Type 56 Chinese 14.5mm Towed Anti-Aircraft Gun

The Type 56 Chinese 14.5mm Towed Anti-Aircraft Gun is a Chinese-built version of the Russian ZPU-4. The ZPU-4 is a quadruple anti-aircraft version of the basic Soviet 14.5mm machine gun. Introduced in 1949, it was used in Korea and was later considered the most dangerous opposition to U.S. helicopters in Vietnam. It was used by Iraqi forces during Operation Desert Storm. Type 56 is the Chinese version. The quad ZPU-4 uses a four-wheel carriage similar to that once used by the obsolete 25mm automatic antiaircraft gun M1940. In the firing position, the weapon is towered onto firing jacks. In many units, it has been replaced by the newer and more powerful twin 23mm automatic antiaircraft gun ZU-23. All weapons in this series fire the API (BS 41) projectiles weighing 64.4 grams and having a muzzle velocity of 1000 meters per second which will penetrate 32 mm of armor. The ZPU-4 uses four 14.5 mm Vladimirova KPV (Krubnokalibernyj Pulemet Vladimirova) heavy machine gun, which has a quick-change barrel, mounted on a wheeled chassis. In the firing position, the wheels are raised off the ground and the carriage is supported at four points, screw jacks at each end of the carriage and outriggers on each side of the carriage that is also provided with screw jacks. The weapon can be brought into action in 15 to 20 seconds but can, if required, be fired with the wheels in the traveling position. The ZPU-4 14.5 mm twin guns can fire the following fixed ammunition: - API (BS 41) projectile weighing 64.4 g, with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 m/s, which will penetrate 32 mm of conventional steel armor at an incidence of 0º at a range of 500 m - API-T (BZT) projectile weighing 59.56 g - I-T (ZP) projectile weighing 59.68 g. The ZPU-4 14.5 mm twin guns have an effective slant range of 1,402 m, the effective limit at +45º elevation is 975 m while the effective altitude limit at +65º is 1,280 m. The quadruple gun ZPU-4 uses a four-wheel carriage similar to that once used by the obsolete 25 mm automatic anti-aircraft gun M1940. In the firing position, the weapon is lowered onto the firing jacks. The ZPU-4 can be brought in and out of action in about 15 to 20 seconds and can be fired with the wheels in the traveling position if needed. Two ammunition boxes are mounted at the front of the wheeled chassis, one under each gun. Each ammunition box can carry 2,400 rounds of 14.5 mm. The ZPU-4 is equipped with a single optical sight. Improved optical gun sights were added later in its production.