Tag: Yemen

Modified NSV sold as anti-materiel rifle in Yemen

Jonathan Ferguson A mystery 12.7 × 108 mm anti-materiel rifle documented for sale in Yemen earlier this summer—described as ‘craft-produced’ by some observers—has been identified by ARES. It is not, in fact, craft-produced but rather an ingenious yet relatively straightforward modification of an NSV-type heavy machine gun (HMG). The gun’s barrelled action has simply been

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Houthi forces deploy decoys to counter Coalition airpower

Daniel Hughes Deception is one of the greatest weapons at a creative commander’s disposal. Decoys are just one component of the spectrum of deceptive options available to military leaders. Historically, the use of decoys in modern operations was made famous by the US Army’s Operation Quicksilver. This top secret Second World War operation hired artists and engineers to create

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Craft-produced anti-materiel rifles and light cannon in Yemen

Yuri Lyamin with ImproGuns A video published 23 August 2017 which was purportedly produced by the ‘Defense Industry Department’ of the armed forces who are loyal to the Ansar Allah (‘Houthi’) movement, shows several types of craft-produced weapons being developed and employed, including anti-materiel rifles and light cannon up to 23 mm and even 30

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Iranian PG-7-AT (Nader) RPG-7 projectiles in Yemen

B. Khab. with Galen Wright Since early 2016, Yemeni forces belonging to the Aden-based Hadi government have been fighting Houthi militants and other forces loyal to ex-President Saleh in Hajja governorate, one of the few positions in northern Yemen controlled by the Aden-based government. The strategic Midi district has witnessed the fiercest battles ther, and

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Research Report No. 6: Spanish C90-CR rocket launchers & Alhambra hand grenades in Yemen

ARES is proud to announce the release of the sixth publication in our Research Report series, entitled “Spanish C90-CR rocket launchers & Alhambra hand grenades in Yemen”. Some excerpts from the report follow: The report examines two products from the Spanish defence firm Instalaza S.A. which have been identified in the hands of Houthi rebel forces

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Maritime Arms Seizures Point to Iran

N.R. Jenzen-Jones US, Australian, and French naval forces operating in the northern Indian Ocean have seized thousands of small arms and light weapons in 2016, likely bound for Yemen. Whilst initial reports indicated the first two seizures were believed to be headed for Somalia, the types of weapons seized indicate that the vessels almost certainly

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Ansar al-Sharia with RPG-32 rocket launcher in Yemen

Yuri Lyamin & B. Khab. with N.R. Jenzen-Jones On 27 March 2016, a video released by Ansar al-Shari’a (al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) shows their fighters clashing with Houthi forces in Taiz, Yemen. The fighting shown is believed to have taken place on 21 March 2016. The video begins with unmanned aerial vehicle footage of Sabir Mountain and part

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Chinese Type 67 GPMGs in Syria & Yemen

Jonathan Ferguson & N.R. Jenzen-Jones ARES recently reported on the presence of the uncommon North Korean Type 73 general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The Chinese Type 67 is another GPMG which is not commonly documented in conflict or post-conflict zones. Images posted to the personal Facebook pages of Syrian opposition fighters

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North Korean Type 73 GPMGs in Iraq, Syria & Yemen

Ali Richter Update 160328: Further evidence of the use of the Type 73 GPMG in Yemen can be seen here. The North Korean Type 73 GPMG has been previously documented in Iraq and Syria, and recently observed in Yemen. Images from Iraq show the Type 73 primarily in the hands of Iraqi Shi’a militias, particularly Badr Brigade

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Bulgarian AR-M9 & AR-M9F rifles supplied by UAE to allied forces

N.R. Jenzen-Jones Over the past five years, Bulgarian Arsenal 5.56 x 45 mm AR-M9 and AR-M9F self-loading rifles have been documented in the hands of Libyan, Yemeni, and Sudanese armed forces. In each of these cases, sources indicate that the weapons in question may have been provided by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to

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