Berezin UB

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	Weapon: Berezin UB Type: Aircraft Machine Gun Country of Origin: USSR Year Adopted: 1941 Caliber: 12.7x108mm Action: Gas Operated Fully Automatic Overall Length (mm): 1347.0 Overall Length (in): 53.03 Weight (kg): 47.20 Weight (pounds): 104.06 Effective Range (m): 800 m Effective Range (yards): 874.89

The Berezin UB (Universalny Berezina) was a Soviet 12.7x108mm aircraft machine gun developed by Mikhail Berezin in the late 1930s and adopted in 1941. It was designed to replace the earlier ShKAS and large-caliber ShVAK weapons in aircraft applications. The UB used a short-recoil, gas-assisted mechanism with a high rate of fire (approximately 1,050 rounds per minute) and came in three variants: UBK (wing-mounted), UBS (synchronized for firing through a propeller arc), and UBT (turret-mounted, often with spade grips and a flexible mount). Its rugged design made it well-suited to harsh combat conditions and rapid production.

The UB series was produced in large numbers during World War II, with over 150,000 units manufactured by the end of the war. It armed a wide range of Soviet aircraft, including the Yakovlev Yak-9, Lavochkin La-5, Ilyushin Il-2 "Shturmovik", and Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers. The UBT turret variant became especially prominent on bombers and transport aircraft, providing powerful defensive fire with its large-caliber rounds capable of damaging or disabling enemy fighters. The weapon's relatively light weight for its caliber and high volume of fire made it a staple of Soviet air armament during the war.

In service, the Berezin UB earned a strong reputation for reliability, destructive power, and adaptability. Its presence across nearly all Soviet aircraft types gave it a ubiquitous role in air combat on the Eastern Front. Though eventually replaced by more advanced autocannons like the NR-23 and GSh-23 in the postwar period, the UB was a critical component of Soviet air superiority during World War II. Today, it remains a historically significant example of effective wartime aircraft armament and is preserved in aviation museums and collections worldwide.