of their German origin. In any event, the shield did little to protect the seven crew members responsible for maintaining, arming, and operating the weapon system.

The shield collapsed during transport, as did the horizontal ammo supply tray. Four wheels supported the wagon during road travel. A travel strut is mounted between the front pair of tires to hold the main travel while driving.

S-60 Ammo

The S-60 fires the 6lb 57mm x 384R projectile, with two basic types introduced in 1950 - Armor Piercing (API-T) and High Explosive (HEI-T). Workers load 30 lb 4 round brackets into horizontal feed pans. To increase loading speed, the designers installed an ammunition "ready rack" on the left side of the S-60's breech, which accommodates ready-to-fire 4x4 cartridges near the feed mechanism. The gun proved to be stable when fired and used a three-point jack system that lifted the gun system off the ground from its four-wheel mount.

The standard Soviet tractor at the time, and the vehicle responsible for towing the S-60, was the Ural-375 General Purpose Trucka 4.5-ton, 6x6 utility vehicle built at the Ural Automobile Plant in Russia. The truck has two fuel tanks of 95 gallons each and travels 450 miles at 25 miles per hour.

S-60 has been improved

The demand for sales in the Warsaw Pact countries resulted in improvements to the S-60 fire control system. Initially, the weapon only used optics on the cradle to measure target range. As the enemy improved their fighter technology, the initial manual fire system became limited. As a solution, the Soviets adopted flap wheel PUAZO-5 guides and SON-4 radar systems to enhance capabilities. The calculator and radar are deployed on the same Ural 375 series truck.

With the introduction of radar, the range of the S-60 increased from 4,000 meters (using the original optical rangefinder) to 6,000 meters using the SON-4 radar system. Radar enhances the S-60's defenses against aircraft, helicopters and even some lightly armored vehicles. Soon, the system was upgraded to PUAZO-6/60 guides and SON-9 or SON-9A radars. Subsequently, models of self-propelled guns (SPGs) with double- and quad-barrel fittings were made.

These versions were designated S-68 (or ZSU-57-2) in 1957, with the chassis of the T-54 main battle tank.

S-60 variant

The S-60, self-propelled ZSU-57-2 and Type-59 (itself a Chinese-made version of the Soviet S-60) were exported in large quantities to Vietnam during the Vietnam War. These are used as ground support weapons to protect high profile targets such as airfields, bridges and military bases. Hundreds of S-60s formed the backbone of the northern low-altitude air defense system, covering approximately 460 m (1,500 ft) and 1,500 m (5,000 ft) of airspace.

The S-60 was developed as a naval version as the AK-725 for use on Soviet surface ships. The ZIF-72 exists as a similar naval vessel, but installed in a metal structure. China also uses the ZSU-57-2 as the Type 80.

Poland manufactures its own licensed production version under the Tarnow Metal Works banner.

Soviet Model

Soviet air defenses use their S-60 group with 24 guns. A regiment AA battery network consists of six guns and a fire-control radar director. A new German-developed fire control system (SON-9) was installed on the S-60.

The new system brought an improved rangefinder, as well as a modern radar called "RPK-1 Vaza". However, some older S-60 models still retain their original flap wheels as radar fire control systems.

Global

The S-60 and its variants were used in wars around the world to support communist military objectives. The S-60 was used against the Israeli Air Force (IAF) during the Six Day War and Yom Kippur. The S-60 protected Soviet airfields during the war in Afghanistan and was widely used during the Vietnam conflict.

S-60s were used on both sides of the Iran-Iraq War, and Iraq used these systems well again in the 1991 Gulf War. Some fifty years of hard work have proven the value of Desu design.

State-of-the-art Soviet/Russian surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems have replaced the outdated S-60 towed gun and its variants in Russian inventory.