Profile
- Type
- 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
- Conflict side
- Yemeni government and coalition forces
- Origin
- Serbia
- Service note
- Introduced in the 2000s; documented in post-2015 conflicts through export and diversion reporting
Infantry Weapons
Zastava M02 Coyote
The Zastava M02 Coyote is a Serbian 12.7 mm heavy machine gun derived from Zastava's M87/NSV-pattern weapon and mounted on a tripod for crew-served long-range fire. In the Yemen Civil War, Amnesty International documented Serbian-made M02 Coyote guns among weapons used by UAE-allied militias in Hodeidah, linking the system to coalition-aligned ground forces rather than regular Serbian service.
- Conflict side
- Yemeni government and coalition forces
- Built by
- Zastava Arms
- Built in
- Serbia
Service History
- In service
- 2002-present
- Used by
- UAE-allied militias in Yemen, Serbian Armed Forces
- Wars
- Yemen Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- Zastava Arms
- Designed
- Early 2000s
- Built by
- Zastava Arms
- Built in
- Serbia
- Unit cost
- Not publicly standardized
- Produced
- 2000s-present
- Number built
- Not publicly confirmed
- Variants
- M02 Coyote 12.7x108 mm, M02 Coyote 12.7x99 mm
- Developed from
- Zastava M87 heavy machine gun / NSV-pattern design
Specifications
- Caliber
- 12.7x108 mm; 12.7x99 mm version offered
- Operation
- Gas-operated automatic heavy machine gun firing from an open bolt
- Mount
- M87 machine gun on a cradle fixed to a tripod with pistol trigger mechanism and buffered stock
- Weight
- 48.8 kg weapon with 24 kg mount according to Zastava Arms
- Length
- 1,970 mm overall with 1,100 mm barrel
- Feed
- 60-round ammunition belt in a box
- Rate of fire
- 700 rounds/min
- Effective range
- 1,500 m listed by Zastava Arms; manufacturer catalog describes anti-aircraft protection and long-range ground fire
Conflict Usage
- Yemen Civil War
- Side: Yemeni government and coalition forcesRole: Heavy machine-gun fire support
Amnesty International reported Serbian-made Zastava M02 Coyote machine guns used by UAE-allied militias in Hodeidah, placing the system with coalition-aligned ground forces during the Yemen Civil War.
Zastava M02 Coyote Images
Related Weapon Systems
DShK12.7 mm heavy machine gunThe DShK is a Soviet 12.7 mm heavy machine gun designed by Vasily Degtyaryov and refined with Georgy Shpagin's belt-feed system. Built for anti-aircraft, anti-vehicle, and infantry support roles, the weapon remains relevant in Ukraine because inherited DShK and DShKM guns can be adapted for trench support or mounted in mobile air-defense teams against slow Russian drones, and Hamas imagery from the Israel-Hamas War shows a pickup-mounted DShK during the October 7 attack on Israel.
100 mm KS-19 anti-aircraft gunTowed 100 mm anti-aircraft gunThe KS-19 is a Soviet 100 mm towed anti-aircraft gun designed for high-altitude air defense with radar-directed fire-control support, but its range and fixed ammunition also made it usable as a ground-fire artillery piece. In the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, open-source loss documentation identified Armenian/Artsakh KS-19 guns used as howitzers during the 2020 war.
NSV12.7 mm heavy machine gunThe NSV Utes is a Soviet 12.7x108 mm heavy machine gun designed by Nikitin, Sokolov, and Volkov as a lighter replacement for older heavy machine guns. It can be used from a tripod, vehicle mount, or remote station against light armor, firing points, personnel, and low-flying aerial targets; in the Russia-Ukraine War it remains relevant because legacy stocks, improvised vehicle mounts, and vehicle-mounted NSVT variants continue to appear on battlefield equipment.
ZPU-1 anti-aircraft gunSingle-barrel 14.5 mm towed anti-aircraft gunThe ZPU-1 is the single-barrel member of the Soviet ZPU family, mounting a 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine gun on a light two-wheel carriage. In Yemen Civil War sourcing it appears in the Yemeni Army inventory and in technical-mounted configurations, making it a low-level air-defense and direct-fire weapon rather than a modern radar-guided system.
ZPU-4 anti-aircraft gun14.5 mm quadruple towed anti-aircraft gunThe ZPU-4 is a Soviet quadruple 14.5 mm anti-aircraft gun built around four KPV/KPVT heavy machine guns on a four-wheel carriage. In Yemen, open-source reporting connects ZPU-4-armed technicals to anti-Houthi Giants Brigades forces, giving the Cold War gun a continued role as mobile low-altitude air defense and direct-fire support.
FN Minimi light machine gun5.56x45mm NATO light machine gunThe FN Minimi is a Belgian belt-fed light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale for squad automatic fire, with 5.56 mm NATO models widely fielded as national variants such as the U.S. M249, Canadian C9, and Australian F89. In the Yemen Civil War, Amnesty International reported Belgian Minimis deployed by The Giants Brigades, tying the weapon to UAE-backed coalition-aligned ground forces around the Hodeidah offensive.Sources
Machine gun M02 CoyotePublisher: Zastava Arms | Note: Supports manufacturer background, product images, caliber, dimensions, weight, belt capacity, rate of fire, and tripod-mounted description. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Zastava Arms Military Guns CataloguePublisher: Zastava Arms | Note: Supports M02 Coyote catalog specifications, M87-derived tripod configuration, gas operation, open-bolt action, and intended anti-aircraft and ground fire roles. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Yemen: UAE recklessly supplying militias with windfall of Western armsPublisher: Amnesty International | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War direct use: Serbian-made Zastava M02 Coyote machine guns used by UAE-allied militias in Hodeidah. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Serbian M02 Coyote HMG and 120 mm mortar projectiles in SyriaPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports independent background on identifying the M02 Coyote as a Serbian 12.7x108 mm heavy machine gun produced by Zastava Arms and its distinguishing tripod, stock, and pistol-grip features. | Accessed: 2026-06-20