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.
AKs
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.
The Kalashnikovs of Saudi Forces in Yemen – Part 2
The Saudi military’s various branches utilize a wide variety of small arms, but among those deployed in and along the border with Yemen, derivatives of the Kalashnikov or AK-pattern self-loading rifle are surprisingly some of the most common. In the previous part of this article we examined the AK-pattern rifles in use with the Saudi armed forces. In this concluding part we will look at the various civilian owned AK-patterned self-loading rifles which have been seen in use with Saudi forces. As noted previously, this study draws its data and sources largely from an extensive private image collection provided to Silah Report of open-source social media photos and videos taken by soldiers of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the Saudi National Guard, and the Saudi Border Guard and is thus able to paint a uniquely representative picture of the weapons they use. Indeed, the data provided showed that Kalashnikov derivatives make up well over half of the assault rifles in the dataset, far outpacing the presence of the Saudis’ signature G36, G3, and AUG self-loading rifles.
The Pak-Afghan Side-Folding AK Phenomena
Over the past few decades, a certain style of AK-pattern self-loading rifle or more specifically an AK variant feature has come out on top to be nicknamed the iconic ‘Khyber AK’ style by arms enthusiasts outside the Pak-Afghan region. This was destined to be so, especially after being seen in the hands of the infamous Usama Bin-Ladin, which helped propel this AK style into the limelight. Although it would be incorrect to assume one specific style to be the definitive Khyber modified or built AK type self-loading rifle ‘design’ due to the multitude of styles and variants manufactured in the Khyber region. The AKM or an AK-pattern rifle fitted with the iconic Russian skeleton triangle side-folding buttstock found on the AKS-74 and AKS-74U, has become that iconic piece. Not only that, but it truly is also one of the more popular choices for a folding buttstock within the Pak-Afghan region in general.