PLAY
Ground Vehicles
ZSD63/PG87
III
Rank
AB
5.3
RB
5.0
SB
5.0
Battle rating
China
Game nation
SPAA
Main role
26,000
RP
Research
76,000
SL
Purchase
General information

The ZSD63/PG87 (known in Chinese client as ZSD63式履带裝甲输送车/PG87式双管高射炮, industry code: WZ531 for the chassis) was the field modification from PLAGF to build make-shift SPAA before new SPAAGs made into commission. The concept of ZSD63 started in 1958 as a fully-enclosed tracked APC with amphibious capabilities; after the flaws in design and new upgrades introduced to the 531A prototype, the ZSD63 eventually joined PLAGF in 1970 as the first domestic APC in service and has been used during the Vietnam War by Viet Cong and Sino-Vietnamese War by both side. The SPAA variant was likely the modification built in 1990s with dozer to reduce recoil during firing; alongside with other truck-base SPAA with PG87 25 mm autocannon, they served PLAGF to at least into the 21st Century when new SPAAG eventually replaced them.

Introduced in Update "Starfighters" as the first Chinese vehicle to equip the PG87 autocannon, the ZSD63 is the third vehicle in the Chinese SPAA line and offers greatly improved anti-air capabilities to Chinese tankers. Though it looks rather like a jury-rigged technical from the Middle East, having a turret with twin autocannons grafted on an APC chassis, it packs some serious firepower for its rank. A slight brush from the ZSD63's rapid-fire cannons will tear aircraft and lightly armoured ground vehicles to shreds. Even medium tanks will be wary of the onslaught of AP rounds, which can cut through them like a buzzsaw. While it has excellent firepower, the defensive capabilities are lacking; the large size, paper-thin armour, and high profile make it an attractive target to anything on the battlefield. The pair of PG87 cannons have a 600 rpm fire rate that will empty its dual 40 round magazine (80 total) in just over 4 seconds, then to face a truly abysmal reload speed of 30 plus seconds! The vehicle also only carries enough ammo for 5 reloads which will vanish like magic. Its saving grace is the high velocity ammo that makes aiming easy; the succeeding Chinese SPAAs have a much lower rate of fire and lower velocity, thus harder to use against aerial targets until the WZ305 and its proximity-fused shells are researched. Despite these challenges, the ZSD63 can be a very fun vehicle to play and will serve well as an anti-air vehicle even beyond its low rank.


Camouflages:

Survivability and armour
Armour front / side / back
Hull 12 / 8 / 8 mm
Turret 8 / 8 / 8 mm
Visibility 250 %
Crew 5 persons
Mobility
Max speed
Forward 6065 km/h
Backward 910 km/h
Power-to-weight ratio 18.616.432.526.4 hp/t
Engine power 260230455369 hp
Weight 14 t
Optics
Gunner
Commander
Driver
Optics zoom
1.5x–6.0x
Armaments
2 x 25 mm PG87 cannon
Ammunition 480 rounds
Belt capacity 40 rounds
Reload basic crew → aces
16.9 → 13 s
Fire rate 600 shots/min
Vertical guidance -10 / 90°
Turret Rotation Speed basic crew → aces
Horizontal 37.832.165.847.65445.99467.9 °/s
Vertical 2116.86441302491.558.6 °/s

BeltBelt fillingArmor penetration (mm) at a distance:
10 m100 m500 m1000 m1500 m2000 m
AP-T/FI-T636151413327
FI-T886543
AP-T636151413327
Economy
Repair cost Basic → Reference
AB 1,493 → 1,921 SL
RB 1,184 → 1,524 SL
SB 1,718 → 2,211 SL
Crew training 22,000 SL
Experts 320,000 SL
Aces 400 GE
Research Aces 76,000 RP
Reward multiplier AB / RB / SB
80 / 100 / 150 % SL
142 % RP
Total cost of modifications 24,700 RP
44,900 SL
Talisman cost 1,100 GE

Research order:

Mobility
Protection
Firepower
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