The Hoplite

North American anti-materiel rifles with Houthi forces in Yemen

Michael Smallwood Multiple videos (shown below) shared by pro-Houthi media channels during October 2015 show Houthi rebel fighters employing Barrett Model 82A1 (M82A1) anti-materiel rifles during fighting in Yemen. The American-made Barrett M82A1 is semi-automatic, chambered for .50 BMG (12.7 x 99 mm), and designated the M107 in US service. The M82A1 weighs 13.6 kg, has an

Continue Reading

Schiebel Camcopter S-100 UAV shot down in Yemen

Larry Friese Regional media outlets are reporting a Saudi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down in Ta’izz Governorate in southwestern Yemen on or about October 25, 2015. Video of the wreckage shown on YouTube indicates that the UAV in question is a Schiebel Camcopter S-100. The UAV appears to be configured with an Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) sensor on the

Continue Reading

Iranian RU-series thermal weapon sights in Syria

Galen Wright Update 151106: Another Twitter post from yesterday shows a brief video of materiel allegedly captured by fighters aligned with Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria. In addition to the Sadad 102 thermal imager mentioned below, other items seen include mortars, what appears to be an Iranian SPG-9-type recoilless gun, an Iranian AM50 anti-materiel rifle, a DShKM-type heavy machine

Continue Reading

Russian MRO-A thermobaric rocket launchers in Syria

N.R. Jenzen-Jones A video posted to YouTube on 29 October 2015 shows two Russian-made MRO-A rocket launchers and a Soviet or Russian RPO-A recoilless weapon. According to the video, the weapons were captured by Ajnad al-Sham from Syrian government positions near Skaik village, in Hama governorate. Markings on one of the MRO-A launch tubes indicate

Continue Reading

Brazilian SS-60 cargo rockets employed in Yemen

Update 151119: A 17 October video from the same pro-Houthi news outlet displays rocket remnants from a strike in the Saada governorate with clearly visible markings reading “SS-60 MK4” (see image below).   Recent YouTube video and images posted to social media show a number of unexploded submunitions of a type not yet documented in Yemen. A video

Continue Reading

US M240 GPMG seen with Jabhat al-Nusra fighter in Syria

Michael Smallwood An image posted to Twitter yesterday appears to show a Jabhat al-Nusra fighter in Syria wielding a United States-made M240 series general-purpose machine gun (GPMG), purportedly taken from the US-equipped Free Syrian Army’s Division 30. It is likely to be either an upgraded M240B or an M240L. The M240L was only type classified

Continue Reading

Jabhat al-Nusra re-purposing SPBE and AO-2.5RT submunitions in Syria

Kenton Fulmer Unexploded Russian and Soviet-made submunitions have been documented across the Syrian countryside since the arrival of Russian forces last month. While both the intended destructive impact and prolonged danger of unexploded ordnance (UXO) are well understood results of cluster munitions use, a lesser seen impact is the re-purposing of munitions that have failed

Continue Reading

Renewed use of AO-2.5RT submunitions in Syria

Kenton Fulmer ARES urges those at risk from unexploded munitions to consult with trained individuals before entering contaminated areas. Please see the safety notice below. The recently renewed employment of Soviet era submunitions in Syria has led to significant quantities of the aged munitions failing to function (detonate) as designed. Whilst the employment of SPBE series submunition was covered

Continue Reading

Croatian VHS-D1 rifle in Syria

Michael Smallwood Update 151009: Further information has come to light, showing that these images were first posted to Facebook on 31 August 2013, and 18 March 2014. The earliest appearance of the weapon appears to be 8 April 2013. The combatant pictured appears to be a Druze militiaman. There are photos of numerous other fighters posing with a

Continue Reading

SPBE submunitions employed in Syria

N.R. Jenzen-Jones with Yuri Lyamin Footage uploaded to video sharing platforms in the past few days shows the functioning of submunitions consistent with cargo (cluster) munitions delivered by a Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) series attack aircraft. Photographs of SPBE series submunitions were posted to Twitter and Facebook earlier today, as well as the YouTube video

Continue Reading