In June of 1946 the airborne forces were separated from the army and placed under the direct control of the Ministry of Defense.  This was because it was felt that they would be better used in the strategic role instead of providing local support to the fronts or armies.  These units were then  equipped with  large numbers of automatic weapons, early RPG's, and anti-aircraft guns.

Specialized armored vehicles for use by the airborne troops were also designed.  These initially  used components of the T-70 light tank used during the Great Patriotic War.  The first of these emerged in 1947 and was designated the K-73.  It was followed by an improved model known as the ASU-76 in 1949.  The vehicles were experimental designs and neither was accepted for serial production.  Work on an acceptable airborne anti-tank vehicle continued and eventually culminated in the development of the ASU-57 in 1951.

The ASU-57 was a light vehicle that differed from its predecessors in that it was composed of aluminum rather than steel.  This greatly reduced the weight of the vehicle and enabled it to be mounted on a pallet and air dropped from small cargo aircraft.  Special breaking rockets were often fitted to the pallet to help soften the impact on landing.

Its four-cylinder engine is a modified version an engine used in a civilian automobile called the M-20 Pobeda.  The engine is mounted in the right-front of the vehicle behind the transmission which is located at the very front of the hull.  Behind the engine compartment is the three man crew area and 57mm main gun.

In the open-topped crew compartment the driver and loader (in a rear facing seat) are seated on the right side of the main gun, while the gunner/commander is seated on the left side of the gun.  A hinged armored panel with vision blocks is located in the front of the crew area and can be raised to provide protection from shrapnel.  Similar panels were placed on the sides of the crew area.  This crew compartment can be covered with a tarpaulin which is stored in the rear of the vehicle.

The fuel tank is located behind the gunner/commander along with a number of rounds for the main gun which are stored vertically stored.  Additional ammunition (also stored vertically) is located behind the loader's position.  Three other troops can also ride on the rear of the vehicle behind these storage positions.  An unditching beam is often carried on the right side of the hull.

When the ASU-57 entered service in 1951 it was the lightest airborne vehicle in the Soviet inventory, and the only self-propelled anti-tank gun in the world capable of being dropped by parachute.  It was first seen by Western observers during the 1957 May Day parade in Moscow.

No variants of the ASU-57 were ever fielded over the course of production which continued until 1962, although some were equipped with machine guns for self defense.  During the Cold War the tank destroyer was exported to Egypt, Vietnam, and Yugoslavia.  They were first used in battle by Egyptian forces against the Israeli's in the 1967 war.

By the 1970's several factors began working against the ASU-57.  The first of these was the increasing thickness of tank armor which reduced the effectiveness of the 57mm main gun.  The second factor was the success of anti-tank guided missiles which were both smaller and more powerful.  These developments led to the creation of the BMD which entered service in the mid-1970's.  The ASU-57 was gradually phased out as airborne units received the new vehicle.  By the late 1980's the Soviets had withdrawn all ASU-57's from active service.

During the Cold War each of the three regiments of a Soviet Airborne Division was equipped with a battalion of ASU-57 tank destroyers.  The battalion is further divided into three batteries of six ASU-57's giving the regiment a total of 18 of the vehicles.  Tactically the batteries could be deployed either as individual batteries supporting the regiment, or could be kept together for use by the regiment at the battalion level.  In combat the vehicle would be dropped from transports such as the An-12 'Cub' which can carry two of the vehicles giving the paratroopers a measure of anti-tank defense.

When it was introduced the ASU-57 was well suited to its role as a light mobile anti-tank platform.  Its small size and light weight allowed the vehicle to be air dropped at a time when no other similar vehicle could do so.  The vehicle was also more mobile than towed or recoilless anti-tank weapons used by regular Soviet army formations.

Despite these capabilities the vehicle remained little more than a self propelled 57mm gun which became less effective as the armor of main battle tanks grew thicker.  It also suffered from a very limited manual traverse and elevation system.  The tiny vehicle also lacked NBC protection for the crew and its thin armor provided protection only from small arms fire and shrapnel.

The ASU-57 was an attempt to provide the airborne forces with a self-propelled anti-tank weapon.  It replaced the earlier towed guns, but was later replaced by the more capable BMD which mounted both a anti-tank missile and an infantry support gun. You can find out more about each of these weapons systems if we have them on our site by clicking on the links below.