Since 2015 there have been at least 12 documented arms seizures off the Somalian and Yemeni coastlines by US, Saudi, and a variety of other navies. These weapons seizures range in size from 10s of rifles to hundreds of Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) and thousands of Type 56-1 AKs.
U.S. 5th Fleet Seizure of Arms in the North Arabian Sea
On December 20, 2021, the US Navy’s 5th Fleet intercepted a stateless dhow in the North Arabian Sea carrying arms and ammunition. This was the third interception made by the 5th Fleet during 2021, of dhow carrying SALW towards Yemen with its origin likely being Iran. Notably, this is the first instance of ammunition being found by the 5th Fleet this year.
The Persian Saga – Rise of the AK-103 in Iran
For decades, the Kalashnikov self-loading rifle has been a prolific design, put to use by various actors worldwide and revered by many as a symbol of either good or evil. Iran is no exception to its sphere of influence and shows no signs of loosening its reins on the weapon, which since the days of its war against Iraq, it has kept various variant of the rifle in service. In this article, we will document the history and functionality of the most recent variant of the Kalashnikov rifle seen in Iran: the AK-103.
Indigenous Iranian Equipment: Iranian Molle Vest
Iran’s armed forces consists of a multitude of different services, including the Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, an Air Defense Force which is responsible for providing an anti-aircraft security net, and a law enforcement branch. This structure remains somewhat similar to the Shah-era military structure, save for the Air Defense Force which became its own branch separate from the Air Force in 2008, as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps which contains its own ground force, navy, and aerospace force. In addition to the IRGC’s other branches is the Quds Force, which performs asymmetrical warfare abroad, and the Basij, a paramilitary unit. These branches all have personnel equipped with various different types of tactical equipment, with many pieces acquired pre-Islamic Revolution transferring over to the newly formed Iranian Army.
Meprolight Produces New MIL-STD Mepro TIGON Sight
The Israeli company Meprolight released their new red dot/uncooled thermal imaging sight, the TIGON, at Paris’s MILIPOL 2021 exhibition (October 19-22, 2021). The new optic includes a red dot sighting system working in conjunction with the x2 thermal sighting system allowing the user to effectively engage targets out to 150 meters (although 200 meters has been discussed as the true effective range) day or nights.
Breaking News: Pakistani State, POF & Darra Collaboration?
The Pakistani arms manufacturing conglomerate, Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF), headquartered in Wah Cantt, Punjab, have come to a historic decision in regards to the arms industry located in the town of Darra Adam Khel in a meeting chaired by the current Government of KPK province, Shah Farman.
Georgia Partnering with Israel to Produce Small Arms
The Georgian Minister of Defence, Juansher Burchuladze, has announced that production of new M4 self-loading carbines is planned through a Georgian-Israeli enterprise. The new domestically produced 5.56×45mm M4 carbines will be produced by the end of 2021.
ANSF Modifications of Weapons Captured by the Taliban During Their 2021 Offensive
I recently wrote a blog post for ARES (Armament Research Services), Silah Report is a subsidiary of ARES, about weapons captured by the Taliban during their 2021 offensive which toppled the Afghan Government. You can check out the article here.
This article will go over some of the modifications made to the weapons captured from ANSF (Afghan Security Forces) by the Taliban during their 2021 offensive. These modifications appear to have been made by the ANSF before they were captured.
Intriguing Khyber AK Carbine In The Mountains of Suwwat
During a short but ultimately eventful visit to the regions of Suwwat (Swat Valley) and Kohistan, located in the far Northern uppermost areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, in late October 2021, a Hungarian-esque oddity was discovered lurking amongst the tall evergreen trees and majestic rocky mountains just a few kilometres outside of the capital city of Suwwat, Mingora. This mechanical contraption of metal and wood found in the arms of a security guard at a trout farm was very reminiscent of the well-known 7.62×39mm Hungarian AK-variant; the AMD-65 carbine, at an initial glance.
Beirut Clashes – Weapons on the Street
This morning in Beirut, Lebanon was far from normal as the streets turned into a warzone and clashes erupted taking the lives of many people, injuring even more and forcing hundreds of families to flee their homes. We examine the causes and look at some of the small arms seen on Beirut’s streets.