NSV machine gun

For other uses, see NSV (disambiguation).

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	West-Kazakhstan machine building company JSC (ZKMK)
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 12.7×99mm NATO (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 plant in Uralsk, 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.

NSVT machine gun mounted on an Iraqi T-72 tank

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]

History

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.

Use in Finland

The NSV is called 12,7 Itkk 96 or 12,7 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 3 or Bofors 57 Mk 2 and Mk 3.

Variants

NSV machine gun on mount

• NSV-12.7: Baseline variant, currently produced by West-Kazakhstan machine building company JSC (ZKMK). Available in both 12.7×108mm and .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO). ^[6]
• NSVS-12.7 (Russian: Никитина-Соколова-Волкова станковый — 12,7, romanized: Nikitina-Sokolova-Volkova Stankovy – 12.7, lit. 'NSV-designed 12.7 mm mounted machine gun'): Used on tripod mount. ^[7]
• NSVT-12.7 (Russian: Никитина-Соколова-Волкова танковый — 12,7, romanized: Nikitina-Sokolova-Volkova Tankovy – 12.7, lit. 'NSV-designed 12.7 mm tank-mounted machine gun'): Used as a vehicle-mounted machine gun for tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles. ^[7]

The Utyos-M machine gun turret mounted on the Ukrainian Sea Guard Zhuk-class patrol boat Darnytsia (BG116)

• Utyos-M: Naval twin 12.7 mm machine gun turret (2 × NSV-12.7s; 10 × 100-round belts) used on the Zhuk, Yaz, Vosh, Ogonek classes, etc. ^[8]
• 12.7 Itkk 96: Finnish designation. Guns acquired from Soviet Union, Russia and Germany (ex-Nationale Volksarmee). ^[9]
• M87 NSVT: Serbian license built version by Zastava Arms. The M87 has seen use with the armies of the former Yugoslav states. Available in both 12.7×108mm and .50 BMG. ^[10]
• NSW: Polish copy. ^[11]
• WKM-B: Polish copy adapted for NATO-standard .50 BMG ammunition. ^[12]
• KT-12.7: Ukrainian copy. ^[7]
• MG-U: Bulgarian copy.^{[ citation needed ]}

Users

Map with NSV machine gun users in blue

Current users

Polish NSW on an anti-aircraft mount

•   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 West-Kazakhstan machine building company JSC (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 Tarnów as NSW. 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]}

Former users

•   Soviet Union
•   Yugoslavia ^[40]

See also

• List of firearms
• List of Russian weaponry

References

1. UKRAINE HOT NEWS (8 April 2015). "NSV 12.7mm caliber heavy machine gun. Donetsk today". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 7 October 2018– via YouTube.
2. "T72 Tank Characteristics". Archived from the original on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
3. "T64 Tank". Archived from the original on 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
4. "T80 Tank Characteristics". Archived from the original on 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
5. "12.7 ITKK 96". Finnish Army. Archived from the original on 2016-07-07. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
6. "NSV 12.7 "UTYOS" HEAVY MACHINE GUN". West Kazakhstan Machine Building Company. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
7. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 383.
8. Alexander Shirokorad (2001), 12,7-мм турельно-башенная установка «Утёс-М»[12.7 mm Utyos-M Machine Gun Turret], in Anatoly Taras (ed.), Оружие отечественного флота, 1945—2000[Weapons of the Fatherland's Navy, 1945–2000] (in Russian), Minsk/Moscow: Harvest/AST, pp. 15–18, ISBN   985-13-0183-3.
9. "NSV AAMG". Finnish Defence Forces. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
10. "Machinegun M87". Zastava Arms. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
11. Jones & Ness 2010, pp. 378, 383.
12. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 378.
13. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 903.
14. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 904.
15. "12,7 mm Arsenal Multi-purpose Machine Gun MG-U". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
16. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 906.
17. Debay, Yves (2004). VBL Panhard (in French). Histoire et collections. p. 120. ISBN   9782913903166.
18. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 907.
19. Jane's Armour and Artillery, Volume 23, p. 450
20. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 908.
21. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 909.
22. de Tessières, Savannah (April 2012). Enquête nationale sur les armes légères et de petit calibre en Côte d'Ivoire: les défis du contrôle des armes et de la lutte contre la violence armée avant la crise post-électorale (PDF) (Report). Special Report No. 14 (in French). UNDP, Commission Nationale de Lutte contre la Prolifération et la Circulation Illicite des Armes Légères et de Petit Calibre and Small Arms Survey. p. 97. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
23. Small Arms Survey (2012). "Blue Skies and Dark Clouds: Kazakhstan and Small Arms". Small Arms Survey 2012: Moving Targets. Cambridge University Press. p. 133. ISBN   978-0-521-19714-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-06-06. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
25. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 910.
26. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 911.
27. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 912.
28. Defence Web (June 2016). "Namibia receives Russian small arms". defenceweb.co.za. defenceweb. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
29. "North Korean Small Arms (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)". Small Arms Review. Vol. 16, no. 2. June 2012. Archived from the original on 2019-02-02. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
30. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 914.
31. "Machine Gun M02 Coyote - 12.7x108 mm /.50 Browning". Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
32. "World Infantry Weapons: Sierra Leone". 2013. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016.
33. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 915.
34. 국방TV (29 November 2017). "[선진강군 24시] 육군제3기갑여단 불곰대대 전차포 사격훈련". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 7 October 2018– via YouTube.
35. Neville, Leigh (19 Apr 2018). Technicals: Non-Standard Tactical Vehicles from the Great Toyota War to modern Special Forces. New Vanguard 257. Osprey Publishing. p. 9. ISBN   9781472822512. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
36. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 916.
37. Jones & Ness 2010, p. 917.
38. https://web.archive.org/web20180720165840/http://infonet.vn/tim-hieu-5-loai-sung-duoc-viet-nam-cai-tien-nang-cap-gan-day-post207846.info
39. "BAODATVIET.VN | Sức mạnh T-54/55 Việt Nam tăng đáng kể". Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
40. Gander, Terry J. (4 May 2001). "Zastava 12.7 mm machine gun NSV-12,7". Jane's Infantry Weapons 2002-2003.

Further reading

• Jones, Richard; Ness, Leland S., eds. (2010). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2010-2011. Jane's Information Group. ISBN   978-0-7106-2908-1.
• Koll, Christian (2009). Soviet Cannon: A Comprehensive Study of Soviet Arms and Ammunition in Calibres 12.7mm to 57mm. Austria: Koll. p. 67. ISBN   978-3-200-01445-9.