NSV machine gun

The NSV Utyos (, initialism for Никитин-Соколов-Волков; Утёс), 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 T-64 and T-80 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, has a rate of fire of 700–800 rounds per minute, and an effective range from 1500 m to 2000 m against airborne and ground targets, respectively. A loaded ammunition belt with 50 rounds weighs 11 kg.

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-12.7: Baseline variant, currently produced by West Kazakhstan Machine Building Company. Available in both 12.7×108mm and .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO).
 * NSVS-12.7 (Никитина-Соколова-Волкова станковый — 12,7): Used on tripod mount.
 * NSVT-12.7 (Никитина-Соколова-Волкова танковый — 12,7): Used as a vehicle-mounted machine gun for tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles.
 * Utyos-M: Naval twin 12.7 mm machine gun turret (used on the Zhuk-class patrol boat, Yaz-class river gunboat, Vosh-class river patrol craft, Ogonek-class river patrol craft patrol crafts, etc.).
 * 12.7 Itkk 96: Finnish designation. Guns acquired from Soviet Union, Russia and Germany (ex-Nationale Volksarmee).
 * 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.
 * NSW: Polish copy.
 * WKM-B: Polish copy adapted for NATO-standard .50 BMG ammunition.
 * KT-12.7: Ukrainian copy.
 * MG-U: Bulgarian copy.

Current users

 * 🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Produced by Arsenal.
 * 🇭🇷 Croatia
 * 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 🇩🇯 Djibouti
 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * Georgia
 * Ivory Coast
 * 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan: Locally produced by Western Kazakhstan Machine-Building Company (ZKMK).
 * 🇰🇼 Kuwait: Mounted and used on M-84 tanks.
 * 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
 * lit.
 * 🇲🇩 Moldova
 * 🇲🇳 Mongolia
 * 🇲🇪 Montenegro
 * 🇳🇦 Namibia: Used by Namibian Marine Corps.
 * North Macedonia
 * 🇵🇱 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.
 * Russian Federation
 * 🇷🇸 Serbia: Manufactured at Zastava Arms. Copies were produced as the M02 Coyote.
 * 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea: Mounted and used on T-80U tanks.
 * Syria
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine
 * 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.
 * 🇵🇱 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.
 * Russian Federation
 * 🇷🇸 Serbia: Manufactured at Zastava Arms. Copies were produced as the M02 Coyote.
 * 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea: Mounted and used on T-80U tanks.
 * Syria
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine
 * 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.
 * 🇺🇦 Ukraine
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Former users

 * Soviet Union
 * Yugoslavia