ZPU-2

The ZPU-2 is a Soviet twin 14.5 mm anti-aircraft gun built around two KPV heavy machine guns on a two-wheel carriage. In Yemen it appears in both pre-war inventory documentation and front-line reporting, including a truck-mounted gun fired by Yemeni government-aligned forces during the battle for approaches to Sanaa.

Yemen Civil WarYemeni government and coalition forces

Conflict side: Yemeni government and coalition forces
Built by: ZiD and licensed producers
Built in: Soviet Union; licensed production in China and Poland

ZPU-2, Twin 14.5 mm towed anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense

Profile

Type: Twin 14.5 mm towed anti-aircraft gun
Conflict side: Yemeni government and coalition forces
Origin: Soviet Union
Service note: Cold War design still used in recent conflicts

Service History

In service: 1949-present with many operators
Used by: Yemeni government-aligned forces, Former Yemeni Army
Wars: Yemen Civil War

Production History

Designer: Soviet design bureau for KPV/ZPU-series mounts
Designed: Developed after World War II; accepted into Soviet service in 1949
Built by: ZiD and licensed producers
Built in: Soviet Union; licensed production in China and Poland
Unit cost: Not publicly established
Produced: Late 1940s onward, including foreign licensed production
Number built: Not publicly established
Variants: ZPU-2, ZU-2, Type 58, PKM-2

Specifications

Armament: Two KPV 14.5 mm heavy machine guns
Caliber: 14.5x114 mm
Carriage: Two-wheel towed carriage; often mounted on trucks in irregular service
Feed: Two 150-round belts on the ZPU-2; later ZU-2 variants also use twin belt feeds
Rate of fire: About 600 rounds per minute per gun cyclic
Role: Low-altitude air defense and ground direct fire

Conflict Usage

Yemen Civil War: Side: Yemeni government and coalition forcesRole: Truck-mounted low-altitude air defense and direct fireair defense strike
Fox News reported Yemeni government-aligned soldiers on the Nihm front east of Sanaa climbing onto a truck-mounted ZPU-2 and firing it at a Houthi target in July 2018.

ZPU-2 Images

ZPU-2, Twin 14.5 mm towed anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense - view 1

ZPU-2, Twin 14.5 mm towed anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense - view 2

ZPU-2, Twin 14.5 mm towed anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense - view 3

ZPU-2, Twin 14.5 mm towed anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense - view 4

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Sources

The fight for Yemen's capital fueled by drugs, witchcraft and fierce firePublisher: Fox News | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War direct use: a truck-mounted ZPU-2 was used by Yemeni government-aligned soldiers against a Houthi target near Sanaa. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Handbook Of Pre-War Yemeni Fighting VehiclesPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports Yemen Civil War context: the 14.5 mm ZPU-2 was fielded by the Yemeni Army before the Houthi takeover and identified among equipment available to Yemeni parties on the battlefield. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Air defense Weapons of the Former USSR & RussiaPublisher: GulfLINK | Note: Supports specifications for the ZPU-series and ZPU-2 twin 14.5 mm KPV gun arrangement. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 ZPU-2Publisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports ZPU-2 origin, developer, producer, production context, variants, and detailed specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Captured Iraqi Anti-Aircraft Gun (ZPU-2)Publisher: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports Soviet-built ZPU-2 background, twin KPV armament, two-wheel carriage, cyclic rate, and image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 14.5 mm KPV Heavy Machine GunPublisher: Tank Encyclopedia | Note: Supports KPV/ZPU background, foreign production context, and reported Houthi parade imagery showing 14.5 mm ZPU-2 mounts. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Commons ZPU-2 14.5 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain U.S. Air Force licensing for the primary ZPU-2 image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Commons Yemeni Forces ZPU-2 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain Voice of America licensing for a ZPU-2 image from Yemen in 2015. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Commons ZPU-2 AA Gun Museum ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing for a museum view of a ZPU-2 gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Commons USSR 14.5 mm AA Machine-Gun ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for a distinct museum view of a 14.5 mm ZPU-series gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-20