It is possible but the pictures don't seem that way, way too flat at the top.
PLA Anti-Air Gun systems
- Thread starter MIGleader
- Start date
I tend to agree, but wait until more images come forward to say if the Radar can fold down and all of the PGL625 in the battery have the radar.
You made a good observation in your previous post. The induction ceremony here shows this battery of vehicles, with 2 of them mounting the radar.
Another screenshot I found. Doesn't look folded down.
SteelBird
Colonel
I have question regarding this anti-aircraft vehicle; first, since it's a gatling gun, the shooting rate should be rather high, up to 3000 to 4000 rounds per minute. How many ammo can carry for a sustainable combat mission? second, the missiles it carries looks very small, what is the range? further, there are only 4 missiles, I suggest it should carry something like the Pantsir-S1.
Not likely, heck they are still using and even upgraded the PGZ-95 not too long ago alongside the PGZ-09 for that. The future of gun based anti-aircraft is bleak bare against light UAVs. I highly suspect it's primary role is as a C-RAM for AA networks, supply points and command nodes. The existing tracked AAs are more than sufficient.
PLA is still saving money, export version of this has different and larger missiles yet they still opted to go with the HN-16. In fact there are better IR missiles already in PLA service i.e TY-90 than a MANPADS class missile.
The Swedish cv90 has a 40mm cannon that can perform double duty as a AA gun with smart rounds, I wonder if it's viable for China to take the same approach instead of the dual smaller gun/Gatling gun approach.
So kind of the same role for LD-2000? Makes sense.
Gun based systems can't be an answer to drones since their control range is too short and drones are everywhere, I think you need something cheap enough to put on top of every tanks to counter drones.
If the PLA wanted an IFV with secondary AA capabilities, might as well modify the GLATGM from the 100mm gun on the ZBD-04 with a proxy fuze, you even get the 30mm as a backup for swarm attacks. Alternatively, they could have just retained the type 76 37mm and adapted it for ground use and just gave it a modern sabot, proxy fuze and maybe even airburst.
If they wanted an AA vehicle with secondary anti-ground capabilities, why not just go bigger with the JRVG-1/LD76, or just went on and mass produced the PGZ-88 or that ZSU-57 derivative on the Type 69 chassis while giving it a radar and modernized ammunition. Pretty sure the 57mm AP rounds will still chew through most modern IFVs no problem much less their sabot.
The 40mm on the CV90 is really poor in terms of suppressive fire considering the limited ammunition (less than 250 round iirc) even on the large and heavy CV90 chassis so I am even more worried about the combat sustainability of those and out of all CV90s purchased, only the Swedish ones used the bofors so I guess dual purpose isn't as hot as it looks.
I am pretty sure the PLA considered all these options before settling with the 35mm and the new 25x287 round. They didn't even purchase the Bofors 40mm when relationship with the West could still allow their imports.