| field_i_picture | title (item) | field_cer_web | field_cer_navbox | g_geofield | |
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ZU-23-2 (ZU-23, GRAU index: 2A13) - ZU-23-2 (ZU-23) - 23-mm-Flugabwehrkanone SU-23 - ЗУ-23-2 | ||||
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Ural-375 |
Quite early in the war, the Soviet Army learned the lesson about the inability of most of its fighting vehicles to elevate their guns to the levels necessary to shoot at Mujahideen ambushing its columns from above while inside narrow gorges. Based on experience with ZSU-23-4s, one of the quickest solutions was what have become termed ‘technicals’ in the West: the installation of a ZU-23 gun on the flat bed of the Ural 375, or similar, medium trucks. Although providing no protection for the crew, this proved a highly popular solution and the mass of Soviet motor rifle battalions received batteries of suitably modified Urals. This vehicle (probably using a ‘licence plate’ in the form of ‘31-76’ in large lettering on the rear side of its flatbed), was assigned to a VDV unit in the mid-1980s. (Artwork by David Bocquelet)