M53/59 Praga

Infobox Weapon
name= M53/59 Praga


caption= M53/59 Praga, self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of Serbian Army
origin=CZS
type=Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
is_vehicle=yes
length=6.92 m
width=2.35 m
height=2.95 m
weight=10.3 tonnes
suspension=torsion bar
primary_armament=30 mm twin AA autocannon (900 rounds)
secondary_armament=
armour=Aluminum
speed=60 km/h
vehicle_range=500 km
engine=Tatra T 912-2 6-cylinder inline air-cooled diesel
engine_power=110 hp (82 kW) at 2,200 rpm
pw_ratio=10.7 hp/tonne (8 kW/tonne)
crew=4 (driver, commander and two gun operators)

The M53/59 Praga was a Czechoslovak self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed in the late 1950s. It consists of a heavily modified Praga V3S 6 wheel drive truck chassis, armed with a twin 30 mm AA autocannon mounted on the rear for which the vehicle typically carries 900 rounds of ammunition, each gun being gravity fed from distinctive 50 round magazines. The vehicle has an armoured cabin.

In Czechoslovakia it was known as Praga PLDvK. 53/59 Jesterka.

The system is optically aimed, and can only be used effectively during the day with good weather conditions. The gun can be dismounted and used independently of the vehicle.

The vehicle is now obsolete, but it can be used effectively as ground support weapon against unarmored or lightly armoured targets (as it was shown during Yugoslav wars). It remains in service with armies of Czech Republic, Egypt, Libya, Slovakia and the Former Yugoslavia.

When Czechoslovakia imported one Soviet-made ZSU-57-2 SPAAG for testing it considered it to be comparable to M53/59 which was the reason for which Czechoslovakia refused the Soviet SPAAG. [http://www.rzeszow.mm.pl/~jowitek/ZSU-57-2.html MILITARIA JOWITKA] ]

Operators

* [http://www.vojska.net/eng/armed-forces/croatia/equipment/air-defense/ Air Defence weapons of Croatian Army] ]
*
*
*
*
*
* [http://www.vojska.net/eng/armed-forces/slovenia/equipment/air-defense/ Air Defence weapons of Slovenian Army] ]

Former Operators

* - Passed on to the successor states.
* - Passed on to the successor states.
* - More than 100, passed on to the successor states. [http://www.vojska.net/eng/armed-forces/yugoslavia/equipment/air-defense/ Air Defence weapons of Yugoslav People's Army] ]
* - Passed on to the successor state.

References

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External links

* [http://www.army.cz/acr/video/strelby/05.avi Czech army shooting training]

ee also

*Praga Hostivař