Category: Arms & Munitions ID

Polish PPZR Grom MANPADS seized from pro-Russian Separatists in Ukraine

N.R. Jenzen-Jones An interesting video was released earlier today by the Ukraine Military TV YouTube channel. The video shows pro-Russian separatists being captured by Ukrainian forces, and documents the man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) allegedly seized with these combatants. The image above shows a Polish made PPZR (Przenośny Przeciwlotniczy Zestaw Rakietowy; portable anti-aircraft missile system

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ARES Research Report No.2: Iranian Falaq-1 and Falaq-2 Rockets in Syria

Armament Research Services is proud to release its second Research Report. Authored by N.R Jenzen-Jones, Yuri Lyamin and Galen Wright “Iranian Falaq-1 and Falaq-2 Rockets in Syria” documents the use of these weapons in Syria’s ongoing civil conflict, and provides a brief history and technical appraisal of the systems and their munitions. Below are some extracts

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Syrian Rebels Produce Homemade Anti-Materiel Rifles

Jonathan Ferguson The Syrian conflict continues to yield interesting expedient small arm designs. Syrian rebel forces have been documented craft producing anti-materiel rifles (AMRs). ARES has received video links (see below) that document the manufacture of this weapon, which appears in two variants. It is a homemade bolt-action anti-materiel rifle similar to and perhaps even inspired

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Type 84 Scatterable Anti-Tank Mines in Syria

N.R. Jenzen-Jones and Yuri Lyamin The Syrian conflict continues to see the use of new types of weapons by the various parties to the conflict.  On the 23rd April of this year, new footage emerged from the area near Sawaysa town in the Syrian province of Quneitra, showing the use of another new weapon: Chinese Type

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US produced TOW 2A ATGWs in Syria

N.R. Jenzen-Jones and Yuri Lyamin In early April, representatives of the armed opposition group Harakat Hazm from the Syrian province of Idlib uploaded a YouTube video showing Hazm combatants launching a missile from a TOW type anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW), near the town of Heesh. This video, representing the first time the TOW missile was

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Small-calibre Ammunition in Syria: a Small Arms Survey report

ARES Director, N.R. Jenzen-Jones, has authored a report examining small-calibre ammunition documented in Syria, released yesterday by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey. From the Survey press release: The Working Paper Following The Headstamp Trail: An Assessment of Small-calibre Ammunition Documented in Syria analyzes 70 different small-calibre cartridge headstamps (ammunition identification markings) documented in Syria. The assessment is

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ARES Announces Freelance Journalist Assistance Program

Armament Research Services (ARES) offers a range of technical review, research, and analysis services to various  media organisations. Our staff have worked with numerous media organisations and freelance journalists on a range of stories with an arms and munitions angle, as well as providing comment or interviews as required. ARES is delighted to announce our

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5.66 x 39 MPS cartridges near Kiev

N.R. Jenzen-Jones The seizure of former president Viktor Yanukovych’s estate in Mezhyhirya, an hour’s drive from Kiev, turned up a range of interesting arms and munitions. Nearby, a variety of ammunition was recovered from a private lake, including the cartridges shown in the image above. These are 5.66 x 39 mm rounds for the Russian made APS (Автомат

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Assessment of the Khaibar-1 Rockets Captured by the IDF

Yuri Lyamin and N.R. Jenzen-Jones One of the greatest mysteries of the Syrian military industrial complex is a 302 mm rocket system known as the Khaibar-1 (also referred to as the M302 or M-302). Information about this system is limited, largely due to the lack of primary source material and low number of useful photographs.

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GM-94 grenade launchers in use with Russian forces in Crimea

N.R. Jenzen-Jones Recent images from the Russian seizure of the Crimean peninsula have highlighted the range of weaponry employed by Russian forces and combatants variously identified as either pro-Russian militias or private security contractors. Kater reports indicate they may have been members of Russia’s GRU special operations forces. Amongst the weapons observed is the GM-94,

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