The KS-19 is a Soviet 100mm anti-aircraft gun. It entered service in 1950, although a large part of its technology has deep roots in the Second World War. It was involved in many major conflicts, often at the hands of countries friendly to the Soviet Union. The KS-19 was used in the Iran-Iraq wars of Korea, Vietnam, as well as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. And now it is being used during Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Military-grade weapons last for a long time. People often imagine military technology developing rapidly and we will soon switch to robots and AI. However, the war never changed and the weapons remained in service for decades. Russia, on the other hand, prefers to position itself as the Second Army in the world while still using Stalin-era weapons.
KS-19 in a museum. The anti-aircraft guns were stop working, but is still used by the Russian military. Image credit: отечественной оенной ории qua Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The KS-19 is a heavy towed anti-aircraft gun that can fire high-explosive, high-explosive and fragmentation ammunition. Later armor-piercing rounds were developed for the KS-19 to allow the gun to target ground-based armored machines, such as tanks.
Armor piercing from the KS-19 can penetrate 185 mm armor at a distance of 1000 meters. The rate of fire is about 15 rounds per minute, which is not too bad for a weapon of this caliber. In theory, the KS-19 can hit air targets flying at an altitude of 15 km, but in practice this is quite difficult to achieve. It is more likely that the KS-19 is used today as an alternative artillery or anti-armor gun, although its anti-aircraft functions have not been completely eliminated.
Some countries are still using the KS-19, although the capabilities of today’s anti-aircraft guns are severely limited. It is known that Armenia, Cuba, Iran, Syria, and of course, Russia. A total of 10151 KS-19 guns were produced in series.
Interestingly, the official KS-19 no longer serves in the Russian army. However, at the beginning of September the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that during counter-offensive operations they had obtained three KS-19 anti-aircraft guns. This is a sign that the Russian military is facing a shortage of weapons and is using guns that have been stored for a very long time. Ukraine says that KS-19 has only been found in paramilitary units of Roshydromet – Russia’s hydrometeorological agency.
Russia is using ancient weapons in Ukraine. T-64 tanks were discovered en route to southern Ukraine, as well as very old artillery systems and even pistols. This is a sign of the stagnation of Russia’s military and industrial infrastructure. In addition, this may have been the effect of the strong resistance of Ukraine and in early September successful counter-attack operations.
