IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun5.56×45mm NATO light machine gunSide: IsraelBuilt: Israel Weapon Industries / IsraelThe IWI Negev NG5 is Israel's 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, built for belt-fed squad automatic fire with magazine compatibility and a selective-fire layout. IWI markets the NG5 as IDF-battle-proven, and 2025 Gaza imagery from the Israel-Hamas War shows a Golani Brigade soldier firing an IMI Negev 5.Tag archive
machine gun Weapon Systems
Weapon systems and military equipment tagged machine gun.
6 weapon systemsCategory
Infantry Weapons
Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.
IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun5.56×45mm NATO light machine gunSide: IsraelBuilt: Israel Weapon Industries / IsraelThe IWI Negev NG5 is Israel's 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, built for belt-fed squad automatic fire with magazine compatibility and a selective-fire layout. IWI markets the NG5 as IDF-battle-proven, and 2025 Gaza imagery from the Israel-Hamas War shows a Golani Brigade soldier firing an IMI Negev 5.
FN Minimi light machine gun5.56x45mm NATO light machine gunSide: Yemeni government and coalition forcesBuilt: FN Herstal / BelgiumThe FN Minimi is a Belgian belt-fed light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale for squad automatic fire, with 5.56 mm NATO models widely fielded as national variants such as the U.S. M249, Canadian C9, and Australian F89. In the Yemen Civil War, Amnesty International reported Belgian Minimis deployed by The Giants Brigades, tying the weapon to UAE-backed coalition-aligned ground forces around the Hodeidah offensive.
PKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunSide: Ukraine / Houthi-aligned forces / Islamic State / HamasBuilt: Kovrov Mechanical Plant and licensed producers / Soviet Union, Russia, and licensed-production countriesThe PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide Warsaw Pact distribution make the family a common infantry fire-support weapon in recent conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Hamas War.
PKP Pecheneg7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunSide: Russia / Ukraine / Syrian government and alliesBuilt: TsNIITochMash / Degtyaryov Plant / RussiaThe PKP Pecheneg is a Russian 7.62x54mmR belt-fed machine gun derived from the PKM but built around a heavier forced-air-cooled barrel and forward bipod for sustained squad fire. It remains a Russian infantry support weapon and has also appeared in Ukraine, including separatist use reported during the Donbas phase of the war and later Ukrainian use of captured examples.
Type 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gunSide: HamasBuilt: Norinco / ChinaThe Type 80 is a Chinese PKM-pattern, belt-fed 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun. AP and The Times of Israel reported Hamas fighters in Gaza carrying Type 80 weapons during the Israel-Hamas War, while noting Iranian copies renamed PKM-T80.
RPK/RPK-74Squad automatic weapon / light machine gunSide: Russia / Islamic StateBuilt: Vyatskiye Polyany Machine-Building Plant Molot / Soviet Union / RussiaThe RPK and RPK-74 are Kalashnikov-pattern squad automatic weapons that extend the AK family with a longer, heavier barrel, bipod, and higher-capacity magazines for sustained fire by infantry sections. The 7.62 x 39 mm RPK paralleled the AKM, while the 5.45 x 39 mm RPK-74 followed the AK-74; both remain relevant in the Russia-Ukraine War because legacy Soviet and Russian stocks continue to appear in front-line small-arms holdings.