Profile
- Type
- Tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun conversion
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Yugoslavia; Armenian field conversion
- Service note
- 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War improvised air-defense and fire-support configuration
Air Defense
MT-LB with Zastava M55 anti-aircraft gun
The MT-LB with Zastava M55 anti-aircraft gun was an Armenian/Artsakh field conversion that mounted Yugoslav/Serbian 20 mm triple M55A3 or M55A4 guns on the rear deck of the Soviet MT-LB tracked carrier. In the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, open-source loss records and regional reporting documented these vehicles as short-range air-defense and direct-fire support systems that were destroyed, damaged, or captured by Azerbaijani forces.
- Built in
- Soviet UnionSerbia
Service History
- In service
- Documented in Armenian/Artsakh use during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war; captured examples were later seen in Azerbaijani service.
- Used by
- Armenian Armed Forces, Artsakh Defense Army, Azerbaijani Armed Forces
- Wars
- Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Production History
- Designer
- MT-LB by Soviet designers; M55 gun by Crvena Zastava/Zastava Arms
- Designed
- MT-LB from the 1960s; M55 family from the 1950s-1970s
- Built in
- Soviet UnionSerbia
- Produced
- MT-LB production from the 1960s onward; Zastava M55 family produced from the Cold War era onward
- Variants
- MT-LB with M55A3B1, MT-LB with M55A4B1
Specifications
- Armament
- Zastava M55 20 mm triple-barreled automatic anti-aircraft gun mounted on an MT-LB tracked chassis
- Gun caliber
- 20 x 110 mm Hispano cartridge
- Effective range
- About 2,000 m against air targets and 2,500 m against ground targets for the M55 gun
- Feed system
- Three 60-round top-fed drum magazines on the M55 gun
- Base chassis
- MT-LB fully amphibious tracked armored carrier with welded steel armor and a 240 hp YaMZ-238 diesel engine
- Mobility
- Baseline MT-LB road speed about 62 km/h with about 500 km road range before conversion-specific weight and balance changes
- Protection
- Light steel armor against small arms and shell splinters; exposed gun crew and mount on the rear-deck conversion
Conflict Usage
- Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
- Side: ArmeniaArtsakhRole: Short-range air defense and direct fire support
Used by Armenian/Artsakh forces in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting as an MT-LB-based carrier for Zastava M55A3/M55A4 20 mm triple anti-aircraft guns; visually documented loss records list destroyed, damaged, and captured examples, many later taken as Azerbaijani war trophies.
MT-LB with Zastava M55 anti-aircraft gun Images
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The Fight For Nagorno-Karabakh: Documenting Losses On The Sides Of Armenia And AzerbaijanPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use by visually documenting MT-LB with Zastava M55 AA gun vehicles used by Armenian/Artsakh forces and listing destroyed, damaged, and captured examples. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Zastavin trocevac iz ratnog plena u vojsci AzerbejdžanaPublisher: Balkan Security Network | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use by reporting MT-LB vehicles with M55A3B1 and M55A4B1 guns used by Armenian forces in the 44-day war and later captured by Azerbaijan. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Azerbaijan Reveals MT-LB Armored Vehicles As Armenian War SpoilsPublisher: Defense Brief | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use by reporting MT-LB vehicles fielded by Armenian forces with Zastava M55A4 20 mm guns and shown by Azerbaijan as captured war spoils. | Accessed: 2026-06-20M-55A 20MM Anti-Aircraft GunPublisher: The Royal Canadian Artillery Museum | Note: Supports Zastava M55 background, producer, gun type, detachment, and range context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MT-LB Armoured Personnel CarrierPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports MT-LB chassis background, protection, engine, speed, range, amphibious capability, and baseline layout specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MT-LBPublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports MT-LB manufacturer, armored carrier role, amphibious design, cargo/towing capacity, crew, and chassis specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20HS.831, Zastava M55, and DShKPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 license for the Zastava M55 image used as the primary component image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Soviet MT-LB.JPEGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for an MT-LB chassis reference image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MT-LB Multi-Purpose Tracked VehiclePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain status for a second MT-LB chassis reference image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20