Profile
- Type
- 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Adopted by the Soviet Army in 1971 and retained in post-Soviet service
Infantry Weapons
NSV
The NSV Utes is a Soviet 12.7x108 mm heavy machine gun designed by Nikitin, Sokolov, and Volkov as a lighter replacement for older heavy machine guns. It can be used from a tripod, vehicle mount, or remote station against light armor, firing points, personnel, and low-flying aerial targets; in the Russia-Ukraine War it remains relevant because legacy stocks and vehicle-mounted NSVT variants continue to appear on battlefield equipment.
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Built in
- Soviet UnionKazakhstan
Service History
- In service
- 1971-present
- Used by
- Russian Armed Forces, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kazakhstan Armed Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Grigory Nikitin, Yuri Sokolov, and Vladimir Volkov
- Designed
- 1969
- Built in
- Soviet UnionKazakhstan
- Unit cost
- Not publicly standardized
- Produced
- 1971-present in original and licensed/derivative production
- Number built
- Not publicly confirmed
- Variants
- NSV, NSVT vehicle-mounted variant, NSVS tripod-mounted variant
Specifications
- Caliber
- 12.7x108 mm
- Operation
- Gas-operated, automatic-only heavy machine gun
- Feed
- Non-disintegrating metal link belt, commonly 50 rounds
- Weight
- 25 kg gun only; 16 kg tripod according to ARES
- Length
- 1,560 mm
- Cyclic rate of fire
- 700-800 rounds/min
- Muzzle velocity
- Approximately 820-860 m/s
- Effective range
- About 2,000 m against ground targets and 1,500 m against air targets
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Russia
Russian forces have fielded the NSV Utes in the war, including a documented 2025 ground robotic system on the Toretsk axis armed with a 12.7 mm NSV Utes.
Related Weapon Systems
9K111 FagotMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K111 Fagot, known to NATO as the AT-4 Spigot, is a Soviet man-portable SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system built around the 9P135 tripod launcher and 9M111 missile family. Its compact launcher, vehicle-mount compatibility, and 2 to 2.5 km range kept it relevant for legacy users, including Russian anti-tank teams documented in the Russia-Ukraine War.
9K115 MetisMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K115 Metis is a Soviet/Russian man-portable, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family developed for company-level infantry anti-armor fire. The original AT-7 Saxhorn system emphasized a light launcher and short-range portability, while the later 9K115-2 Metis-M and Metis-M1 variants use larger 130 mm missiles, tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads, and ranges up to 2 km. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian forces have been documented using the upgraded AT-13 Saxhorn-2 / Metis-M variant against Ukrainian armor.
9M113 KonkursSACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missileThe 9M113 Konkurs, NATO reporting name AT-5 Spandrel, is a Soviet wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family built for infantry launchers and vehicle mounts such as BMP-series vehicles and the BRDM-2-based 9P148. Its SACLOS guidance, 135 mm missile body, and 4 km class engagement range kept it useful after the Cold War, including documented employment in the Russia-Ukraine War by Ukrainian-aligned forces and Russian units.
9M133 KornetLaser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9M133 Kornet is a Russian heavy anti-tank guided missile system using laser beam-riding guidance and tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads. Developed by KBP as a portable and vehicle-integrated ATGM family, it appears in the Russia-Ukraine War as a Russian-origin system documented with pro-Russian forces and also captured by Ukrainian troops.
AK-125.45 mm assault rifleThe AK-12 is a Russian 5.45x39 mm assault rifle developed by Kalashnikov Concern as a modernized service weapon with improved ergonomics, accessory rails, optical-sight compatibility, and an adjustable folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a Russian frontline small arm, while captured examples became visible in Ukrainian hands during the opening phase of the 2022 invasion.
AK-74M5.45 mm assault rifleThe AK-74M is the modernized Russian production model of the AK-74 family, chambered for 5.45x39 mm ammunition with black polymer furniture and a left-folding stock. In the Russia-Ukraine War it remains a baseline infantry rifle for Russian regular units, even as AK-12 rifles supplement it and older AKM rifles appear among mobilized troops.Sources
NSV 12.7 "Utyos" Heavy Machine GunPublisher: West Kazakhstan Machine-Building Company | Note: Manufacturer page describing the NSV Utyos role, current production context, modular layout, and engagement ranges. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Differential Identification of NSV and Kord Heavy Machine GunsPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports NSV background, designers, production context, mounting variants, and technical data. | Accessed: 2026-06-20NSV, 12.7 mm Machine GunPublisher: Brno Defence Group | Note: Supports listed dimensions, muzzle velocity, weight, and effective range figures. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukrainian Forces Destroy Russian Ground Robot Armed with NSV Utes on Toretsk AxisPublisher: Ukrinform | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War use context for a Russian ground robotic system equipped with a 12.7 mm NSV Utes. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:NSV machine gun-04.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and license page for the primary NSV image, credited to Vitaly V. Kuzmin under CC BY-SA 3.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20