PGZ09: Anti-Air Ninja

The PGZ09 is a representation of the blisteringly rapid modernization of Chinese anti-air equipment in War Thunder. Placed at one of the highest BRs of any gun-based SPAA, players used to the antiquated but powerful WZ305 with devastating proxy shells will be taken completely by surprise by the frankly overkill amount of new technology introduced on the PGZ09. This ranges from brand new AHEAD shrapnel shells and hydraulic suspension to a cutting edge radar system with NCTR identification, something typically seen on top-tier jets and surface-to-air missile systems.

Radar and electronics

The PGZ09 is placed in a very unusual position within rank VI, sitting on the very edge between traditional gun-based SPAA like the WZ305 below and early missile SPAA like the PGZ04A above it. What sets it apart from all the other SPAA at its rank, however, is the fact that the PGZ09 has by far one of the most advanced radar sets of any SPAA not located at top tier, with features that not only improve targeting accuracy but also improve identification of individual targets.

Firstly, the PGZ09 possesses an IRST search and track mode in addition to its regular radar modes. Unlike radar search and track, IRST does not set off enemy RWRs and in some cases can be slightly more accurate in terms of tracking at lower altitudes, as IRST cannot be multi-pathed.

The second addition is NCTR (Non-Cooperative Target Recognition) for the tracking radar set, allowing you to identify an aircraft’s type just by highlighting it with your tracking radar. This can be extremely useful for when you have multiple different types of aircraft approaching you from a very far distance and you need to identify their categories beforehand. However, be aware that due to NCTR predominantly being featured on very high tier vehicles, NCTR will lump some early jets and propeller aircraft under one of five categories, listed below.

Firepower

The PGZ09 utilizes two 35mm Oerlikon autocannons, a very common sight among examples such as the Gepard and Type-87. Although among these, the PGZ09 has the smallest ammunition capacity of any 35mm Oerlikon-wielding SPAA at only 440 total rounds of ammunition capacity for its regular belts. This necessitates the usage of your ammunition box or replenishing at a capture point more often than other SPAA. Hallmark characteristics of these SPAA also include decent armor penetration with their stock API-(T) belts, an emergency 40-round APDS belt for eliminating armored targets, and a fast fire rate for their main armament.

Even though the PGZ09 is a very competitive anti-air platform with its normal API-(T) belt, what makes it different to every other 35mm-wielding SPAAG is that it possesses brand-new AHEAD shrapnel airburst shells, which use your radar’s targeting data to determine when the shell detonates. When used properly, this will allow you to shoot down airborne targets at much longer ranges than most other gun-based SPAAs can and can also destroy pesky reconnaissance drones without much issue. What makes this even more devastating is that the AHEAD rounds have no tracers. This means that enemy aircraft and helicopters will usually have zero visible warning that they’re being attacked until it’s too late. When combined with your IRST function, aircraft with an RWR also cannot detect if they are being tracked, making you almost undetectable in most regular instances of gameplay.

A Demonstration of Stealth

In order to properly demonstrate the true undetectability of the PGZ09 with AHEAD munitions, here is a photo of a Mig-15Bis ISH in the midst of being shot down on the Carpathians map. Try your best to find the PGZ09 in the photo. (WITHOUT PEEKING AT THE PHOTOS BENEATH IT!)

If you’re having trouble finding the PGZ09 hidden in the photo of the MiG-15 above, you’re not alone. Many players may find locating a PGZ09 firing upon them difficult if not nearly impossible thanks to the AHEAD munition’s lack of visible tracers, forcing them to look out for muzzle flashes from the ground for any visible indication. Here is the photo, with the hidden PGZ09 highlighted in red, along with an additional photo from the PGZ09's POV above, note the very faint muzzle flashes seen in the photo of the MiG-15Bis ISH above.

Despite these abilities, the AHEAD ammunition has caveats for its amazing anti-air performance. The AHEAD round’s time fuse tends to struggle slightly against targets flying away from you and against targets flying perpendicular to you, requiring minor adjustments to your aim and leading the target slightly further to properly account for the fuse. This is in addition to your AHEAD munitions having very poor armor penetration against ground targets. Furthermore, the maximum range for the time fuse of your AHEAD munitions caps off at 5 kilometers. This is not based on the aircraft’s position, but rather, how far the AHEAD shell needs to travel, so it is possible to fire at targets farther than 5 kilometers, assuming the target will be within 5 kilometers by the time your AHEAD shells reach it. With this in mind, the choice whether or not to use AHEAD rounds is a tradeoff. You gain significantly better performance against aircraft, but at the expense of your ability to fight against ground targets.

Mobility and Gun Handling

The PGZ09 is mounted in the same chassis as vehicles such as the PLZ05 howitzer, giving it a tolerable reverse speed of 15 km/h, an 800 horsepower engine and a 65 km/h top speed. While not the fastest of vehicles, the PGZ09’s mobility gives it the ability to better lean into the aggressive light tank destroyer niche also found on other tanks with 35mm Oerlikon cannons. The PGZ09’s gun handling is a mixed bag: on one hand, it has some of the best turret traverse rates of any SPAA but has only a measly -2 degrees of gun depression, only marginally better than the -1 degree of gun depression found on the Soviet Yenisei. On a positive note, however, the PGZ09 retains the adjustable suspension previously found on the PLZ05, one of its most defining features that gives it the ability to lean forward or backward for an additional few degrees of gun depression. While it may not become useful in as many cases as the PLZ05, it is nevertheless useful to have if you are on uneven terrain and need an extra bit of gun depression to hit a light tank right below your gunsight.

Be very aware that due to the forward-backwards limitations of your hydraulic suspension, this “extra gun depression” will only come into effect when you are aiming in the same orientation your tank’s chassis suspension is leaning and will not come into effect if you are aiming to the sides of your hull. For example; if you rotate your turret in the opposite direction that your suspension is leaning, you’ll have less gun depression compared to if you were aiming forward with your suspension also leaning forward.

Armor and protection

Like the vast majority of SPAA, the PGZ09 sorely lacks armor, and also is very vulnerable to post-penetration damage thanks to the cramped confines of the turret. Any hit from anything larger than a 7.62mm machine gun is almost guaranteed to leave you in a smoldering wreck or at the very minimum crippled with no way to fight back. The PGZ09 is one of a steadily growing list of vehicles in War Thunder that possess detailed modules. This introduces new modules such as the power supply, FCS, and electronic equipment. When any of these systems are disabled, they can knock out critical systems of your tank and severely hinder your ability to fight back. Examples below are subsystems that may be lost due to damage to your tank.

Power System: 

• Disables all subsystems requiring electrical power (FCS, Electronics equipment, See below) 

Electronics Equipment:

• Disables radar/IRST systems
• Can be disabled by loss of power system

Fire control System (FCS):

• Disables gun stabilizer, thermals, vertical/horizontal turret traverse, weapon firing, laser rangefinder.
• Can be disabled by loss of power system.

The emphasis on “not being damaged” is far greater than in lower BR ratings as you cannot simply shrug off a glancing blow like before if you simultaneously lose your ability to fight back.

Tips and tricks

• 35mm Oerlikon-based SPAA like the PGZ09 lean heavily into the light tank destroyer niche thanks to their 40-round APDS belt, blisteringly fast turret traverse, and decent API-T penetration characteristics. There is nothing wrong with using the regular API-T belts for anti-aircraft purposes if you also want some firepower against armored targets, but the AHEAD munitions will allow you to lean into this playstyle in a much more effective manner thanks to their lack of tracers and longer range against aircraft.
• With the rather low ammunition capacity of the PGZ09 (With a grand total of 440 rounds) it is recommended to not fire for sustained periods, instead firing in short bursts to conserve ammunition and also prevent your guns from jamming. This disadvantage can best be mitigated with your AHEAD munitions, which thanks to your lack of tracers will not alert enemy aircraft to your presence when you fire at them.
• The AHEAD munitions combined with the PGZ09's extremely advanced radar set allow you to target and shoot down reconnaissance drones in a far easier manner than most other SPAA, use this to your advantage to deny the enemy the opportunity to survey your team’s movements.