The Hoplite

9N123K cluster munition and 9N24 submunitions in Syria

  Yuri Lyamin with N.R. Jenzen-Jones On 22 May 2018, images from As-Suwayda governorate in Syria circulated, showing remnants of a Tochka series missile. These were capture in the ARES Conflict Materiel (CONMAT) Database. The 9K79 Tochka tactical missile launcher and, in particular, the 9M79 missile with 9H123F high explosive warhead have been observed in

Continue Reading

ISOF Arms & Equipment Part 3 – Machine Guns

Miles Vining Editor’s note: This is the third part in a series examining the arms and equipment employed by the Iraqi Special Operations Forces, in light of the prominent role played by this unit in recent fighting. Part 1 (personal equipment) is available here and Part 2 (precision rifles) is available here.  Due to the nature of the operations undertaken

Continue Reading

Night vision devices used by Taliban forces

Miles Vining & Ali Richter This article provides a brief summary of night vision devices known to be in Taliban possession. It draws primarily from open sources and addresses both thermal and infrared optics, as well as infrared aiming devices. This is particularly timely given recent attacks by Taliban forces making use of NVDs. Interestingly, whilst some

Continue Reading

Summary of weapons used in recent strikes against CW targets in Syria

N.R. Jenzen-Jones Update 21 April 2018: Information released today by US Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) indicates that standard JASSM cruise missiles were used in the strikes, not the JASSM-ER as previously reported by the Pentagon. A spokesman also noted that F-22 Raptors took part in the operation, presumably flying counter-air. A good summary has been posted at The Aviationist.

Continue Reading

Craft-produced firearms used in shoot-out with police in Odessa

ImproGuns A shootout with police in the Ukrainian city of Odessa last Friday left 3 people dead including the shooter. The attack appears to have been carried out using one or more craft-produced firearms. Valentin Doroshenko, a 57 year old man who has been identified in some sources as the shooter, was known locally for his pro-Russia

Continue Reading

Pakistani AK-style bolt-action rifle

This post accompanies the twenty-first in a series of collaborative videos produced with ARES Researcher Ian McCollum, who also runs the Forgotten Weapons blog and YouTube channel. Using access to unique collections facilitated by ARES, this series of videos will examine a range of interesting weapons over the coming months. Each video will be accompanied by a blog

Continue Reading

British Thorneycroft bolt-action rifle

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 twentieth in a series of collaborative videos produced with ARES Researcher Ian McCollum, who also runs the Forgotten Weapons blog and YouTube

Continue Reading

Finnish Tampella 160 mm mortar system and extended-range HEFSDS projectile

N.R. Jenzen-Jones & Michael Picard with Samuel Paunila Finnish Origins Since its inception in 1918, the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) have fielded an array of mortar systems – including 60, 81, 120, and 300 mm calibre examples – with all of the munitions for these systems manufactured domestically. While the FDF has not adopted a

Continue Reading

Craft-produced 7.62 mm revolver in Nigeria

ImproGuns According to reports circulating on social media and Nigerian news sites, officers of the Nigerian Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) recovered craft-produced firearms from the bodies of two suspected robbers shot along a highway connecting Kano to Zaria state. One of the weapons seized appears to be a fairly typical craft-produced open bolt sub-machine

Continue Reading

Chinese GP1 series guided artillery projectiles in Libya

Yuri Lyamin with N.R. Jenzen-Jones Images shared to social media channels in early November show the remnants of a precision guided artillery projectile documented in Warshafana, Libya. According to the Libya Times, these projectiles were fired against Warshafana by forces of Zintan Military Council which is led by Osama Ajwaily – commander of the Western

Continue Reading