V18: IDF Gear Review and Excalibur Grenade Launcher in Libya

In the 18th episode of Silah Report, our guest was IDF Gear Review, who enlightened us about small arms in Israel. He also shed light on some of the cultural aspects of the IDF. Miles spoke about his brief experience with one of the IDF units when he visited Israel recently. Finally, an extremely exotic grenade launcher found in Libya and following some research has been able to enlighten us about its origins.

If you’d like to have your questions answered by our panel during an edition of the podcast, please support Silah Report on Patreon and submit questions as often as you like!

If you missed the previous episode, you can find it here.

Check out the podcast here and listen along with the photographs below!

https://soundcloud.com/silah-report/v18-idf-gear-review-and-excalibur-grenade-launcher-in-libya

Podcast Running Order:

Silah Report Announcements

Presentations:

IDF Small Arms & Culture

Miles’ Visit with an IDF Unit

A Tavor in Sinai

Mysterious Grenade Launcher


IDF Small Arms, Culture and Miles’ Visit with an IDF Unit

Fig. 1.1. Miles and IDF Gear Review with a number of IDF personnel during his visit to Israel (Source: Silah Report)

One of the major topics discussed in the episode was the “gear inheritance and customization” subculture in the IDF. Younger conscripts tend to inherit the equipment of their superiors who finished their military service, which tends to be customized in various ways, especially with the display of artwork on slings as seen in the picture above. IDF Gear Review provides us with more detail on the matter and shows us the bigger picture of the relationship between veteran/older conscripts and the younger ones.

Fig. 1.2. An IDF member with a customized sling (Source: Silah Report)

A Tavor in Sinai

Fig. 1.3. An SAR-21 which surfaced in Sinai (Source: ARES CONMAT)

While discussing small arms, Adham presents the cast with a picture claimed to be for a smuggled Tavor SAR-21, a bullpup 5.56×45mm self-loading rifle, in Sinai which is now in the hands of Bedouins (not necessarily ISIS). Interestingly, IDF Gear Review does believe that it was a former IDF Tavor given various visuals, especially the blue tap around the magazine, which he explains the reasoning behind it. (Note: IDF Gear Review prefers the M4 over the Tavor, for reasons explained in the podcast).

Mysterious Grenade Launcher

Finally, Miles presents us with an exotic grenade launcher found in Libya (unknown with which faction). It is of neither Chinese, American, Russian, Bulgarian or Iranian origin. In fact, it is actually British! When and how it entered Libya still remains a mystery, but a mystery we at Silah Report intend to uncover nonetheless!

Fig. 1.4. The launcher pictured in Libya (Source: ARES CONMAT)
Fig. 1.5. Another view of the launcher, note that the bottom strap of the stock and the butt pad has been removed (Source: ARES CONMAT)
Fig. 1.6. An image which identifies the launcher as an MSRG-38 Excalibur Mk2 from Wallop Defense Systems

Patreon Shoutout

If you want to support our work on researching small arms and light weapons in the MENA and Central Asian regions, please consider joining our Patreon support network that allows us to get articles, videos, and podcasts such as these to an international audience. Check us out here!
www.patreon.com/SilahReport

 

Leave a Comment