China's CSSA-1 'aircraft killer'

CSSA-1 is a self-propelled version of the Type 90 35 mm towed anti-aircraft gun system designed and manufactured by Norinco (China).

The CSSA-1 is an advanced and noteworthy self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system.

Built on the platform of the Type 90 35 mm anti-aircraft gun, the CSSA-1 boasts high combat performance, exceptional accuracy, and reliability in engaging high-speed, mobile targets, low-flying aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, and cruise missiles.

The CSSA-1 provides point defense capabilities for ground forces as well as supplementing other air defense systems. Mounted on a 6x6 truck chassis, its reaction time to airborne targets is just 6 seconds, and the entire system can be deployed or withdrawn within 90 seconds.

CSSA-1 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system.

The CSSA-1 is equipped with the AF902A fire control radar, similar to Oerlikon's Skyguard I/II system, which includes a three-parameter coordinate-providing panoramic radar mounted on top of the control cabin, and a tracking radar mounted below the panoramic radar.

Additionally, the artillery vehicle is equipped with a day and night electro-optical sensor to operate in heavily noisy or passive environments.

AF902A Fire Control Radar Station.

The fire control radar station is equipped with an auxiliary power unit (APU), providing up to 12 hours of continuous operation. The surveillance radar has a detection and tracking range of up to 35 km for aircraft targets, or 15 km for cruise missiles, with a maximum detection altitude of 6 km.

Type 90 35 mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft gun.

The Type 90 35 mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft gun operates using gas-operated technology, resulting in a very high rate of fire of 1,100 rounds per minute, a muzzle velocity of 1,175 m/s, along with fast aiming speed, low recoil, and small dispersion, leading to an effective range of up to 4,000 m.

The gun mount is electrically powered and manually controlled for emergency use. The gun's azimuth angle is 360 degrees, and its elevation angle ranges from positive 92 degrees to negative 5 degrees.

The Type 90 anti-aircraft gun, mounted on a 6x6 truck and equipped with day and night electro-optical sensors, is designated CSSA-1.

This type of artillery can fire four types of 35 x 228 mm ammunition: High Explosive Incendiary (HEI), High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer (HEI-T), Semi-Armor Piercing High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer (SAPHEI-T), and Target Practice Tracer.

In addition, NORINCO has also developed a programmable time fuze pre-fragmented (PTFP) fragmentation round, similar to the European AHEAD (Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction) round.

PTFP projectiles are programmed to fire through coils located on the muzzle of the cannon. Each main warhead contains more than 100 tungsten submunitions fitted with stabilizing fins that detonate in front of the target at a predetermined distance, for maximum destructive power.

The Type 90 artillery piece can defeat most airborne threats as well as ground targets, including light armored vehicles.

Two ammunition containers are positioned on either side of the turret. Each gun has a ready-to-fire capacity of 112 rounds and 126 in reserve, with a reload time of only 7.5 seconds, thus ensuring the ability to engage multiple targets as well as high firing sustain.

According to Young Knowledge