Air Defense

MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount

Also known as
  • MT-LB 2M-7
  • MT-LB with 2M-7 naval turret
  • MT-LB with 14.5mm 2M-7 naval gun mount
  • MT-LB with twin KPV naval mount
  • MT-LB with twin 14.5 mm KPV

The MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount is a Russian improvised fire-support and short-range air-defense conversion that combines the Soviet MT-LB tracked carrier with an over-under twin KPV naval machine-gun mount. Public evidence ties the configuration to the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through a captured example near Vuhledar and Oryx's visually documented Russian equipment loss list.

MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount, Improvised tracked self-propelled heavy machine-gun carrier, Air Defense
Image source: 2M-7 14.5 mm Jelenia Gora

Role in Conflicts

Conversion Pattern

The 2M-7 conversion is best read as a field expedient: a stored naval machine-gun mount is placed on a ubiquitous tracked carrier to add heavy automatic fire where purpose-built armored vehicles are scarce.

Gun mount

NavWeaps identifies the 2M-7 as a Soviet/Russian twin 14.5 mm naval mount for patrol boats, with manual 360-degree train and elevation from -10 to +85 degrees.

Land adaptation

The Armourers Bench ties the MT-LB installation to Russian wartime adaptations seen in Ukraine, including a Vuhledar example captured by Ukrainian troops.

Evidence limit

Open sources found for this pass document at least one captured Russian example rather than a standardized production run or confirmed Ukrainian operational reuse.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union components; Russian field conversion
Type
Improvised tracked self-propelled heavy machine-gun carrier
Service note
Cold War naval mount adapted during the 2022 full-scale Russia-Ukraine War
Designer
MT-LB by Soviet vehicle designers; KPV by S. V. Vladimirov; 2M-7 naval mount adapted by Russian forces
Designed
MT-LB from the 1960s; 2M-7 development began in 1947; MT-LB conversion documented in 2023
Produced
Field conversion of existing MT-LB chassis and stored 2M-7 naval mounts

Specifications

Armament
Twin 14.5 x 114 mm KPV heavy machine guns in a 2M-7 naval mount
Base vehicle
MT-LB multipurpose tracked armored carrier
Mount weight
About 600 kg without ammunition for the 2M-7 twin mount
Mount traverse and elevation
360-degree manual train with approximately -10 to +85 degrees elevation
Rate of fire
NavWeaps lists about 600 rounds per minute cyclic and 150 rounds per minute practical for the 14.5 mm/93 2M-7
Effective range
About 2,200 m against surface targets and 2,000 m against air targets with AP-I ammunition
Mobility
Tracked MT-LB chassis; base MT-LB references list about 60-62 km/h road speed and roughly 500 km road range before conversion-specific changes
Protection
Light MT-LB armor with the naval mount and gunner position exposed compared with purpose-built turreted air-defense vehicles
Variants

The record covers the 2M-7/KPV conversion as one member of the broader wartime pattern of fitting naval or anti-aircraft weapons to MT-LB hulls.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Vuhledar captured exampleCaptured Russian conversion

The Armourers Bench identifies the February 2023 Vuhledar vehicle as a Russian MT-LB fitted with a 2M-7 naval turret carrying two 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine guns.

Sources: The Armourers Bench Adapted MT-LBs

MT-LB with 2M-7 naval mountGeneric loss-list designation

Oryx tracks the system as an MT-LB with a 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount and records one captured Russian example.

Sources: Oryx Russian Equipment Losses In Ukraine

Base Chassis And Related MT-LB Conversions

This vehicle belongs to the wartime family of MT-LB chassis adapted into improvised gun carriers rather than to a standardized factory self-propelled anti-aircraft gun line.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
MT-LB, Amphibious tracked armored personnel carrier and artillery tractor, Armored VehiclesMT-LBTracked armored carrier chassis

The conversion uses the MT-LB as its base tracked armored carrier, the same chassis family widely adapted with other weapons in Ukraine.

Sources: MT-LB, The Armourers Bench Adapted MT-LBs

MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air DefenseMT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gunTracked 23 mm gun conversion

The ZU-23 conversion is another cataloged example of the MT-LB chassis being used as an improvised anti-aircraft and direct-fire platform.

Sources: The Armourers Bench Adapted MT-LBs

MT-LB with Zastava M55 anti-aircraft gun, Tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun conversion, Air DefenseMT-LB with Zastava M55 anti-aircraft gunTracked 20 mm gun conversion

The Zastava M55 conversion shows the same broad pattern of mounting legacy anti-aircraft guns on MT-LB hulls for mobile short-range fire support.

Sources: The Armourers Bench Adapted MT-LBs

Why the conversion stands out

Unlike standard MT-LB armament, the 2M-7 brings a shipboard twin KPV mount with manual traverse and high elevation onto a lightly armored land chassis, creating a vehicle that is visually distinctive but still constrained by exposed manual aiming and limited fire-control equipment.

Sources: NavWeaps 2M-7, The Armourers Bench Adapted MT-LBs

Timeline

MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount Key Events

  1. 2M-7 development begins

    Tank Encyclopedia describes the 2M-7 as a twin-barrel naval pedestal mount for the 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine gun, with development starting in September 1947.

    Sources: Tank Encyclopedia KPV

  2. 2M-7 accepted for naval service

    Tank Encyclopedia places the 2M-7's official Soviet naval acceptance in August 1951 after factory and navy testing.

    Sources: Tank Encyclopedia KPV

  3. Vuhledar capture appears publicly

    The Armourers Bench reports that Ukrainian troops shared video of a Russian MT-LB captured near Vuhledar with a 2M-7 naval turret and twin 14.5 mm KPV guns.

    Sources: The Armourers Bench Adapted MT-LBs

Media

MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount Videos

MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount Images

MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount, Improvised tracked self-propelled heavy machine-gun carrier, Air Defense - view 1
Source: Skarzysko 2M-7 01
MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount, Improvised tracked self-propelled heavy machine-gun carrier, Air Defense - view 2
Source: Soviet MT-LB
Related Weapon Systems
MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air DefenseAir DefenseMT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gunImprovised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gunThe MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun is an improvised tracked fire-support and short-range air-defense vehicle that combines the Soviet MT-LB multipurpose armored tractor with a twin 23 mm ZU-23 gun mount. Public records show the configuration in Iraqi, Russian, Ukrainian, Syrian, and Armenian or Artsakh service contexts, with documented examples ranging from an Iraqi wreck in Baghdad to vehicles destroyed, damaged, or captured in later wars.
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2S23 Nona-SVK, 120 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2S23 Nona-SVK120 mm wheeled self-propelled gun-mortarThe 2S23 Nona-SVK is a Russian 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar that adapts the Nona artillery system to a BTR-80 8x8 armored chassis. Its rifled 2A60 weapon can provide direct or indirect fire with mortar bombs, artillery projectiles, and selected guided ammunition, giving motorized units a compact battalion-level fire-support vehicle. The type was reported in Chechnya during Russian service testing and later appeared in 2014 Russia-Ukraine War battlefield reporting, including visually confirmed Russian losses and captured vehicles.

Sources

Oryx Russian Equipment Losses In UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use evidence by listing one Russian MT-LB with 14.5 mm 2M-7 naval gun mount as captured during the full-scale invasion. | Accessed: 2026-07-02The Armourers Bench Adapted MT-LBsPublisher: The Armourers Bench | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use evidence and conversion context by identifying a Russian MT-LB captured near Vuhledar with a 2M-7 naval turret mounting two 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine guns. | Accessed: 2026-07-02NavWeaps 2M-7Publisher: NavWeaps | Note: Supports 2M-7 designation, naval patrol-boat origin, 14.5 x 114 mm ammunition, rate of fire, range, mount weight, traverse, and elevation specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Tank Encyclopedia KPVPublisher: Tank Encyclopedia | Note: Supports KPV and 2M-7 development context, including the 2M-7's twin KPV layout, testing, naval acceptance, and later MT-LB adaptation context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02MT-LBPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports MT-LB base-vehicle background, Kharkov Tractor Plant manufacturer context, mobility, protection, and carrier role used in the relationship and specifications sections. | Accessed: 2026-07-022M-7 14.5 mm Jelenia GoraPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for the primary 2M-7 mount image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Skarzysko 2M-7 01Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for the gallery image of a 2M-7 mount displayed at the Orzel Bialy Museum. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Soviet MT-LBPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the gallery image showing the MT-LB base vehicle. | Accessed: 2026-07-02