The use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWPA) – particularly those weapons with potential wide-area effects – remains of significant concern to military forces, civil society, and other stakeholders. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) commissioned Armament Research Services (ARES) to produce a report examining the technical considerations relevant to the use of explosive weapons in
Armament Research Services (ARES) has produced significant original research examining the online trade in small arms and light weapons within Libya. The project outputs rely on a database, developed by ARES, which contains information about both groups and individual traders active on popular social media and communication platforms.The project will consist of two published reports, released under Small
ARES is proud to announce the release of the second in our Special Report series, entitled Emerging Unmanned Threats: The use of commercially-available UAVs by armed non-state actors, presented in conjunction with PAX. Armed non-state actors are increasingly employing ‘commercial off-the-shelf’ (COTS) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to support combat operations. A wide range of these
Recent reports from advocacy organisations have drawn public attention to the presence of UK-manufactured munitions employed by UAE forces during an airstrike in Matnah, south-west of Sana’a City, Yemen, on 23 September 2015. ARES has received permission to post a lightly redacted copy of a Conflict Damage Assessment (CDA) examining this incident, originally produced on behalf of a confidential client. The CDA,
ARES Director N.R. Jenzen-Jones has authored Small Arms Survey Issue Brief 14, a basic guide to documenting small arms and light weapons (SALW). Released last week, Issue Brief 14 gives a step-by-step approach to documenting SALW, as well as an overview of safety procedures and guidelines for undertaking such work in the field. See below for
Armament Research Services is proud to announce the release of the latest publication its Research Report series. Research Report No. 4: Less-Lethal Arms & Munitions Documented in Ferguson, Missouri examines impact and riot control agent (RCA) munitions employed by security forces during the 2014 riots in Ferguson. Authored by chemical weapons specialist Peter White and
ARES Director N.R. Jenzen-Jones has authored a chapter in a newly released Small Arms Survey paper examining the impact of new technologies in the firearms industry. Mr. Jenzen-Jones’ chapter focuses on the use of additive manufacturing techniques (3D printing) in the firearms industry, the technical merits of the various processes and products, and the associated
Armament Research Services has released its latest Research Note, authored by ARES Technical Specialist Jonathan Ferguson. Research Note 7 gives an overview of the concept of cartridge headspace (CHS), and its importance in the correct functioning of a firearm. ARES Research Notes are short form publications, designed to provide brief, accurate information on a single
Michael Smallwood An update to our November blog post on the Caracal Model F self-loading pistol documented in Tripoli’s Old City, Libya, comes courtesy of the UN Panel of Experts on Libya’s latest report to the UN Security Council. This report analyses the effectiveness of the arms embargo on Libya as well as other related
Armament Research Services (ARES) had a very successful year, and produced important pieces of work over the course of 2014. The company has solidified its position in supplying critical technical information and project support to various actors in the arms and munitions field, with successful results in field and desk-based research, analysis, technical review, training, and
