Category: Arms & Munitions ID

Ukrainian UAG-40 automatic grenade launcher

Kristóf Nagy The automatic, belt-fed UAG-40 grenade launcher is one of the many domestic arms developments to come out of Ukraine in recent years. It was developed and is currently manufactured by Kusnja na Rybalskomu, a shipyard and major arms manufacturer in Kiev, located on the banks of the Dnieper River. Kusnja na Rybalskomu, known

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ARES ‘Quicklook’ video series

We are pleased to announce that selected short video reports derived from our ‘Quicklook’ series will now be made publicly available. These video reports, typically a few minutes in length, examine events relevant to ARES clients and provide brief contextual and observational information. Deeper analysis of any of these events is available to selected clients;

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Chilean FAMAE SAF from Hellenic Police trials

Kristóf Nagy Designed and produced at the state-owned Chilean arms manufacturer, Fábricas y Maestranzas del Ejército (FAMAE), the FAMAE Sub-machine Gun (Subametralladora FAMAE; SAF) is one of the few indigenous arms designs that came out of South America in the late 20th century. Despite some substantial sales successes in Central and South America, as well

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2X35 sub-calibre training device used as AMR in Syria

Jonathan Ferguson The Firearm Blog recently posted an interesting article about an unusual anti-materiel rifle in use with forces affiliated with the Free Syrian Army. ARES has now identified this weapon. The rifle is indeed chambered in 14.5 × 114 mm, but has not been craft-produced and is not, as has been speculated, blowback operated.

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New Iranian shoulder-fired multi-purpose weapon exhibited

Yuri Lyamin In early February, on the eve of 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, a large public exhibition of the defence achievements of the Iranian armed forces and military industry was held. This exhibition, titled Eghtedar 40 (‘Power 40’) showcased Iranian-made ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), armoured fighting vehicles, surface-to-air missiles (SAMs),

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Hungarian FÉG KGP-9 sub-machine gun

Kristóf Nagy Development History The history of this little-known firearm can be traced back to the summer of 1986, when János Egerszegi, the head of the Hungarian Institute for Military Technology (MN HTI), drafted specifications for a modern 9 × 19 mm sub-machine gun over the space of a few weeks. While the Hungarian military

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Improvised Optical Equipment in the Donbass

Boris Karpa Amongst the many types of equipment in service with pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine – whether received from Russia or captured from Ukrainian stocks – communications equipment and optics have been in short supply.  These items, notable mostly in their shortage, have been important to the war effort, and lamented for their absence.

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Houthi forces deploy decoys to counter Coalition airpower

Daniel Hughes Deception is one of the greatest weapons at a creative commander’s disposal. Decoys are just one component of the spectrum of deceptive options available to military leaders. Historically, the use of decoys in modern operations was made famous by the US Army’s Operation Quicksilver. This top secret Second World War operation hired artists and engineers to create

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New Handbook: An Introductory Guide to the Identification of Small Arms, Light Weapons, and Associated Ammunition

Arms and ammunition are evidence. Many weapons carry marks that, combined with their physical characteristics, reveal important information about them, including their manufacturer, age, and origin. This information, in turn, provides vital clues about the sources and flows of weapons in the area in which they were found. ARES personnel have worked with the Small

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Small Arms Survey report: Improvised and Craft-produced Small Arms and Light Weapons

ARES director N.R. Jenzen-Jones and research G. Hays have authored a new report, released yesterday by the Small Arms Survey. The report, Beyond State Control: Improvised and Craft-produced Small Arms and Light Weapons, provides an overview of the nature and scale of production of these types of weapons, as well as assessing acquisition and use patterns,

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