FORCETALLY
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At a glance
M53/59 Pragalarger figure on 3 of 3
Terminal High Altitude Area Defenselarger figure on 0 of 3
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Length
Single source6.92 m (22.7 ft)[source]
Length
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | M53/59 Praga | Terminal High Altitude Area Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun[source] | Mobile anti-ballistic missile system[source] |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia[source] | United States[source] |
| In service | 1959−1992 (Czechoslovakia)[source] | 2008–present[source] |
| Used by | See operators[source] | United States Army |
20 ft 3 in (6.17 m)[source]
booster
Single sourcekill vehicle
Single source13 in (340 mm) (booster) 15 in (370 mm) (kill vehicle)[source]
driver, commander and two gun operators
Single source4 (driver, commander and two gun operators)[source]
Maximum; Maximum speed
Single source60 km/h (37 mph)[source]
Maximum; Mach 8.2
Single sourceMaximum; Maximum speed · source measurement 1
Single sourceMaximum; Maximum speed · source measurement 2
Single source6,300 mph (2,800 m/s; 10,000 km/h; Mach 8.2)[source]
Operational; Operational range
Single sourceEffective; Effective firing range
Single sourceMaximum; horizontal
Single sourceMaximum; vertical
Single source3,000 m (9,800 ft)[source]
9,700 m (31,800 ft) (horizontal) 6,300 m (20,700 ft) (vertical)[source]
500 km (310 mi)[source]
Operational; Operational range
Single source120 mi (200 km)[source]
Tatra T912-2 6-cylinder air-cooled diesel at 2,200 rpm
Single sourceTatra T912-2 6-cylinder air-cooled diesel 110 hp (82 kW) at 2,200 rpm[source]
per barrel (cyclic)
Single sourceper barrel (practical)
Single source450−500 rpm per barrel (cyclic) 150 rpm per barrel (practical)[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Wars | Gulf War Yugoslav Wars Second Congo War[source] | 2022 Abu Dhabi attack Twelve-Day War 2026 Iran war[source] |
|---|
| Produced | 1959–1978[source] | 2008–present[source] |
|---|
| No. built | 900+[source] | At least 12 batteries (8 U.S. Army, 4 foreign operated); at least 632 interceptors as of June 2025[source] |
|---|
| Shell | Armour-piercing incendiary (API) High-explosive incendiary (HEI)[source] | — |
|---|
| Barrels | — |
|---|
| Action | Gas-operated[source] | — |
|---|
| Elevation | -10° – +85°[source] | — |
|---|
| Traverse | 360°[source] | — |
|---|
| Feed system | 50-round box magazines[source] | — |
|---|
| Armor | Steel, 10 mm (0.39 in) max (estimated)[source] | — |
|---|
| Main armament | 30 mm twin AA autocannon (600−900 rounds)[source] | — |
|---|
| Power/weight | 11.57 hp/t (8.63 kW/t)[source] | — |
|---|
| Transmission | Manual with 4 forward and 2 reverse gears[source] | — |
|---|
| Fuel capacity | 120 L (26 imp gal; 32 US gal)[source] | — |
|---|
| Manufacturer | Praga[source] | Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control[source] |
|---|
| Designer | — | Lockheed[source] |
|---|
| Designed | — | 1992–1999[source] |
|---|
| Unit cost | — | US$1.00 billion per battery US$12.6 million per missile (FY2017)[source] |
|---|
| Engine | — | Single-stage rocket by Aerojet Rocketdyne[source] |
|---|
| Propellant | — | Pratt & Whitney solid-fueled rocket[source] |
|---|
| Flight ceiling | — | 93 mi (150 km)[source] |
|---|
| Guidance system | — | Indium-antimonide imaging infra-red seeker head[source] |
|---|
| Accuracy | — | Hit-to-kill[source] |
|---|
| Transport | — | Transporter erector launcher[source] |
|---|
| Reported operators |
| — |
|---|