India's state-run BEL displayed a model of upgraded Shilka at the Aero India 2023 show being held in Bangalore from 13 to 17 February. BEL upgraded the system with an air-conditioning unit for crew comfort and included a digital search-and-track radar with an electro-optical fire-control system that can track multiple targets.

India's state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has upgraded the ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs) with the Indian Army. The company displayed a model of the upgraded Shilka at the Aero India 2023 show being held in Bangalore from 13 to 17 February.

According to BEL, the Shilka system is upgraded with a 3D planar active phased-array solid-state radar and an electro-optical fire-control system that provides day and night capability for the detection, acquisition, and tracking of targets.

With these upgrades, “various phases of operation such as the rapid acquisition of a fast-moving target, determination of the aiming point for the guns and ballistics of the projectiles, rapid laying of the guns onto the target and firing can be carried out when the vehicle is on the move or at the halt”, BEL said.

The Shilka system is upgraded with an electronic beam-steering and track-while-scan (TWS) search capability in circular and sector scans to improve single-target and multitarget tracking. The system is also equipped with electronic counter-countermeasurescapabilities.

The system is fitted with an inertial navigation system (INS) with a Global Positioning System for system stabilisation and navigation. The system is equipped with a high-power engine, an improved internal and external communication system, and an air-conditioning system.

The fire detection and suppression system and its displays are also upgraded. A built-in simulator is added to the Shilka system for operator training.