The MT-LB with 25 mm 2M-3 naval gun is a Russian improvised weapons carrier that combines the Soviet MT-LB tracked armored tractor with a twin 25 mm 2M-3 or 2M-3M naval anti-aircraft mount. Open-source reporting and Russian loss documentation tie the conversion to the full-scale 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, where it appears as a short-range air-defense and direct-fire adaptation rather than a standardized factory combat vehicle.
Russian forces fielded MT-LB-family vehicles fitted with 25 mm 2M-3 naval guns during the full-scale invasion; Oryx records destroyed Russian MT-LB and MT-LBVM(K) examples with 25 mm 2M-3 naval guns, while specialist reporting describes the conversion as a Russian MT-LB carrying a twin 25 mm naval turret.
The MT-LB/2M-3 conversion is best read as a wartime adaptation built from available Soviet-era stocks: a lightly armored tracked tractor supplies mobility, while a naval twin 25 mm mount supplies high-volume fire against low-altitude or exposed targets.
Public reporting identifies the installed weapon as a 2M-3 or 2M-3M twin 25 mm naval anti-aircraft gun, a mount originally associated with Soviet small naval vessels.
The MT-LB adds tracked mobility but remains lightly armored, so the conversion is better supported by sources as improvised short-range firepower than as a purpose-built modern air-defense vehicle.
Direct conflict evidence is strongest for Russian-service examples in Ukraine, including destroyed vehicles in Oryx loss records and later reporting on Russian marine use.
Public sources use 2M-3 and 2M-3M wording for closely related twin 25 mm Soviet naval gun mounts fitted to MT-LB-family chassis. This record covers the improvised tracked conversion rather than the naval gun family by itself.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| MT-LBVM(K) with 25 mm 2M-3 naval gun | MT-LBVM(K) chassis conversion | Oryx separately lists a destroyed Russian MT-LBVM(K) with a 25 mm 2M-3 naval gun, indicating the gun fit appeared on more than one MT-LB-family configuration. |
| MT-LB with 2M-3M twin mount | Marine-brigade conversion label | The Armourers Bench identified Russian 155th Guards Brigade marines operating an MT-LB with a 2M-3M twin mount in July 2024. |
The 2M-3 conversion belongs to a wider set of MT-LB-based fire-support and air-defense adaptations documented in Ukraine and other conflicts.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Tracked armored carrier chassis | The conversion uses the MT-LB-family armored tractor as the carrier for a naval twin 25 mm gun mount, trading the baseline troop/cargo role for mobile fire support. Sources: Defense Express Russian MT-LB 2M-3 Installation, MT-LB Weaponsystems.net |
 | Tracked anti-aircraft gun conversion | Both records cover MT-LB-family chassis fitted with anti-aircraft guns for short-range air defense and direct fire, with Oryx listing ZU-23 and 2M-3 naval-gun conversions in the same Russian loss documentation. |
 | Tracked anti-aircraft gun conversion | The Zastava M55 conversion is an adjacent cataloged MT-LB anti-aircraft adaptation that shows the same chassis being used with legacy automatic gun mounts. |
GlobalSecurity describes the 2M-3 as a Soviet twin 25 mm naval anti-aircraft gun accepted into service in 1953.
Sources: GlobalSecurity MT-LB 25mm 2M-3
Defense Express reported a Russian MT-LB armored vehicle fitted with a 2M-3 ship anti-aircraft gun and described the gun as a twin 25 mm naval mount.
Sources: Defense Express Russian MT-LB 2M-3 Installation
A follow-up Defense Express report said at least two Russian MT-LBs with 2M-3 anti-aircraft guns had been recorded moving, suggesting more than a one-off repair-base experiment.
Sources: Defense Express MT-LB 2M-3 Manufacturing
The Armourers Bench updated its MT-LB adaptation coverage with an example of Russian 155th Guards Brigade marines operating an MT-LB fitted with a 2M-3M twin mount.
Sources: The Armourers Bench MT-LB Adaptations
