The 2A14 is the air-cooled 23 x 152B mm autocannon at the core of ZU-23 and ZU-23-2 short-range air-defense guns, with a quick-change barrel and a belt-feed layout that can be arranged from either side. Public conflict evidence most often documents it through the mounts that carry it: ZU-23-2 guns in Ukrainian service, SPLA-N air-defense fire in South Kordofan, Armenian and Artsakh losses in Nagorno-Karabakh, Houthi firing around Hudaydah, Tigray Defence Forces heavy weapons, and 2A14-pattern or ZU-23-2-pattern weapons with rebel forces in northern Mali.
Ukrainian National Guard, border-guard, and other Ukrainian units have used ZU-23-2 guns built around twin 2A14 autocannons for short-range air defense, facility and infantry cover, drone and helicopter engagement, and direct fire in Luhansk region.
Role detailsVisual-loss documentation lists Armenian and Artsakh ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns and ZU-23-equipped vehicles among destroyed or captured equipment; reference sources identify the ZU-23-2 family as using twin 2A14 autocannons.
Small Arms Survey photographed a twin-barrelled ZU-23-2 cannon at an SPLA-N base behind the Daldoko front line in December 2012 and reported that SPLA-N soldiers fired it at an Antonov shortly after the photograph; the ZU-23-2 mount uses twin 2A14 guns.
Oryx documented 23 mm ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns in Tigray Defence Forces heavy-weapons holdings; reference sources identify ZU-23-2-type mounts as twin 2A14 autocannon installations.
UN Security Council reporting recorded Houthi forces firing ZU-23 guns around Hudaydah, Durayhimi, Hays, Jabaliya, and nearby front-line areas in late 2018 and January 2019; the 2A14 is the cannon used in ZU-23-2-pattern twin mounts.
Role detailsConflict Armament Research and Small Arms Survey documented a 2A14-pattern single-barrel 23 x 152B mm cannon in service with rebel forces in Gao in April-May 2012, while related ZU-23-2-pattern twin mounts appeared with rebel forces in Gao and Aguelhok.
The 2A14 is a component cannon, so the practical features that matter most are the feed direction, barrel change, and 23 x 152 mm ammunition family used in ZU-23-style mounts.
The gun uses single-belt feed and can be configured for either left- or right-hand feed, allowing paired left and right guns in a ZU-23 mount.
Sources: WeaponSystems.net 23mm 2A14; Army Guide ZU-23.
Reference sources describe an air-cooled, quick-change barrel; WeaponSystems.net lists higher barrel life for the 2A14M than the baseline 2A14.
Source: WeaponSystems.net 23mm 2A14.
Arcus lists 23 x 152 mm high-explosive incendiary ammunition for 2A14, 2A14M, 2A7, and 2A7M guns on ZU-23-2 and ZSU-23-4 air-defense mounts.
Source: Arcus 23x152mm HEI Round.
The 2A14 is the air-cooled member of the Afanasyev-Yakushev 23 mm autocannon line used in ZU-23-family mounts; the later 2A14M kept the same basic role with improved barrel life.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2A14 | Baseline air-cooled ZU-23-family cannon | WeaponSystems.net identifies the 2A14 as the air-cooled AYa-23 variant introduced on the ZU-23-2, with quick-change barrels and single-belt feed. Sources: WeaponSystems.net 23mm 2A14 |
| 2A14M | Improved barrel-life variant | WeaponSystems.net distinguishes the 2A14M by a longer listed barrel life and slightly higher gun weight than the baseline 2A14. Sources: WeaponSystems.net 23mm 2A14 |
| 2A7 | Water-cooled related AYa-23 autocannon | WeaponSystems.net treats the 2A7 as the water-cooled member of the same 23 mm autocannon family, introduced for the ZSU-23-4 rather than the ZU-23-2 mount. Sources: WeaponSystems.net 23mm 2A14 |
The 2A14 normally appears to readers through complete mounts or vehicles that carry it, rather than as a loose cannon.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Twin 23 mm anti-aircraft mount | Army Guide states the 2A14 was designed for the twin 23 mm ZU-23 mount, and WeaponSystems.net identifies the ZU-23-2 as mounting two air-cooled 2A14 autocannons. Sources: Army Guide 2A14 Gun, Army Guide ZU-23, WeaponSystems.net ZU-23-2 |
 | Infantry fighting vehicle | Army Guide identifies the BMP-23 as armed with a 23 mm 2A14 cannon. Sources: Army Guide BMP-23 |
 | Tracked ZU-23 carrier conversion | The linked MT-LB conversion carries a ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun; reference sources identify the ZU-23-2 family as a twin-2A14 cannon mount. Sources: WeaponSystems.net ZU-23-2 |
Army Guide places 2A14 development in 1957 after a 1954 Soviet requirement for the ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun.
Army Guide states that the ZU-23 entered Soviet service in 1960 with twin 2A14 guns and the 2A13 index.
Conflict Armament Research and Small Arms Survey documented a 2A14-pattern single-barrel cannon in Gao and related ZU-23-2-pattern twin mounts with rebel forces.
Small Arms Survey photographed a ZU-23-2 at an SPLA-N base behind the Daldoko front line and reported it was fired at an Antonov minutes later.
Ukrainian official and defense-media reporting described ZU-23-2 crews using the twin-2A14 mount for air-defense and direct-fire tasks during the full-scale war.
