ZA-35 IFT - Sharpshooter, but without a scope

Suggestions Ground
1
Would you like to see ZA-35 Initial Firing Trials in-game?
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters

TL;DR: ZA-35, but without radar, commander sight and tracker.

Hello, and welcome to my suggestion. Today I would like to suggest a variaton of a vehicle we all love and know, however, it comes with a twist. A twist that changes how it behaves on the battlefield completely.

Introducing:

ZA-35 Initial Firing Trials


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Note: This vehicle did not have a unique name during its life. I gave it the name after initial firing trials, where it was seen in the configuration I am suggesting.

History

The development of ZA-35, started in 1983. The main SPAAs of South Africa then were Ystervark and Cactus. While these systems were doing their jobs just fine, they were starting to show their age in comparison with systems used by other countries and the aircraft they were supposed to counter. That resulted in a competition where multiple foreign systems were studied, but South Africa decided not to buy someone else’s system and decided to make its own. Development was going smoothy, late 1991 marked the public debut of the first ZA-35 prototype, however in early 1991 initial firing trials were carried out. Vehicle in that configuration was mostly completed and functional, but lacked radar, commander sight and tracker, forcing crew to use roof mounted periscopes to aim. ZA-35 was a self propelled anti aircraft gun system based on Rooikat AFV chassis. Vehicle, designed by Kentron, combined elongated Rooikat chassis, with a specialised anti air turret, housing 2 Vector GA-35 cannons, sophisticated fire controll computer and a crew of 2. System continued its development, entering near production stage, but cut in funds due to stabilization of military situation in the region resaulted in funds getting cutted, untimately killing the project.

Now its time to talk about the specifications.

General:

Lenght: 7,2m
Width: 2,9m
Height: 3m
Weight: 30 tonnes
Engine: V10 producing 563hp
Gearbox: Automatic, 6 forward 1 backwards, sellectable high and low ratios
Suspension: 8x8 with 4 front wheels steering
Turn Raidus: 25m curb to curb, 15m brake steering
Max speed: 120km/h
3 Crew: Driver, Gunner and Commander
Protection:
Hull: 30mm front, 25mm side, 20mm rear
Turret: >36mm front, >27mm side, 20mm rear (armour values for the front and sides are not exactly known, provide by me are minimum values)
Horizontal limits: 360° rotation
Turret rotation speed: 45°/s
Vertical launcher limits: -8° +81°
Elevation speed: 42°/s

Gunner sight:

Roof mounted periscopes

Commander sight:

Roof mounted periscopes

Armament

Guns: 2x Vektor GA-35 automatic cannon
Fire rate: 550rpm
Stabilised: Yes
Ammuniton storage: 230 per gun, 460 total
Shell types: 35x228
APCI-T (100mm of penetration at 1000m)
HEI-T
HEI
HEI base fuze (12mm of penetration at 1000m)
SAPHEI

This sums up this suggestion. This vehicle has good mobility, punchy guns and great reaction time. Combination of all those thing would make it a force to be reckoned with.

Media

ZA-35 IFT

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ZA-35 IFT firing


Ammunition


obraz_2024-08-19_101150181

Sources

ZA-35 Brochure
Rooikat brochure
Vector GA-35 brochure
Denel PMP ammunition data
South African Armoured Vehicles A History of Innovation and Excellence
Surviving the Ride: A Pictorial History of South African-Manufactured Armoured Vehicles
Armada International 19991 iss 6
Armed Forces November 1991
Janes Land Based Air Defenses 1993-94
Janes Land Based Air Defenses 1992-93
Jane’s Tank recognition guide 1996
ZA-35 Twin 35 mm Self-Propelled Anti Aircraft Artillery System Archived 6/97
Nowa Technika Wojskowa 1/1994
International Defense Review 1991 Iss 11
Soldat Und Technik 1992/11
Military Technology 1991 Iss 12

9 Likes
2

Epic.

3

+1, This would be interesting to see in-game. I would like to know if Gaijin would put this before or after the Falcon, it should be at highest 7.7

4

Well the recent ZSU-23-4M2 at BR 7.3 is 0.7 lower than the standard Shilka at 8.0. Of course it gets the extra ammo load but that only affects the amount of time it can operate for, not the effectiveness of the vehicle. So by this logic the ZA-35 “IFT” should in fact be 7.7, which is 0.7 lower than the standard ZA-35 at 8.3.

2 Likes
5

I was more thinking of the fact that from 5.3 to 8.3 there is no AA and 7.7 is a large line up for Britain so it would be a good BR

6

+1 I like this thing

7

Having a lineup is important, but in most situations I would not want to see vehicles placed higher or lower than would be appropriate for their characteristics just to fill a gap.

Nonetheless, I know both Britain and South Africa still have multiple SPAA that could help flesh out the lower echelons of the bracket you are referring to, so I am not too worried so long as Gaijin cares enough to implement them.

8

Agreed, that’s why most Soviet vehicles are OP, but 7.3 or 7.7 would make sense and would be perfect for it

1 Like
9

a hyper mobile twin oerlikons (with 68mm aphe) at 7.7, are you sure your brain works? This isn’t like the shilka without radar, this is a cancerous vehicle you always see with it’s radar down mowing tanks (and ignoring planes for that matter, great spaa…). It has no place in the game, spaa are meant to counter planes, and this would be used to rush spawns and destroy vehicles it shouldn’t face. it’s a NO for me.

2 Likes
10

Yes, I’m South African so I would love to see a OP ZA vehicle, also it wouldn’t be OP for long considering how much GayJin hate ZA and UK

2 Likes
13

did you read my first comment about how op it would be and how stupid it is to think it would be fine at 7.7?

14

Unfortunately. People are already crying over the Fox being OP at 7.7 and this would just be a larger fox with better gun. :/

I want to see it, But it would be more like the Falcon and BR Nerfed to Oblivion unfortunately. Which means UK would have 4x 8.3 AAs, along with maybe a technical 2x 8.3 Anti Helis if they Nerf the Fox. Like Seriously WTF.

Yet Russia is allowed to have a Vehicle that can kill all light vehicles in the game @2km @7.3 and with a flank can kill most vehicles after 7.7 @100m

3 Likes
15

This what I’m talking about, as well as the fact few people Britain and ZA, but as soon a British vehicle is good everyone starts complaining

1 Like
16

where this at 7.7 would kill ANYTHING from the front aside the most heavily armored vehicle from the bracket. It’s not because russia has an op vehicle than UK is allowed to have the most op vehicle that 7.7 would ever see (since the pt76-57 of course). 2 wrongs don’t make a right.

1 Like