The S-60 was designed primarily as a 57mm single-barreled, towed,
anti-aircraft defense system. The gun was developed in the late 1940's
and was influenced by captured German systems of World War 2 -
specifically, the 5.5-cm Gerat 58 and the 5cm Flak 41 series guns. The
S-60 itself became a short-to-medium range weapon featuring robust
qualities and able to engage lowing flying aircraft and even lightly
armored vehicles. The weapon system was introduced to Warsaw Pact
nations in 1950 and soon after, the gun was sold to communist-friendly
nations throughout the Middle East and South Asia.

*S-60 Walk-Around*

The original S-60 had a long thin barrel capped by a multi-perforated
muzzle brake. A large gun shield was affixed to both sides of the barrel
and served as a reminder of her German origins. Regardless, the shield
did little in protecting the seven-man crew charged with maintaining,
arming and manning the weapon system. The shield folded away during
transport as did the horizontal ammunition feed tray. Four road wheels
supported the carriage during road travel. A travel brace was fitted
between the forward pair of tires and served to lock the main barrel in
place during journeys.

*S-60 Ammunition*

The S-60 fired a 57mmx384R caliber six pound projectile and, in 1950,
two basic types were made available - the armor piercing (API-T) round
and the high explosive (HEI-T) round. The crew would load the 30-pound,
4-round clips into the horizontal feed tray. To increase loading speed,
the designers attached an ammunition "ready rack" to the left side of
the S-60 breech that could hold 4 x 4 round clips, ready to fire, near
the feed mechanism. The gun proved stable when fired and made use of a
three-point jack system which would lift the gun system off of the
ground from her four wheeled carriage. The normal Soviet prime mover for
the time, and the vehicle charged with towing the S-60, was the Ural-375
general purpose truck - an all-around 4.5 ton 6x6 vehicle produced at
the Russian Ural Automotive Plant. The truck had two gas tanks holding
95 gallons each and her range was 450 miles at a 25 mile per hour pace.

*The S-60 is Improved*

Demand for sales in the Warsaw Pact countries led to improvements in the
S-60's fire control system. Initially, the gun operated only with an
on-carriage optical system for target rangefinding. As the enemy
improved her fighting aircraft technology, the initial manually-operated
firing system became limited. As a solution, the Soviets adapted a flap
wheel PUAZO-5 director and SON-4 radar system for improved capabilities.
The calculator and the radars were transported into action by the same
Ural 375 series trucks. As the radar was introduced, the range of the
S-60 was increased from 4,000 meters (using the original optical ranging
equipment) to 6,000 meters with the SON-4 radar system. The radar
improved the defensive role of the S-60 against planes, helicopters and
even some light armored vehicles. Soon, this system was upgraded with
the PUAZO-6/60 director and the SON-9 or SON-9A radars. A self-propelled
gun (SPG) model was then produced with both twin- and quad-barrel
fittings. These versions were mated to the T-54 main battle tank chassis
and designated as S-68 (or ZSU-57-2) in 1957.

*S-60 Variants*

The S-60, the self-propelled ZSU-57-2 and the Type-59 (itself a
Chinese-produced version of the Soviet S-60), was exported to Vietnam in
great numbers during the Vietnam War. These were used as ground support
weapons to protect high profile targets such airfields, bridges and
military bases. Hundreds of S-60's became the backbone of the
low-altitude air defense system across the North and covered some 460
meters (1,500ft) and 1,500 meters (5,000 ft) of air space. The S-60 was
developed into a navalized form for use on Soviet surface vessels as the
AK-725. The ZIF-72 existed as a similar naval vessel but housed within a
metal structure. China also made use of the ZSU-57-2 as the Type 80.
Poland made a license-production version all their own under the Tarnow
Metal Works banner.

*Soviet Models*

The Soviet anti-aircraft organization deployed its S-60 groups numbering
24 guns. A regimental AA battery network consisted of six guns, and a
fire control radar director. New German-designed fire control system
(the SON-9) was installed in the S-60. The new system brought with it an
improved distance measuring calculator along with a modern radar called
the "RPK-1 Vaza". However, some older S-60 models still maintained their
original flap wheel as the radar fire control system.

*The World Over*

The S-60 and its variants were used in wars all over the globe to aid
Communist military goals. The S-60 was used against the Israeli Air
Force (IAF) in the Six-Day War as well as in Yom Kippur. The S-60
protected Soviet air fields during the Afghanistan War and was used
extensively during the Vietnam Conflict. Both sides of the Iran-Iraq War
used the S-60 and Iraq, once again, put these systems to good use in the
1991 Gulf War. Some fifty years of total active service has since proved
the German-Soviet design's worth.

Technologically superior Soviet/Russian Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM)
systems have replaced the outdated towed S-60 gun and its variants
within the Russian inventory.




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