An upgraded variant, the "Type 74", appeared around the mid-1970s which featured an increased rate-of-fire and the "Type 74SD" introduced integration with the Type 800 laser course director system. Its upgraded counterpart became the "Type 79-III" which brought along an electro-optical director and featured fully-powered elevation and traverse functions.
The P793 became another in the M1939 line and integrated an electro-optical predicting sight for improved accuracy as well as lengthened barrel assemblies for a higher muzzle velocity (about 1,000 meters per second). Rate-of-fire was also increased. This product required a typical crew of five or six men and manufacture was handled by NORINCO (China NORth INdustries COrporation). The revised system included the twin, side-by-side 37mm barrel arrangement set atop a recoil mechanism and mounting hardware, the latter containing the elevation and traverse controls. Two seats were fitted to either side of the mounting hardware and the guns were fed by side-mounted cassettes. The carriage included four roadwheels for towing by a mover vehicle and legs located at four points were manually raised or lowered depending on whether the weapon was being transported or made ready-to-fire (respectively). The gun's base allowed for a full 360-degree traversal.
Despite its Cold War origins, the P793 can still be found in limited service in certain parts of the world. Its rather meager caliber (by modern standards) and limited inherent features have led to it being quickly superseded by more capable anti-aircraft gun types as well as missile systems.
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.