Syrian Army Utilizing Hellish Anti-Aircraft Cannon to Speed Up Advances against Terrorists

The Arabic-language website of Russia’s Sputnik reported that the army has been utilizing the Soviet 57mm Dual ZSU-57-2 self-propelled anti-aircraft auto-cannons known as Hellish to provide support for the army troops, especially for advancing tanks.

The cannon has been designed for targeting aircraft, but it can be used also to attack ground targets because the cannon can fire 120 shells per minute at tanks and armored vehicles with an effective range of 4km, the Arabic Sputnik reported.

The vehicle carrying the cannon can move at the speed of 60 km/h, and six crew navigate the vehicle and the cannon, it said.

The Sputnik reported last month that the army’s artillery units were using ZU-23 cannons that were mounted on armored vehicles to target terrorists’ positions in Beit Jinn and Mughur al-Mir in Southwestern Damascus.

It added that the terrorists’ heavy counter-attacks made the army men use ZSU-23 autocannons known as Shilka to target accurately the terrorists’ positions.