Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Syrian army's ZSU 23-4 use in a built up area

(Syria) While pursuing through the world's media in which to collate our 'Ramadan Death Toll', I came across this picture of a Syrian Army's ZSU 23-4 on the Los Angeles Times, whose driver it seems had nothing better to than traipse through the Khalidiya neighbourhood of the city of Homs. A rebel stronghold which the army won back this week.

Have a look at that picture again, notice the dust, now notice the shell casings. The ZSU 23-4 is a Russian anti-aircraft system which combines an armoured body with four 23-mm cannons and a radar system in which to put up a hail of lead to shoot down enemy aircraft. (Each water-cooled 23-mm 2A7 autocannon has a cyclic rate of 850–1,000 rounds per minute for a combined rate of fire of 3,400–4,000 rounds per minute. However, only 2,000 rounds are carried ready to fire).

In other words, when the ZSU 23-4 lets rip at a ground target, it will quite literally grind anything in its path away.

Now that's a built up area in the picture above, and the driver isn't out for a Sunday... wrong... Friday drive.

My point? When Israel went into Gaza and killed around 1,500 people who they claimed to be terrorists, the liberal, Islamic and ethical latte drinking world cried foul play. When the IDF used white smoke, the whole world played the white phosphorus card (a smoke shell uses felt infused with phosphorus in which to generate smoke (felt doesn't burn, it smoulders)). Yet a ZSU 23-4 in the middle of a neighbourhood blatting off rounds like there is no tomorrow, and... nothing. Oh, look there's that big 'H' word again.