Soviet Air Defence units

An integrated air defence system forms a crucial part of any modern war games army, even more so if you play Soviets. Generally, unless you are very lucky, your opponent will have partial or full air superiority. This is generally bad news for the Soviet player as the higher command values given to NATO forward air controllers means they are vulnerable to air attack. This is were air defence becomes important.
The most basic form of air defence is the ZPU-23 (work in progress).

H&R ZPU-23(SM48).

H&R ZPU-23(SM48)

The ZPU-23 can be found mounted on a number of vehicles.

Scotia MTLB+Twin 23mmAA (RM0176)

Scotia MTLB+Twin23mmAA

It is also mounted on a BTR-D  to give a BTR-ZD or BTR-3D airborne AA vehicle. These are some conversions for my Soviet Airborne.

H&R BTR-D(SM21)+ZPU-23(SM48)

H&R BTR-D+ZPU-23

The most common air defence units are the hand held SAM teams using SA7/14/etc. these are from H&R M4 Warsaw Pact Infantry Support and M7 Soviet Airborne packs.

SA7 teams

SA7 teams

At  battalion/regimental level a combination of  vehicle mounted SAMs and mobile AA gun systems are used.

H&R ZSU -23-4 "Shilka" (SM37)

ZSU-23-4 "Shilka"

H&R SA9 "Gaskin"(SM42) and Scotia BRDM+SA9(RM0019)

1 H&R SA9 and 3Scotia SA9

H&R SA8 "Gecko"(SM41)

H&R SA8 "Gecko"(SM41)

H&R SA13 "Gopher"(SM43)



H&R SA13"Gopher"(SM43)

H&R SA6"Gainful"(SM40) and Scotia Straight Flush Radar(RM0124)

SA6 and Straight Flush Radar

These next couple of models illustrates how two manufacturers can produce quite different models of the same subject. The biggest difference is the absence of a radar dish and the way the 30mm cannons have been modelled on the Scotia model, also the turret appears a little flat. I much prefer the H&R offering.

Scotia 2S6 SPAA(RM0131) and H&R "2S6M "Tunguska"(SM65)

Scotia 2S6 SPAA and H&R 2S6M "Tunguska"

Some very nice models available from Heroics and Ros and Scotia. I am very impressed with H&R's SA8 "Gecko" and SA13"Gopher" models, very nice multi-part castings.