85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) vs Skyranger 35

FORCETALLY

Loading the evidence…

Preparing your view.

AAnti-aircraft guns

85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K)

Anti-aircraft gun Tank gun

BAnti-aircraft guns

Skyranger 35

Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun ( Very short-range air defence )

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K)Length

7.05 m

Length source ↗

Skyranger 35turret

5.81 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

15 of 32 rows sourced on both sides

7.05m

5.81mturret

Length

All recorded figures & sources

7.05 m

Length

Single source

7.05 m (23 ft 2 in)^[source]

5.81 m

turret

Single source

Configuration

Details

85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) and Skyranger 35 configuration
Specification	85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K)	Skyranger 35
Type	Anti-aircraft gun Tank gun^[source]	Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun ( Very short-range air defence )^[source]
Place of origin	Soviet Union^[source]	Switzerland^[source]
Wars	World War II^[source]	—
Produced	1939–1945^[source]	—

Shell weight	9.2 kg (20 lb 5 oz)^[source]	—

Breech	Vertical sliding-wedge^[source]	—

Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic^[source]	—

Carriage	2-axle and 4-wheeled with outriggers^[source]	—

Elevation	-3° to 82°^[source]	-7° / +80°^[source]

Traverse	360°^[source]	360°^[source]

Source measurement	The 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) ( Russian : 85-мм зенитная пушка обр. 1939 г. (52-К) ) was an 85 mm (3.3 in) Soviet anti-aircraft gun , developed under guidance of leading Soviet designers M. N. Loginov and G. D. Dorokhin. This gun was successfully used throughout the Second World War against level bombers and other high- and medium-altitude targets. In emergencies they were utilized as powerful anti-tank weapons. The barrel of the 52-K was the basis for the family of 85-mm Soviet tank guns. After the war some 52-Ks were refitted for peaceful purposes as anti-avalanche guns in mountainous terrain.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Virtually every country behind the Iron Curtain received this gun after World War II for their air defense . In the Soviet Union itself, these guns were largely superseded by the 100 and 130 mm guns.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Adopted in 1939, the 85-mm M1939, like its German counterpart the 88-mm Flak 18/36/37 , was meant for air defense . Like many anti-aircraft (AA) guns of the era it was also provided with anti-tank ammunition in the event a tank should appear.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage 85-mm M1939 guns were organized into heavy anti-aircraft regiments of 16 guns. The regiments were organized into divisions of the field anti-aircraft forces.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Organization; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage By 1942, the 76.2mm F-34 tank gun of the T-34 medium tank was found to be lacking in range and penetration compared to the German 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun, new mounted on the Stug III and Panzer IV , and markedly inferior to the 88-mm gun of the Tiger I . Military planners directed the design bureaus of both Gen. Vasiliy Grabin and Gen. Fyodor Petrov to modify the 85mm anti-aircraft gun for use as an anti-tank weapon.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Tank guns; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Petrov's bureau developed the D-5 85mm gun. Though much too large for the T-34 turret, it could be mounted in the chassis of the SU-122 self-propelled gun to create a tank destroyer. This was done, and the SU-85 tank destroyer went into production. Meanwhile, efforts were underway to redesign the T-34 turret to make it large enough to accommodate the newly developed gun.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Tank guns; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Grabin, who had been working on a second 85mm gun, the ZiS-53, at Joseph Stalin Factory No. 92 in Gorky near Moscow, was reassigned to the Central Artillery Design Bureau (TsAKB) in Moscow. His project was turned over to 23-year-old A. Savin. A third team led by K. Siderenko was assigned to yet another 85mm gun project, and developed the S-18, to be used in the modified T-34 turret.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Tank guns; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage Savin was put to work modifying Grabin's gun to fit the new turret and incorporate other improvements. His initial was added to his gun's designation in recognition of his contribution: the ZiS-S-53. From T-34/85 Model 1944 onwards, all T-34/85s used Savin's ZiS-S-53. It went into production in the spring of 1944. A new antitank gun was then developed, the 100 mm field gun M1944 (BS-3) .^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Tank guns; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage	A mobile version of the Skyshield air defense system, it is based on a turret equipped with a 35 mm revolver cannon , based on the 35/1000 revolver gun . It can be elevated up to 85° with 360° rotation. The unmanned turret weighs 4.25 tonnes loaded and is controlled by two operators inside the vehicle. The gun is optimized to fire AHEAD (Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction) ammunition , an airburst round that releases a cloud of sub-projectiles just ahead of a target, enabling it to engage conventional and low, slow and small (LSS) air threats, including UAVs and perform C-RAM duties.^[source]Skyranger 35 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The cannon can fire single-shots, rapid single shots at 200 rounds per minute, or at a maximum rate of 1,000 rounds per minute. It has an effective range of 4,000 m. Skyranger 35 vehicles have an integrated sensor suite, consisting of an X-band or Ku-band tracking radar with a range out to 30 km, and an EO / IR camera with a laser rangefinder and automatic target tracking. The turret carries 252 rounds. It can be mounted on various wheeled and tracked vehicles. Prototypes were integrated on the Piranha IIIH , Piranha IV and Boxer 8×8 armored personnel carriers and the Leopard 2 tank chassis.^[source]Skyranger 35 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage In 2021, the Skyranger 30 was unveiled, which is a lighter version equipped with a 30 mm cannon and short-range surface-to-air missiles .^[source]Skyranger 35 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage In September 2023, a new version of the Skyranger 35 system was introduced with a redesigned turret and an Oerlikon AMMR active electronically scanned array search radar. This S-band radar has a detection range of 5 km for small drones, and 20 km for fighter-sized aircraft.^[source]Skyranger 35 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Source measurement

The 85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) ( Russian : 85-мм зенитная пушка обр. 1939 г. (52-К) ) was an 85 mm (3.3 in) Soviet anti-aircraft gun , developed under guidance of leading Soviet designers M. N. Loginov and G. D. Dorokhin. This gun was successfully used throughout the Second World War against level bombers and other high- and medium-altitude targets. In emergencies they were utilized as powerful anti-tank weapons. The barrel of the 52-K was the basis for the family of 85-mm Soviet tank guns. After the war some 52-Ks were refitted for peaceful purposes as anti-avalanche guns in mountainous terrain.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Virtually every country behind the Iron Curtain received this gun after World War II for their air defense . In the Soviet Union itself, these guns were largely superseded by the 100 and 130 mm guns.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Adopted in 1939, the 85-mm M1939, like its German counterpart the 88-mm Flak 18/36/37 , was meant for air defense . Like many anti-aircraft (AA) guns of the era it was also provided with anti-tank ammunition in the event a tank should appear.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

85-mm M1939 guns were organized into heavy anti-aircraft regiments of 16 guns. The regiments were organized into divisions of the field anti-aircraft forces.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Organization; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

By 1942, the 76.2mm F-34 tank gun of the T-34 medium tank was found to be lacking in range and penetration compared to the German 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun, new mounted on the Stug III and Panzer IV , and markedly inferior to the 88-mm gun of the Tiger I . Military planners directed the design bureaus of both Gen. Vasiliy Grabin and Gen. Fyodor Petrov to modify the 85mm anti-aircraft gun for use as an anti-tank weapon.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Tank guns; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Petrov's bureau developed the D-5 85mm gun. Though much too large for the T-34 turret, it could be mounted in the chassis of the SU-122 self-propelled gun to create a tank destroyer. This was done, and the SU-85 tank destroyer went into production. Meanwhile, efforts were underway to redesign the T-34 turret to make it large enough to accommodate the newly developed gun.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Tank guns; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Grabin, who had been working on a second 85mm gun, the ZiS-53, at Joseph Stalin Factory No. 92 in Gorky near Moscow, was reassigned to the Central Artillery Design Bureau (TsAKB) in Moscow. His project was turned over to 23-year-old A. Savin. A third team led by K. Siderenko was assigned to yet another 85mm gun project, and developed the S-18, to be used in the modified T-34 turret.^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Tank guns; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Savin was put to work modifying Grabin's gun to fit the new turret and incorporate other improvements. His initial was added to his gun's designation in recognition of his contribution: the ZiS-S-53. From T-34/85 Model 1944 onwards, all T-34/85s used Savin's ZiS-S-53. It went into production in the spring of 1944. A new antitank gun was then developed, the 100 mm field gun M1944 (BS-3) .^[source]85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K) · Tank guns; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

A mobile version of the Skyshield air defense system, it is based on a turret equipped with a 35 mm revolver cannon , based on the 35/1000 revolver gun . It can be elevated up to 85° with 360° rotation. The unmanned turret weighs 4.25 tonnes loaded and is controlled by two operators inside the vehicle. The gun is optimized to fire AHEAD (Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction) ammunition , an airburst round that releases a cloud of sub-projectiles just ahead of a target, enabling it to engage conventional and low, slow and small (LSS) air threats, including UAVs and perform C-RAM duties.^[source]Skyranger 35 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The cannon can fire single-shots, rapid single shots at 200 rounds per minute, or at a maximum rate of 1,000 rounds per minute. It has an effective range of 4,000 m. Skyranger 35 vehicles have an integrated sensor suite, consisting of an X-band or Ku-band tracking radar with a range out to 30 km, and an EO / IR camera with a laser rangefinder and automatic target tracking. The turret carries 252 rounds. It can be mounted on various wheeled and tracked vehicles. Prototypes were integrated on the Piranha IIIH , Piranha IV and Boxer 8×8 armored personnel carriers and the Leopard 2 tank chassis.^[source]Skyranger 35 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

In 2021, the Skyranger 30 was unveiled, which is a lighter version equipped with a 30 mm cannon and short-range surface-to-air missiles .^[source]Skyranger 35 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

In September 2023, a new version of the Skyranger 35 system was introduced with a redesigned turret and an Oerlikon AMMR active electronically scanned array search radar. This S-band radar has a detection range of 5 km for small drones, and 20 km for fighter-sized aircraft.^[source]Skyranger 35 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Country of origin	Soviet Union^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 15, row 26, cell 3; revision 1375897637; retrieved 2026-10-02 Soviet Union^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 3, row 13, cell 3; revision 1377789247; retrieved 2026-10-02	—

Country of origin

Soviet Union^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 15, row 26, cell 3; revision 1375897637; retrieved 2026-10-02

Soviet Union^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 3, row 13, cell 3; revision 1377789247; retrieved 2026-10-02

—