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Fla-SFL 23/4
Introduction
The Fla-SFL 23/4, East Germany’s designation for the ZSU-23-4M “Biryusa”, was a cornerstone of the NVA’s regimental air defense during the Cold War. Entering service in the early 1970s, it marked a substantial shift from older gun systems to self-propelled, radar-guided platforms capable of rapid and autonomous response to low-altitude air threats. Its mobility, firepower, and integrated tracking radar made it one of the most effective short-range air defense assets in the Warsaw Pact arsenal.
It was surprising to see the ZSU-23-4V1 introduced into the game instead of the more iconic ZSU-23-4M or its other Cold War-era variants. While the V1 has its place in history, it’s the ZSU-23-4M that features the most widely recognized turret configuration, the one most people associate with the “Shilka.” I acknowledge that the M2 and M4 versions are already represented in War Thunder, but the ZSU-23-4M remains oddly absent, despite being the most famous and widespread version of the Shilka during the Cold War.
Variant in NVA Service: ZSU-23-4M
Spoiler
The NVA initially received the ZSU-23-4M export model. This variant retained the original chassis but introduced critical improvements in fire control, reliability, and maintainability over the V1.
Notable upgrades on the M version included:
- 2A7M autocannons with pyrotechnic shell rammers, replacing the older air-compressor loaders.
- Improved cooling system with flexible barrel lines to extend barrel life to 4500 shots.
- Enhanced electronics, using solid-state components to replace vacuum tubes in the radar and fire-control system.
- Modified turret cheek structures, improving access to components and providing better ventilation and protection, this external feature clearly distinguish M-standard vehicles from earlier V1 variants.
The Fla-SFL 23/4 was based on a tracked chassis derived from the PT-76 light tank and mounted a fully enclosed turret equipped with four 23 mm 2A7M automatic cannons. These weapons delivered a combined rate of fire of up to 3,400–4,000 rounds per minute and were guided by the onboard 1RL33 radar, known as “Gun Dish.”
The radar system, combined with an analog fire-control computer, enabled the crew to detect and engage low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles, particularly in the 2,500 m range and 1,500 m altitude envelope. The system allowed limited fire-on-the-move capability, providing continuous protection to maneuver units under combat conditions.
Operational Role and Deployment
Spoiler
The Fla-SFL 23/4 was deployed in dedicated anti-aircraft batteries at the regimental level of both motorisierte Schützenregimenter (motor rifle regiments) and Panzerregimenter (tank regiments). Each regiment fielded a battery of four vehicles, typically operating in two-vehicle pairs to maintain overlapping coverage along advancing armored formations. Later doctrinal shifts saw these batteries integrated into mixed air-defense units, combining Shilkas with short-range missile systems like the Strela-1 or Strela-10, forming a layered response against both rotary- and fixed-wing threats.
The NVA employed specific battlefield tactics to enhance survivability and deception. One such approach involved a “wandering unit”, a single Fla-SFL 23/4 moving independently between positions to simulate the presence of a larger battery and complicate enemy targeting. Vehicles were otherwise kept dispersed to reduce vulnerability, but could concentrate their fire rapidly when necessary.
By the late 1980s, the NVA maintained an inventory of approximately 116 Fla-SFL 23/4 systems. These were distributed across all active regiments of the ground forces, with additional units allocated to training establishments and held in reserve for mobilization. Each motorized infantry or armored regiment possessed a dedicated Fla-SFL battery, ensuring that air defense was always integrated directly into frontline combat formations. This reflected the NVA’s strong doctrinal emphasis on mechanized and mobile defense against NATO air superiority.
Post-Reunification Fate
Spoiler
Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, the Fla-SFL 23/4 was deemed obsolete by Bundeswehr standards and was not incorporated into West German service. Though some vehicles were initially offered to NATO allies such as Greece, these transfers did not materialize. Most of the East German ZSU-23-4 fleet was decommissioned, scrapped, or placed in museums. A small number of units were transferred abroad for technical evaluation and testing. Known examples ended up in countries like Israel and the United States, where they were used to assess the performance of Warsaw Pact air defense systems. By the mid-1990s, the Fla-SFL 23/4 had entirely disappeared from active German service.
Conclusion
Spoiler
The Fla-SFL 23/4 represented the pinnacle of East Germany’s mobile anti-aircraft capabilities during the Cold War. As a modernized ZSU-23-4M, it provided the NVA with a highly effective and autonomous defense against low-altitude air threats, firmly integrated into the broader Warsaw Pact air defense doctrine. Though quickly retired after reunification, its impact on East German military operations was significant. The system stood as a symbol of the GDR’s commitment to maintaining parity with Soviet and NATO technological developments in air-land battle environments.
ZSU-23-4M / Fla-SFL 23/4 – Key Specifications
Spoiler
Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, radar operator, driver)
Combat weight: ~19 tons
Length: 6.5 meters
Width: 3.1 meters
Height (with radar): 2.6 meters
Chassis: Tracked (based on PT-76)
Armor: Welded steel, protects against small arms and shell splinters
Mobility
- Engine: V-6R-1 diesel, 280 hp
- Auxiliary Power Unit: GTD-3T gas turbine (runs radar/electronics)
- Top speed: 50 km/h
- Range: ~450 km
- Fuel capacity: ~640 liters
- Not amphibious
Armament
- Main guns: 4× 23 mm 2A7M autocannons
- Ammo load: 2,000 rounds (HEI-T and API-T types)
- Rate of fire: ~3,400–4,000 rounds/min (combined)
- Effective range: ~2,500 m (horizontal), ~1,500 m (altitude)
- Gun elevation: –4° to +85°
- Full 360° turret rotation
- Gun stabilization: Yes (improved vs. early models)
Fire Control and Radar
- Radar: 1RL33 “Gun Dish” (target detection ~20 km)
- Fire-control computer: Analog system with semi-automated tracking
- Night capability: Limited (no thermal sights; visual/radar-based engagement only)
