ASU-57

The ASU-57 (Авиадесантная самоходная установка, АСУ-57) was a small, light Soviet assault gun designed for use primarily by Soviet airborne troops. The ASU-57 was intended to be a lightweight assault gun that could be airdropped from the An-12 transport plane, the Soviet military's main cargo plane at the time, and deployed alongside troops via rocket-assisted parachute. The ASU-57 was the first effective Soviet airborne tank, overcoming shortcomings in previous Soviet doctrine dating back to the 1930s. It was lightly armoured and armed with a 57 mm Ch-51 tank gun, a modified version of the 57 mm ZiS-2 anti-tank gun employed during World War II. Beginning in 1954, an improved 57 mm Ch-51M tank gun was mounted, with a somewhat shorter double-baffle muzzle brake. One significant disadvantage was the vehicle's welded aluminium structure, which provided insufficient protection for the crew. During its operational years, each airborne division would have received 54 such vehicles. Beginning in 1960, it was gradually phased out in favour of the ASU-85.