Rare M55 Zastava anti-aircraft system spotted at the front
An M55 Zastava anti-aircraft gun mounted in the back of a pickup truck of a mobile air defense group was photographed. The Ukrainian military commonly calls such weapons “chessmen.”
The main feature of the plant is its country of origin. The fact is that the M55 Zastava was produced in Yugoslavia in the 1950s. That is why they are considered quite rare.
The most widely used version of the gun is the one with three barrels. Its mass production began in 1971. For example, in 2020, such anti-aircraft guns were used by the Armenian military against Azerbaijani drones. The M55 Zastava has a 20 mm caliber, which is considered non-standard in the Ukrainian army.
The first Yugoslavian installation was photographed last fall. There were rumors that Ukraine could have received a batch of 200 chess pieces from Slovenia.
The M55 Zastava is capable of firing up to 700 rounds per minute. The range of the anti-aircraft system is 5,500 meters, and the effective ceiling is 4,000 meters. The magazine holds 60 rounds of 20 mm caliber. For comparison, the rate of fire of the Soviet ZU-23-2 is 2 thousand rounds. shots per minute. At the same time, its range does not exceed 2500 meters, and the effective ceiling is 2000 meters.
