Air Defense

MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun

Also known as
  • MT-LB ZU-23
  • MT-LB with ZU-23-2
  • MT-LB-T-23-2
  • MT-LB with ZU-23 AA gun

The 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.

MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense
Image source: Commons MT-LB with ZU-23-2 in Iraq

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union base vehicle and gun; local field and depot conversions
Type
Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
Service note
Cold War components adapted for 2020 conflict use
Designer
Soviet MT-LB and ZU-23-2 design teams; local Armenian conversion
Designed
MT-LB early 1960s; ZU-23-2 late 1950s; conversion documented by 2020
Produced
Field conversion of existing MT-LB and ZU-23 stocks

Specifications

Armament
Twin 23 mm ZU-23-2 automatic cannon mounted on an MT-LB hull
Base vehicle
MT-LB multipurpose tracked armored vehicle
Combat weight
Approximately 11.9 tonnes for the base MT-LB and 12.3 tonnes without ammunition for the Techimpex MT-LB-T-23-2 configuration
Crew
At least the MT-LB driver and commander plus ZU-23 gun crew; Techimpex lists three crew and four landing seats for the MT-LB-T-23-2
Gun range
About 2.5 km against low-flying aircraft and about 2 km against lightly armored ground targets
Mobility
Tracked MT-LB chassis, about 60-62 km/h road speed and 500 km range depending on configuration
Protection
Light welded steel armor on the MT-LB hull; exposed gun crew on common open mount conversions
Conversion Pattern

The MT-LB/ZU-23 family is best understood as a recurring adaptation: an available tracked tractor supplies mobility and light armor, while the ZU-23 or ZU-23-2 provides high-volume 23 mm fire for low-altitude air defense and direct fire against exposed or lightly protected targets.

Gun installation

Common records describe a ZU-23-family twin cannon fitted to the MT-LB hull, often leaving the gun crew more exposed than on purpose-built turreted air-defense vehicles.

Documented configurations

Public sources identify ad hoc battlefield conversions, Iraqi pre-2003 examples, Armenian wartime vehicles, Russian and Ukrainian loss-list examples, Syrian captured examples, and the Ukrainian MT-LB-T-23-2 modernization.

Tradeoff

The conversion adds mobile 23 mm firepower to a widely available chassis but does not give the vehicle the sensors, crew protection, or engagement envelope of a dedicated modern SPAAG.

Variants

The record covers field and depot conversions that place a ZU-23 or ZU-23-2 twin 23 mm gun on the MT-LB chassis rather than a single standardized factory model.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
MT-LB with ZU-23 AA gunField conversion

Loss documentation in Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine uses this generic label for MT-LB hulls fitted with ZU-23-family anti-aircraft guns.

Sources: Oryx Nagorno-Karabakh Loss List, Oryx Russian Equipment Losses In Ukraine, Oryx Ukrainian Equipment Losses In Ukraine

MT-LB-T-23-2Ukrainian repair-and-modernization configuration

Techimpex lists the MT-LB-T-23-2 as a tracked armored-vehicle modernization with a ZU-23-2, 500 rounds for the gun, a PKM-B machine gun, a YaMZ-236 diesel, and a three-person crew with four dismount seats.

Sources: Techimpex MT-LB-T-23-2

Iraqi MT-LB/ZU-23-2 conversionPre-2003 Iraqi service conversion

The Commons image record categorizes the Baghdad vehicle as Iraqi pre-2003 self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery and identifies the mounted weapon as a ZU-23-2.

Sources: Commons MT-LB with ZU-23-2 in Iraq

Base Vehicle And Gun Mount

The configuration combines two cataloged Soviet systems: the MT-LB tracked armored tractor and the ZU-23-2 twin 23 mm anti-aircraft gun.

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

The MT-LB supplies the tracked hull, light armor, and mobility for the conversion; loss lists and image records identify multiple examples where the chassis carries a ZU-23-family gun.

Sources: MT-LB Technical Data, Commons MT-LB with ZU-23-2 in Iraq, Oryx Nagorno-Karabakh Loss List

ZU-23-2, Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannon, Air DefenseZU-23-2Twin 23 mm anti-aircraft gun

The ZU-23-2 provides the conversion's high-rate 23 mm armament, with Techimpex and Commons records identifying the gun mount on MT-LB-based vehicles.

Sources: ZU-23-2 Technical Data, Techimpex MT-LB-T-23-2, Commons MT-LB with ZU-23-2 in Iraq

Related MT-LB Gun Conversions

Other cataloged MT-LB air-defense conversions show the same pattern of mounting available anti-aircraft guns on a common tracked chassis.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
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 anti-aircraft gun conversion

The Nagorno-Karabakh loss list separates MT-LB/ZU-23 vehicles from Armenian-side MT-LBs fitted with Zastava M55 guns, making it a related but distinct conversion.

Sources: Oryx Nagorno-Karabakh Loss List

MT-LB with AZP S-60 anti-aircraft gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air DefenseMT-LB with AZP S-60 anti-aircraft gunTracked 57 mm anti-aircraft gun conversion

The same 2020 loss documentation lists MT-LB/AZP S-60 vehicles separately from MT-LB/ZU-23 vehicles, showing another larger-caliber branch of the tracked gun-carrier pattern.

Sources: Oryx Nagorno-Karabakh Loss List

Timeline

MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun Key Events

  1. Iraqi conversion photographed in Baghdad

    A U.S. Marine Corps image record documents the remains of an MT-LB modified with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    Sources: Commons MT-LB with ZU-23-2 in Iraq

  2. MT-LB-T-23-2 shown publicly in Kyiv

    Open-license imagery identifies an MT-LB-T-23-2 at a 2015 Kyiv defense exhibition, matching the Ukrainian modernization configuration later listed by Techimpex.

    Sources: Commons MT-LB-T-23-2, Techimpex MT-LB-T-23-2

  3. Armenian and Artsakh losses documented

    Oryx documented five Armenian or Artsakh MT-LB/ZU-23 losses during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, including destroyed, damaged, and captured vehicles.

    Sources: Oryx Nagorno-Karabakh Loss List

  4. YPG/SDF ZU-23-armed MT-LB cataloged

    Oryx's inventory of YPG armor in northern Syria listed an MT-LB armed with a 23 mm ZU-23 turret among visually documented YPG/SDF armored fighting vehicles.

    Sources: Oryx Kurdish Armour In Northern Syria

  5. Russia-Ukraine War losses documented

    Oryx's full-scale invasion loss lists record Russian and Ukrainian MT-LBs with ZU-23 AA guns among visually documented destroyed, damaged, and captured equipment.

    Sources: Oryx Russian Equipment Losses In Ukraine, Oryx Ukrainian Equipment Losses In Ukraine

  6. Syrian rebel offensive captures examples

    Oryx's 2024 Syrian rebel offensive loss list records two MT-LBs with ZU-23-2 guns captured from Syrian government forces.

    Sources: Oryx 2024 Syrian Rebel Offensive Losses

Media

MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun Videos

MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun Images

MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense - view 1
Source: Commons MT-LB-T-23-2
MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense - view 2
Source: Commons 46th Air Assault Brigade Training
Related Weapon Systems
MT-LB with 25 mm 2M-3 naval gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air DefenseAir DefenseMT-LB with 25 mm 2M-3 naval gunImprovised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gunThe 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.
T-55-ZU-23, Improvised self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air DefenseAir DefenseT-55-ZU-23Improvised self-propelled anti-aircraft gunThe T-55-ZU-23 is an improvised Ukrainian short-range air-defense vehicle that combines a T-55-series tank chassis with a ZU-23-family twin 23 mm anti-aircraft gun installation. Public sourcing is narrow but specific: OSCE monitors observed the same T-55/ZU-23 configuration in the Donetsk security zone in January 2017, and MilitaryLand identifies T-55-ZU-23 in the equipment inventory of Ukraine's 54th Mechanized Brigade. The record is best read as a field or depot conversion that trades the T-55's original tank role for mobile high-volume 23 mm fire against low-altitude threats and exposed ground targets.
MT-LB with Zastava M55 anti-aircraft gun, Tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun conversion, Air DefenseAir DefenseMT-LB with Zastava M55 anti-aircraft gunTracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun conversionThe 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.
ZU-23-2, Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannon, Air DefenseAir DefenseZU-23-2Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannonThe ZU-23-2 is a Soviet twin 23 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannon built around two 2A14 guns on a light carriage. Its manual sighting, rapid emplacement, and high volume of fire make it a close-range air-defense weapon against low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and drones, while many operators also use it for direct fire against light vehicles and infantry positions. Ukrainian forces have used ZU-23-2 guns in mobile and positional air-defense teams during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, Armenian-side losses in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting included towed and vehicle-mounted ZU-23 guns, and conflict monitors documented ZU-23 or ZU-23-2-pattern use in Yemen, Tigray, and northern Mali.
MT-LB with 100 mm MT-12 anti-tank gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-tank gun, ArtilleryArtilleryMT-LB with 100 mm MT-12 anti-tank gunImprovised tracked self-propelled anti-tank gunThe MT-LB with 100 mm MT-12 anti-tank gun, often called MT-LB-12, is a Ukrainian improvised self-propelled gun that places a Soviet MT-12 Rapira towed anti-tank gun on the rear of an MT-LB tracked armored vehicle. Public reporting shows the concept emerging in 2022 with Ukrainian Kraken and Territorial Defense-linked examples, trading the towed gun's normal setup time for a more mobile direct-fire and support-fire platform with limited crew protection.

Sources

Oryx Nagorno-Karabakh Loss ListPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct-use evidence: MT-LB with ZU-23 AA gun fielded by Armenian/Artsakh forces, with destroyed, damaged, and captured examples documented in the 2020 war. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Oryx Armenian Armor ConversionsPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict context: Armenian forces used MT-LB conversions with anti-aircraft guns, including rarer ZU-23-equipped vehicles, during the 2020 war. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Oryx Russian Equipment Losses In UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use evidence: Russian MT-LB with ZU-23 AA gun losses documented during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Oryx Ukrainian Equipment Losses In UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct-use evidence: Ukrainian MT-LB with ZU-23 AA gun losses documented during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Oryx 2024 Syrian Rebel Offensive LossesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct-use evidence: MT-LB with ZU-23-2 vehicles captured from Syrian government forces by opposition and anti-government forces in the 2024 rebel offensive. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Oryx Kurdish Armour In Northern SyriaPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct-use evidence: a YPG/SDF MT-LB armed with a 23 mm ZU-23 turret in northern Syria. | Accessed: 2026-07-02MT-LB Technical DataPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports MT-LB base-vehicle background, dimensions, protection, crew, road speed, and range. | Accessed: 2026-07-02MT-LB Army Guide EntryPublisher: Army Guide | Note: Supports MT-LB base-vehicle manufacturer attribution to OJSC The Kharkov Tractor Factory and additional vehicle background. | Accessed: 2026-07-02ZU-23-2 Technical DataPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports ZU-23-2 background, armament, crew, weight, range, traverse, elevation, and ammunition context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Techimpex MT-LB-T-23-2Publisher: Techimpex | Note: Supports MT-LB-T-23-2 designation, weight, crew, dimensions, engine power, speed, range, ZU-23-2 armament, ammunition, and repair-and-modernization context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Commons MT-LB with ZU-23-2 in IraqPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and 2003 Iraq War direct-use evidence: a public-domain U.S. Marine Corps photograph documents the remains of an MT-LB modified with a ZU-23-2 gun in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Commons MT-LB-T-23-2Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and background context for a CC BY-SA 4.0 photograph of an MT-LB-T-23-2 vehicle at the 2015 Zbroya ta Bezpeka defense exhibition in Kyiv. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Commons 46th Air Assault Brigade TrainingPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a CC BY 4.0 Ukrainian Ministry of Defense training photograph; MT-LB/ZU-23-2 identification comes from Wikimedia Commons category placement rather than the original caption. | Accessed: 2026-07-02