Meng SPS-026 1/35 Russian LGT AA Gun Set*

Even during WWI the Russians realized mobile antiaircraft guns would be a way of life in the future. Prior to WWII they created a very handy pair of light automatic guns, the 25mm and the 37mm, similar in design to the Bofors 40mm guns.

At the same time, they had created the 14.5 x 114 mm cartridge for their new light antitank rifles, the PTRD and PTRS, which went into service in 1941. These rifles were great for anti-material engagements and could even penetrate 32mm of armor at 500 meters, which made them lethal to early war German tanks and even later SP guns.

Near the end of the war, the Soviets decided in 1944 to see if they could turn this into a machine gun round and use it for light antiaircraft duties. The weapon of choice turned out to the KPV heavy machine gun which came out in 1949. This fired the powerful B-32 AP round out to 3000 meters in ground use and 2000 meters in antiaircraft use, and was lethal to whatever it hit as it was twice as powerful as the US M2HB’s 12.7 x 99 mm round.

They were produced by the thousands and also by other countries such as China. They remain in service to this day and were until recently the primary armament of the Soviet eight-wheel armored personnel carriers. The weapons are popular in the third world for their light weight, hitting power and mobility when mounted in light trucks as “technical” vehicles.

But even with the advent of an explosive round the Soviets sought more lethal effects against aircraft. This resulted in adapting their popular 23mm aerial cannon to ground use in 1955 and in 1960 the new weapon came out as part of two new weapons systems - the light towed ZU-23-2 and the self-propelled ZSU-23-4 with water cooling for longer engagements and a radar system. The ZU-23-2 has been upgraded with newer fire controls and also attached light MANPADS missiles for increased firepower but the basic gun is still popular and made worldwide.