The NSV is a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun of Soviet origin. The weapon took its name from the three designers, G. I. Nikitin (Г. И. Никитин), Y. S. Sokolov (Ю. М. Соколов) and V. I. Volkov (В. И. Волков). It was designed to replace the DShK and it was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1971.
The NSV weighs 25 kg, has a rate of fire of 700–800 rounds per minute, and an effective range from 1,500 m to 2,000 m against airborne and ground targets, respectively. A loaded ammunition belt with 50 rounds weighs 11 kg. It is commonly mounted on military vehicles like T-64, T-72, or T-80tanks.
It is no longer being produced in Russia; the manufacturing license for the NSV ended up in Kazakhstan after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The NSV has been manufactured in Bulgaria, India, Poland and Yugoslavia under license. The new Kord machine gun has replaced worn-out NSVs since 1998.
