During the 1980s and 1990s, Italy produced up to 300 self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery systems known as SIDAM (also referred to as SIDAM-25) for its armed forces, based on locally manufactured M113A2 tracked armored personnel carriers with a corresponding level of modification.
However, at present, the Italians no longer possess these anti-air systems, having hastily decommissioned them in the early 2010s due to obsolescence. The armored personnel carriers that served as the platform for the SIDAM were converted and sold for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as stated by the resource btvt_2019 in one of its publications.
From Defense Express, we want to emphasize that, indeed, in the case of the SIDAM 25, it can be asserted that this self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery system appeared extremely outdated by the early 2010s, particularly due to deficiencies in its onboard equipment.
However, considering the realities of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, it turns out that these Italian SIDAM 25 systems could find their place within our country's air defense system to protect against Russian drones. But here we once again have reason to recall the phrase that "history has no conditional mode."
Military aid to Ukraine updated with:Delivered;- "Unknown number of" M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers (Ex-Italian Sidam-25 rebuild into an APC config. Seen in Russian trophy video where they shoot at it with a BTR-82)https://t.co/GCnv3eA85k pic.twitter.com/AX2tV3vXhI— Jeff2146 (@Jeff21461) June 16, 2024
To specify, the main issue with the SIDAM-25 was the absence of onboard radar. It was expected that targeting the system would occur either using an onboard optoelectronic station and laser rangefinder or through target designation from a battery radar.
The SIDAM 25 was equipped with four 25-mm Oerlikon KBA automatic cannons, each capable of firing at a rate of 600 rounds per minute. The maximum range for engaging airborne targets was 2-2.5 kilometers, while for ground targets, it was claimed to be up to 5 kilometers.
The total ammunition load was 600 rounds, or 150 rounds per barrel, with firing possible in bursts of 15 or 25 rounds. This total ammunition capacity was also considered insufficient, which ultimately determined the fate of the SIDAM-25 in this regard.
The Military Balance handbook from 2010 states that at that time, the Italian army still maintained 64 self-propelled anti-aircraft systems of this type in service. As for the Italian M113A2s that served as the base for the SIDAM 25, the modifications were minimal and consisted of appropriately reconfiguring the internal space of the vehicle to accommodate the turret with anti-aircraft guns. The combat weight was 15 tons, and the chassis lost its amphibious capability.
In April 2022, the Italian press reported on the alleged possibility of transferring SIDAM 25 anti-aircraft systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, in that case, these were merely assumptions by Italian journalists that were not confirmed.