The four-barrel YakB-12.7 aircraft machine gun, which was developed for Mi-24 attack helicopters, has found a new life on the ground. The main feature of the weapon is its incredible rate of fire.
The machine gun can fire up to 4500–5000 rounds per minute, which is comparable to the rate of fire of small-caliber automatic cannons. Such a high density of fire is enough to literally create a cloud of bullets in front of the target.
The weapon uses the 12.7×108 mm cartridge, familiar from NSV "Utes" and "Kord" machine guns, but due to its four rotating barrels, its capabilities are significantly higher. The automation operates from a gas engine that rotates the barrel block according to the Gatling scheme.
However, this scheme also has a downside. The recoil of the YakB-12.7 is so great that it is almost impossible for an untrained shooter to operate it. The firing itself is more reminiscent of the operation of aircraft weaponry than a conventional machine gun.
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