Direct proof of use
The ZPU-4 is documented in the 2014 Yemen Civil War through reporting on the Giants Brigades, an anti-Houthi formation within the wider Yemeni government and Saudi-led coalition side. IARI's April 2022 profile of the force says Giants Brigades fighters used technicals equipped with heavy weapons, including anti-aircraft machine guns such as the ZU-23 and ZPU-4.
That source supports a narrow use claim: Giants Brigades forces had ZPU-4-armed technicals in Yemen's war. It does not establish the number of ZPU-4 mounts, a specific firing date, or a confirmed aircraft engagement.
Sources: IARI Giants Brigades Profile
Timeline
Oryx's September 2015 handbook of pre-war Yemeni fighting vehicles listed 14.5 mm ZPU-4 guns among Yemeni Army towed anti-aircraft guns and described the list as equipment available to Yemeni parties after the Houthi takeover.
By April 2022, IARI was describing ZPU-4s among the heavy weapons fitted to Giants Brigades technicals, after the formation had fought in Taiz, Hodeidah, Shabwah, and Marib during the war.
Sources: Oryx Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles, IARI Giants Brigades Profile
Narrative
In Yemen, the ZPU-4 appears in the same improvised vehicle role used by other heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft guns. IARI describes Giants Brigades technicals as civilian pickups or off-road vehicles fitted with machine guns, recoilless guns, small artillery pieces, and anti-aircraft machine guns including the ZPU-4.
The weapon's original role was low-altitude air defense, but the sources for Yemen point to a broader technical-mounted fire-support role rather than a documented air-defense engagement. WeaponSystems.net describes the ZPU-4 as a four-KPVT 14.5 mm gun on a four-wheel carriage with a high volume of fire, noting that many surviving examples have been vehicle-mounted and used mainly against ground targets.
Oryx's pre-war inventory helps explain the ZPU-4's presence in Yemen by listing it among Yemeni Army equipment before wartime stock fragmentation. The direct operator identified for this page is the Giants Brigades, mapped here to the Yemeni government and coalition side represented in the conflict metadata.
Sources: IARI Giants Brigades Profile, Oryx Pre-War Yemeni Fighting Vehicles, ZPU-4 WeaponSystems Reference
