NSV
Summary
| Country | 🇷🇺 Russia |
| Category | Machine gun |
| Manufacturer | Nikitin, Sokolov & Volkov |
Technical specifications
| NSV | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 700 - 800 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 12.7 x 108 mm |
| Magazine | belt of 50 rounds |
| Length | 1560 mm (61.4 in) |
| Weight | 25.0 kg (55.1 lb) |
| Range | 1200 m (3937 ft) |
Description
The NSV Utyos is a Soviet heavy machine gun chambered in 12.7×108mm. Named after its designers, G. I. Nikitin, Y. М. Sokolov, and V. I. Volkov, the designation NSV is an initialism of their names. It was developed to replace the DShK machine gun and was officially adopted by the Soviet Army in 1971. Production was carried out at the Metallist plant in Uralsk, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia initiated development of the Kord heavy machine gun to succeed the NSV, entering service in 1998. The original factory in Kazakhstan ceased production focus on firearms around 2003.
The design weighs 25 kg and has a rate of fire between 700–800 rounds per minute. It has an effective range extending from 1,500 meters against airborne targets to 2,000 meters against ground targets. A loaded 50-round ammunition belt weighs 11 kg. The NSV design originated from an earlier design by Nikitin and Sokolov; although not initially selected by the Soviet Army, it was later developed into the NSV heavy machine gun approximately a decade later and chosen as the successor to the DShK series in 1969.
The NSV design has given rise to several variants:
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NSV-12.7: The baseline model, produced in both 12.7×108mm and .50 BMG chamberings.
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NSVS-12.7: Configured for use on a tripod mount.
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NSVT-12.7: Specifically adapted for mounting on vehicles such as tanks and armored fighting vehicles, including the T-72, T-64, and T-80 battle tanks.
Other notable variants include the Utyos-M naval turret featuring two NSV-12.7 guns, the Finnish 12.7 Itkk 96 designation, the Serbian license-produced M87 NSVT by Zastava Arms available in both 12.7×108mm and .50 BMG, Polish copies known as NSW and WKM-B (the latter chambered in .50 BMG), the Ukrainian KT-12.7, the Bulgarian MG-U, and a Vietnamese reverse-engineered copy.
The NSV is employed in various operational roles. It is used in a close-range anti-aircraft capacity against helicopters, UAVs, and aircraft. In ground combat, it can be utilized in a dismounted role on a special mount. The NSVT variant is widely used as coaxial or pintle-mounted armament on main battle tanks and other armored platforms. In naval applications, it is utilized for anti-aircraft purposes, complementing other shipboard weapons systems. Finland, for example, employs its 12.7 Itkk 96 variants primarily as vehicle-mounted weapons on personnel carriers and tanks and in a naval anti-aircraft role.
The NSV and its licensed or copied variants are currently in service with the armed forces of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, India, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, North Korea, North Macedonia, Poland, Russian Federation, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, South Korea, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Former users include the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.