The Russian-produced DShK is among the longest-serving machine guns that is
still in use contemporarily. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union,
the Ukrainian military found itself with a stockpile of the weapons,
which it has since repurposed for use as a shoulder-fired infantry weapon. Following the war,
a new variant of the DShK was manufactured, featuring a revised feeding system and muzzle.
These modifications made the machine gun more reliable and easier to produce. Over a million
were manufactured between 1946 to 1980s, many of which were delivered to forces around the world.
During the Vietnam War, the DShK was smuggled through Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia for use by
the communist forces. It is believed that the majority of the American aircraft downed during
the conflict were destroyed by this weapon. This reputation led to its use in the Middle East,
particularly against British troops in 2004, and by rebel forces during the Syrian Civil War.
Furthermore, in 1971, the NSV heavy machine gun
was introduced to the Soviet military as a partial replacement for the DShK.
Nevertheless, it didn’t last long and was replaced by the Kord heavy machine gun in 1998. Despite
attempts to replace it, as well as the fact it’s no longer in production, the DShK remains
in active service, thus making it the only .50 caliber machine gun to still be in use currently.
However, this gun has been Modified for use by the Ukrainian military.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was left with a stockpile of DShKs
that were later modified for use in trench warfare. The modifications included the
development of a muzzle break, which lessened the DShK’s recoil, as well as the creation of
a bipod and shoulder stock that allowed it to be carried and used by just two infantrymen.
When paired with a pistol grip and conventional trigger,
the machine gun turned into an ideal shoulder-fired infantry weapon.
Another thing to remember is that Dushka and KPV machine guns mounted on trucks continue
to play a major role on all sides of the civil wars in Syria and Libya,
and insurgency in Iraq, and even crop up in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
Modern Western warplanes now mostly use precision-guided weapons at high
altitudes that leave them well outside the range of heavy machine gun fire.
In addition, the gunner of a Dushka pulls a V-shaped “butterfly” trigger
between two wooden handles to shoot gun at a rate
of fire of six hundred rounds per minute to an effective range of one-and-a-half miles.
Two side-by-side “spider-web” ring sights help adjust for the “lead” when targeting aircraft.
The DShK was useful for countering new vehicles entering wide scale use during the Cold War,
more heavily armed infantry fighting vehicles like the BMP,
counter-insurgency planes like the A-1 Skyraider and newfangled helicopters.
As a result, later U.S. weapons like the Apache attack helicopter and M2 Bradley
IFV and Stryker were specifically required to be protected against DShK and KPV rounds.
The Soviet Union also continued fitting DsHKs to T-54 and T-62 main battle tanks, the beefy
skyward tilted machine guns atop tank turrets becoming an iconic image of Soviet military might.
Though Russia has developed newer NSVT and Kord heavy machine guns,
they never caught on to the same extent. However, during the Soviet War in Afghanistan,
the Red Army discovered that what worked against its enemies could cut the other way.
Afghanistan has wide-open terrain, and mujahedeen insurgents made extensive use of “Dashikas”
to snipe at Soviet forces from their complex mountainous strongholds and fortified caves.
As Soviets took a page from the American war in Vietnam and made heavy use of
helicopter-borne air assault troops, the mujahideen’s Soviet-made weapons reaped a
fearsome toll of Mi-8 Hip transports, Mi-24 gunships and even jet bombers.
For the updates, the Irish Republican Army acquired eighteen DShKs from Libya,
using one to shoot down a Royal Army Lynx helicopter in 1988 and unsuccessfully ambushing
a RAF Puma and four Army Lynxes in the Battle of Newry Road in 1993. Dashika’s in northern
Africa and the Middle East would become part of one more military phenomenon.
The rise of the “technical” such as pickup trucks with heavy weapons bolted on them.
Technicals includes trucks lugging recoilless rifles, flak cannons or anti-tank missiles.
However, the Dashika and ZPU-armed technical were the most common type. The vehicles emerged as
cornerstones of the power of Somali warlords and played a major role in the Battle of Mogadishu.
A decade later, an arms survey counted at least 466 Dashikas in use across Somalia.
In North-western Africa, rebel armies made use of huge fleets of technical to sweep
across hundreds of miles of desert to launch attacks on African cities.
Dushka and KPV machine guns mounted on trucks continue to play a major
role on all sides of the civil wars in Syria and Libya, and insurgency in Iraq,
and even crop up in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
Modern Western warplanes currently use precision-guided weapons at high altitudes that
leave them well outside the range of heavy machine gun fire. However, U.S. helicopters and troops
on the ground continue to contend with the threat posed by Dashikas in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.
That’s all for today, thanks for watching and see you in the next episode!