| NSV | |
|---|---|
NSV heavy machine gun
| |
| Type | Heavy machine gun |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1971–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Soviet–Afghan War First Nagorno-Karabakh War Gulf War Afghan Civil War War in Afghanistan Lebanese Civil War Iraq War Russo-Georgian War Syrian Civil War Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) Russo-Ukrainian War[1] Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Production history | |
| Designer | G.I. Nikitin, Y.М. Sokolov, V.I. Volkov |
| Designed | Central Design Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weaponry, Tula, 1969 |
| Manufacturer | "Metallist", Uralsk, Kazakh SSR |
| Produced | 1971–present |
| Variants | NSVT |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 25 kg (55.12 lb) (gun only) 41 kg (90.39 lb) on tripod 11 kg (24.25 lb) (50-round belt) |
| Length | 1,560 mm (61.4 in) |
| Cartridge | 12.7×108mm (For Polish WKM-B) |
| Caliber | 12.7 mm |
| Action | Gas-operated |
| Rate of fire | 700–800 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 845 m/s (2,772 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 1500 m vs. air (maximum) 2000 m vs. ground targets |
| Feed system | 50-round belt |
| Sights | Iron sights |
The NSV Utyos (Cyrillic: НСВ, initialism for Никитин-Соколов-Волков, Nikitin-Sokolov-Volkov; Russian: Утёс, lit. 'Cliff'), is a Soviet heavy machine gun chambered in 12.7×108mm. It is named after the designers, G. I. Nikitin, Y. М. Sokolov and V. I. Volkov. It was designed to replace the DShK machine gun and was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1971.
The NSV was manufactured at the Metallist plantinUralsk, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union. The vehicle-mounted NSVT variant is used on the T-72[2] T-64[3] and T-80[4] battle tanks. Like many Soviet weapons, the NSV was also licence produced by Yugoslavia as the M87. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia began development on the Kord heavy machine gun, while Belarus, Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Vietnam all introduced their own copies of the NSV.
The NSV weighs 25 kg (55 lb), has a rate of fire of 700–800 rounds per minute, and an effective range from 1,500 m (1,600 yd) to 2,000 m (2,200 yd) against airborne and ground targets, respectively. A loaded ammunition belt with 50 rounds weighs 11 kg (24 lb).[5]
The Soviet Army began looking for a new heavy machine gun to replace its older SGM and DShK machine guns in the early 1950s. The Soviet Army liked the idea behind the German MG 42; a versatile weapon used on a variety of mounts to perform many different roles. Two Soviet weapon designers were asked to design one weapon each utilizing the same principle. Mikhail Kalashnikov's submission was approved following trials as it was found to be more reliable and cheaper to manufacture than the design of Grigory Nikitin and Yuri Sokolov. Kalashnikov's machine gun became the new standard machine gun, and was named PK.
Nikitin's and Sokolov's design was, however, not forgotten. It was eventually developed into the NSV heavy machine gun about 10 years later and selected in 1969 as the successor to the DShK and DShKM machine guns. It was accepted in service by the Soviet Army in 1971.
Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia began developing the Kord heavy machine gun to replace the NSV "Utyos" and which entered service in 1998. The Metallist factory in what is now Oral, Kazakhstan struggled to find customers in the 1990s. The factory was converted to focus on industrial production in the oil and gas sector in 2003.
The NSV is called 12,7 Itkk 96or12,7 ilmatorjuntakonekivääri 96 ('12.7 anti-aircraft machine gun 96') in Finland. It is often used as a vehicle-mounted machine gun, and can be seen on the Pasi armoured personnel carrier, the Nasu transport vehicle and the Leopard 2R tank.
Due to its high rate of fire, the NSV is intended to be used as a close-range anti-aircraft weapon against helicopters, UAVs and aircraft. In dismounted ground combat it is placed on a special mount.
The Finnish Navy also uses the NSV in the anti-aircraft role, where it complements other unguided anti-aircraft weapons like the 23 ITK 95, Bofors 40 Mk 3orBofors 57 Mk 2 and Mk 3.
Armenia[13]
Azerbaijan[13]
Belarus[14]
Bulgaria: Produced by Arsenal.[15]
Croatia[16]
Czech Republic[16]
Djibouti[17]
Eritrea[18]
Estonia[18]
Finland[18][19]
Georgia[20]
India[21]
Ivory Coast[22]
Kazakhstan: Locally produced by Western Kazakhstan Machine-Building Company (ZKMK).[23]
Kuwait: Mounted and used on M-84 tanks.[24]
Kyrgyzstan[25]
Latvia[25]
Lithuania[26]
Moldova[27]
Mongolia[27]
Montenegro[27]
Namibia: Used by Namibian Marine Corps.[28]
North Korea[29]
North Macedonia[26]
Poland: Manufactured at ZM TarnówasNSW. Poland also developed their own machine gun based on NSV and chambered to .50 BMG NATO round, known as WKM-B.[19]
Russian Federation[30]
Serbia: Manufactured at Zastava Arms. Copies were produced as the M02 Coyote.[31]
Sierra Leone[32]
Slovakia[33]
South Korea: Mounted and used on T-80U tanks.[34]
Syria[35][36]
Tajikistan[36]
Turkmenistan[36]
Ukraine[37]
Uzbekistan[37]
Vietnam: Reverse-engineered copy produced by Z111 Factory. Built with DShK-style butterfly trigger and shoulder stock while retaining other majority properties of the NSV.[38][39]
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