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Vickers Armstrong "Type 76" SPAAG loaded onto a train. The gun could be elevated for anti-aircraft use.

Inter-war period īetween the two World Wars, the United Kingdom developed the Birch gun, a general-purpose artillery piece on an armoured tracked chassis capable of maintaining formation with their current tanks over terrain. Towards the end of the war Germany produced three prototype SPAAGs with AA guns mounted on A7V chassis known as the A7V Flakpanzer. Mounted on a armoured truck titled the Pierce-Arrow armoured AA lorry, which was produced in limited numbers and only seeing service throughout 1915. The British also had a first dedicated anti aircraft weapon, the QF 1-pounder pom-pom. The British QF 3 inch 20 cwt was mounted on trucks for use on the Western Front. A predecessor of the WWII German "88" anti-aircraft gun, the WWI German 77 mm anti-aircraft gun, was truck-mounted and used to great effect against British tanks. Today, missiles (generally mounted on similar turrets) have largely supplanted anti-aircraft guns, but they may return as an cheap way to counter unmanned aerial systems (drones).Īnti-aircraft machine guns have long been mounted on trucks, and these were quite common during World War I. In addition, most anti-aircraft guns can be used in a direct-fire role against surface targets to great effect. They are often in dual or quadruple mounts, allowing a high rate of fire. Platforms used include both trucks and heavier combat vehicles such as armored personnel carriers and tanks, which add protection from aircraft, artillery, and small arms fire for front line deployment.Īnti-aircraft guns are usually mounted in a quickly-traversing turret with a high rate of elevation, for tracking fast-moving aircraft. Specific weapon systems used include machine guns, autocannons, larger guns, or missiles, and some mount both guns and longer-ranged missiles (e.g. An anti-aircraft vehicle, also known as a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun ( SPAAG) or self-propelled air defense system ( SPAD), is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability.