Seeing the recent successes of the leading countries in the field of self-propelled anti-aircraft (ZSU), South Africa in the eighties began developing his own project of such a system. Suggested that a new war machine of its own design can carry air defense troops on the march and on the positions. In addition, according to some sources, the new ZSU could be offered to third countries.

Company ARMSCOR, began developing a new project going to create a universal tower with avionics and weapons suitable for installation on various chassis. This feature antiaircraft system, apparently, was offered as to expand the range of potential foreign buyers, and to more easily equip its own forces necessary amount of self-propelled anti-aircraft using existing chassis. The requirements determined the appearance of anti-aircraft system, which received the designation ZA-35. It is noteworthy that anti-aircraft tower finished appearance markedly resembles other foreign systems of this class, such as the German Gepard or British Marksman.

All units are new anti-aircraft systems were mounted on a relatively large tower, suitable for installation on various chassis. Going forward we should say that the prototype ZSU ZA-35 was built on the basis of an eight armored Rooikat. In this embodiment, self-propelled anti-aircraft perspective was tested. It is known that an alternative basis for ZA-35 could be a T-72 Soviet-made chassis and South African ACS G6. Epaulettes flak towers allowed to install it on several types of chassis. In light of South Africa's fleet in the eighties on the possibility of installing a tower T-72 looks like an attempt to interest foreign buyers.

Tower of ZA-35 welded armor plates of different thicknesses. Frontal sheets protected against projectiles caliber to 23 mm, and the board and feed provided protection against any firearms at any distance. Tower equipped with electromechanical swing mechanism, you can deploy it 180 ° to 4 seconds. In front of the tower block placed with opto-electronic equipment allows the operator to set yourself watching airspace and direct gun on target. At the rear of the sides of the tower were placed rotary units with automatic guns. The back of the roof of the tower taken under radar detection antenna. An interesting feature of this antenna system was its installation. In the stowed position the antenna "hanging" behind the tower, and in combat rising to an upright position. If necessary, the operator of the complex could increase the detection range, raising the antenna on the mast with hydraulic drive to a height of about 5 meters. Raise the antenna could only while parked.

As the radar target detection and weapons control system was used EDR110. Capabilities of this radar, according to some sources, allows you to monitor up to 100 aerial targets and direct gun on one of them. When raised the antenna detection range aircraft reached 12 km, helicopters - 8 km and ground targets - 4 km. The composition of sighting system ZSU ZA-35 also include a set of optoelectronic devices with a laser rangefinder and a data transmission system. If necessary, self-propelled anti-aircraft could use an external target designation.

Self-propelled anti-aircraft ZA-35 is armed with two automatic guns M-35 caliber 35 mm. Guns placed on the sides of the tower in armored housings. Position System guns allow direct them in a vertical plane in the range of -8 ° to +81 ° from the horizontal. When rate of fire 550 rounds per minute gun M-35 could produce shells with initial speeds of up to 1180 m / s. Inside the tower housed two stores 230 shells each. After discharging ammunition crew could for 8 minutes to replace both the store and re-open the defense of the airspace.


Ammunition ZSU ZA-35 consisted of 35 mm caliber shells of two types: high-explosive armor-piercing and. The latter could penetrate 100 mm armor plate at a distance of 1,000 meters. It was believed that such nomenclature ammunition will be sufficient for the destruction of various aircraft and ground targets.

Self-propelled anti-aircraft crew ZA-35 consisted of three people: the driver, commander and gunner operator. Three crew members were located inside the armored hull and turret combat vehicle. The commander and gunner had to get a set of equipment that allows remote control of the tower systems.

New self-propelled anti-aircraft ZA-35 chassis armored Rooikat was to become one of the three components of the complex perspective of military defense. In addition to machine gun armament it was planned to include anti-aircraft missile system ZA-HVM chassis Rooikat and radar. The structure of anti-aircraft batteries were composed of three ZSU, one and one SAM radar.

The first copy of promising ZSU ZA-35 was built on the basis of Rooikat armored 8x8. Chassis fitted with a diesel engine, 563 hp, provided the 34-ton machine sufficiently high performance. Thus, the maximum speed when driving on the highway exceeds 100 km / h and the range reached 700 kilometers. In general, the machine was successful and suitable for use in the army.


Last mention of the project ZA-35 belong to the first half of the nineties. At that time South Africa was going through extremely difficult times, which affected the life of the country in general and the defense industry in particular. According to some reports, this time it was built about two dozen new self-propelled anti-aircraft, but other sources say that there is only one prototype. Accurate information about the existence of prototypes ZSU ZA-35 on the chassis of the T-72 is also missing - there are only a general scheme of a similar machine.

Project ZA-35 was closed at approximately the mid-nineties, and since then South Africa was not trying to create their own self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Currently, small-caliber guns in the armed forces of South Africa represented only towed systems several types of foreign production.


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Ternyata kanon 23 mm tidak ada matinya untuk di pakai senjata pertahanan udara walau banyak formiler yg mempunyai pendapat bahwa kaliber 23mm ini sebaiknya di ganti saja dengan kaliber 30mm.
Sebagaimana pernah saya tulis, bahwa dari sisa PT 76 yg tidak ikut di retrofit telah di modifikasi dengan fungsi sebagai pelindung pendaratan amphibi dengan memasang kanon tunggal kaliber 30mm "Mauser" dan telah diuji coba dengan hasil lumayan dan tidak mengecewakan, namun memang tidak dtindak lanjuti.
Di Rossiyapun kanon 23mm ZSU ini juga tetap masuk sebagai inventaris senjata aktief dan derivasinya telah menyebar ke banyak negara, kecuali Indonesia.