Excalibur Army from Czech Republic ready to supply Ukraine with 15 Viktor anti-aircraft gun systems.

According to information published by the "Uprom.info" website on March 9, 2023, the Czech Company Excalibur Army finalized the production of 15 Viktor mobile anti-aircraft gun systems for Ukraine. This vehicle has been designed to offer a solution to counter Russian drone attacks.
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The Viktor is a mobile anti-aircraft 14.5mm gun system based on a modified Toyota pickup chassis. (Picture source zbraneproukrajinu.cz)

On December 31, 2022, the Army Recognition editorial team reported that The Czech crowdfunding campaign "Gift for Putin" has successfully raised new funds to purchase 15 Viktor mobile short-range air defense systems for Ukraine.

The Viktor is a mobile gun air defense system that is developed by the Czech company Excalibur Army. The vehicle is based on a modified Toyota pickup chassis including a reinforced suspension and a modified body allowing firing from inside of the crew cabin. Using the Toyota chassis, the vehicle offers high mobility in the road and off-road conditions.

The design of the vehicle consists of a crew cabin a the front a flatbed platform at the rear which is fitted with an improved ZPU-2, a Soviet-made 14.5mm anti-aircraft twin gun.

The ZPU-2 is a Soviet-designed anti-aircraft gun that was first introduced in the late 1940s. It consists of two 14.5mm KPV heavy machine guns mounted on a wheeled carriage. The ZPU-2 was designed to provide mobile air defense for ground troops and was often used to protect important targets such as bridges, airfields, and supply depots.

The ZPU-2 was a very effective anti-aircraft weapon, with a maximum effective range of around 2 kilometers against low-flying aircraft. It was also capable of engaging ground targets such as armored vehicles and personnel at ranges of up to 4 kilometers.

The ZPU-2 was widely used by Soviet forces during the Cold War, as well as by other countries that received Soviet military aid. It has been used in many conflicts around the world, including the Vietnam War, the Iran-Iraq War, and the Gulf War.

Although the ZPU-2 is now considered obsolete, it remains in service with some countries and can still be found in the arsenals of various armed groups and insurgent organizations.

A Soviet-made 14.5mm anti-aircraft twin gun is mounted at the rear of the vehicle. (Picture source zbraneproukrajinu.cz)