Images emerge of NORINCO wheeled anti-aircraft gun

Chinese sources have recently revealed information on a new 35 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) system based on the NORINCO (China North Industries Corporation) ZBD-09/ZSL-09 8x8 wheeled fighting vehicle.

This new system emphasises the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) interest in rapidly fielding new medium-weight wheeled vehicle formations that exploit the ZSL-09's speed, logistical impact, reduced cost and ability to incorporate new information systems.

The anti-aircraft turret is derived from systems used on the PGZ-07 tracked twin 35 mm system first seen in 2006-2007, and which started entering PLA service in 2010. The single barrel turret 35 mm gun is reported to have a 550 rounds-per-minute cyclic rate of fire and a slant range of 4,000 m, and the targeting system radar and infrared cameras can track targets out to 15 km.

Like the PGZ-07, it uses the CS/SA1 twin 35 mm gun, which can fire NORINCO's 35 mm Programmable Time Fuze Pre-Fragmented (PTFP) projectile. Each PTFP creates a cloud of more than 100 spin-stabilised tungsten sub-projectiles that are set as they pass through the muzzle coils on each barrel – at a muzzle velocity of 1,050 m/s – with a self-destruct timer of 5.5 to 8 seconds.