threat to American aircraft in the Vietnam War, and of the 7,500 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft lost during the war, most were destroyed by DShKs. In June 1988, during The Troubles, a British Army Westland Lynx helicopter was hit 15 times by two Provisional IRA DShKs smuggled from Libya, and forced to crash-land near Cashel Lough Upper, south County Armagh. DShKs were also used in 2004, against British troops in Al-Amarah, Iraq. Rebel forces utilized DShKs in the Syrian civil war, often mounting the gun on cars. In 2012, the Syrian government claimed to have destroyed 40 such technicals on a highway in Aleppo and six in Dael. The DShK began to be partially replaced in the Soviet Union by the NSV machine gun in 1971, and the Kord machine gun in 1998. The DShK remains in service, although it is no longer produced. The weapon was used by Ukrainian forces in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine to shoot down Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. The DShKs are fitted with a searchlight when attacking drones, which MANPADS have been unable to destroy. As many of the DShKs have been left over from the Soviet Union, they have been both cost-effective and one of the most reliable methods of destroying drones. Design The DShK is a belt-fed machine gun that uses a butterfly trigger. Firing the 12.7×108mm cartridge at 600 rounds per minute, it has an effective range of , and can penetrate up to 20 mm of armor up to a range of 500 m. The DShK has two "spider web" ring sights for use against aircraft. It is used by infantry on tripod mounts, and is deployed on tanks and armored vehicles for use against infantry and aircraft; nearly all Russian-designed tanks use the DShK. Users "DShkM" locally produced from a Chinese copy Type 54. : Produced DShKM variant. : Produced DShKM variant TK Vz.53 which included a four barrelled version. : Manufactured DShKM variant named MGD 12.7. called the "Doshka" by Iraqis Captured during Kargil War – Armed and Security Forces of Mali : Used by the Pakistan Army. DShKM variant produced locally. Produced locally Produced locally (still used with TR-85 tanks) : Used by Rwandan Peacekeepers in Darfur. : Passed on to successor states. : Used by Tamil Tigers. (former user) : Also produces a variant with a bipod and large muzzle brake for infantry usage : Manufactured