In 2013, the russian company Podolsk Electromechanical Plant of Special Machine Building unveiled its project to upgrade the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft system, known as ZU-23/30M1-3. This configuration could be considered as a comparable counterpart to the Polish Pilica system.
The ZU-23/30M1-3 featured additional brackets for mounting two Igla MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems), along with an optoelectronic unit equipped with a thermal imaging channel and laser guidance. The developers claimed that this equipment unit was purportedly capable of autonomously detecting and tracking targets, allowing the gunner on the ZU-23 system to focus on rough aiming. Nevertheless, this project never progressed beyond the prototype stage for mass production.
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However, it appears that this russian project to “upgrade” the ZU-23-2 system has experienced a partial revival as of the summer of 2023. Russian sources indicate that an “engineering” forum is currently underway in russia, with the participation of Aleksey Dyumin, the Governor of Tula region. During this forum, a presentation was held, featuring a “remotely controlled” version of the ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft system, equipped with an optoelectronic apparatus.
The detailed specifications of this development have not been fully disclosed by the russian sources. They do not provide specific information regarding the range at which the apparatus can detect and track targets or the distance from the anti-aircraft system at which the “remote control” mode is effective. However, based on the photos, it is evident that the remote control system incorporates military-grade electronics. Additionally, the power supply mechanism for enabling the ZU-23-2 system to operate in remote control mode remains unclear.
However, it is quite possible that the development of a similar configuration, featuring something like the ZU-23-2 system with a remote control unit, could find its application within the Armed Forces of Ukraine to combat aerial targets or enemy forces. This is especially noteworthy considering the positive response received by volunteer-developed remotely controlled turrets with machine guns from our military personnel.
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