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ARES releases Special Report 5: Cluster Munitions & Submunitions in Syria

Armament Research Services (ARES) is pleased to announce the release of Special Report No. 5, Cluster Munitions & Submunitions in Syria: A Technical Appraisal. Special Report 5 is the culmination of nearly a decade of ARES research into the use of cluster munitions and submunitions in the Syrian Civil War, covering a wide range of

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Virtual Symposium: A Century of Homemade Arms

Join us for an interdisciplinary discussion examining the past, present, and future of craft-produced small arms and light weapons! ARES is excited to announce the launch of the A Century of Homemade Arms virtual symposium, which will bring together some of the foremost international specialists in craft-produced firearms for a series of presentations open to

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Military use of Ballistic Shields: Part 2, 1919–present day

Patrick Senft Editor’s note: This is the second part of Mr. Senft’s research article examining the military use of ballistic shields. Part 1, covering the period ca. 1500–1918, can be found here. Second World War During the interbellum period, ballistic shields returned to being something of a novelty. Experimentation continued, with some military units and

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British Enfield SA80 Part 5: SA80 A1 vs A2

Note: The information in this article has been superseded by that published in Jonathan Ferguson’s important original research work, Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms, 1901–2020. That book is available from the Headstamp Publishing website: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/bullpup-rifle-book This post accompanies the eighth in a series of collaborative videos produced with ARES Researcher Ian McCollum, who also runs the

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An overview of camouflage patterns used by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Oliver Beyer Since the Armistice was signed between the Republic of Korea and The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK; North Korea) in 1953, tensions have remained steady between the two countries. With North Korea initially backed by communist support in the East and South Korea backed by countries from the West, the two nations

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Myths & Misconceptions: the M1 ‘ping’

Jonathan Ferguson One of the most persistent firearm myths is that American soldiers fighting in the Second World War (or later, in the Korean War) were at substantial risk of being identified and engaged by the enemy because of the distinctive ‘ping’ sound made by ejection of clips from their issued rifles. The M1 ‘Garand’

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A snapshot of camouflage patterns in Syria

Oliver Beyer & Ali Richter A video posted in August by anti-government forces during the fighting in Aleppo, Syria provides evidence of a range of camouflage patterns used in the conflict. At one point in the video, rebel forces move towards the front lines in BMP series infantry fighting vehicles and pickup trucks. As with

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Islamic State unmanned aerial vehicle shot down in Iraq

Larry Friese On 3 October 2015 it was reported that Iraqi Federal Police had shot down a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flown by Islamic State forces, east of Ramadi. They indicated the UAV was being used to monitor and photograph military units deployed in Anbar Province. Photographs of the UAV indicate it was an X-UAV Talon manufactured

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Arms & Munitions Brief No. 2: The Russian GM-94 Grenade Launcher

Armament Research Services is proud to release the second publication in our Arms & Munitions Brief series, The Russian GM-94 Grenade Launcher.  Authored by former Russian army officer and small arms historian Maxim Popenker, with ARES Director N.R. Jenzen-Jones, Arms & Munitions Brief No. 2 gives an overview of the GM-94’s development history, technical characteristics, and employment

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Beretta unveils ARX 200 designated marksman rifle

Like many Western forces, the Italian military’s experiences in Afghanistan have been a driving force in the acquisition of additional longer-range firepower at the infantry platoon level. The Italian Army will be deploying the Beretta ARX 200 designated marksman rifle, chambered for 7.62 x 51 mm, in order to meet this capability requirement. The long-awaited rifle was

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