Its size and power also made it a useful light anti-armour weapon on the BTR series of vehicles and the BRDM-2 scout car.

It combines the rate of fire of a heavy machine gun with the armor-piercing capabilities of antitank rifles and was designed to combat lightly armored targets, firepower and manpower of the enemy located behind light cover, as well as to be an anti-aircraft machine gun.

The KPV is air-cooled and fitted with a barrel with a hard chrome plated bore.

It uses a short recoil operation system with gas assistance and a rotary bolt.

The version for use in armored vehicles is called the KPVT (Russian: КПВ танковый, romanized: KPV tankovy, lit.

The 14.5 mm MTPU is intended for combat against armored surface, coast and air targets.