Author Archives: N.R. Jenzen-Jones
Armour-piercing shotgun projectiles fired during protests in Ukraine
New on the Armament Research Services (ARES) company blog, The Hoplite, is a brief report examining armour-piercing (AP) 12 gauge shotgun slugs that have been recently documented in conjunction with protests in Ukraine. The projectiles shown are specialist armour-piercing (AP) 12 gauge shotgun projectiles, believed to be developed and produced by the Spetstekhnika (‘Specialised Equipment’) […]
Thales selects Steyr SL40 grenade launcher for EF88
Thales Australia have announced today that they have selected the Steyr SL40 grenade launcher to be paired with their EF88 assault rifle, which is being offered to the Australian Defence Forces under Defence’s LAND 125 Phase 3C program. The EF88 was originally offered with the Madritsch Weapon Technology ML40AUS grenade launcher, however a source close to […]
SAR 80 rifle and 5.56 x 45 ammunition in the Central African Republic
In the photo above, anti-Balaka militia forces near Bouar in the Central African Republic (CAR) can be seen posing with some of their weapons. The fighter at the far right is holding what is likely a Chinese Type 56 assault rifle, whilst his compatriot in yellow is holding a Singaporean SAR 80 rifle. The SAR […]
Markings abraded on Iranian rifles in Gaza
The picture above shows what is likely an Iranian-produced copy of the Steyr HS .50 anti-materiel rifle (AMR) in the hands of a fighter from Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, in Gaza. The Iranian copy of the HS .50 is known as the ‘AM50’, and appears to incorporate a handful of minor changes. Several such AMRs have […]
Small-calibre ammunition in Libya: an update
The Small Arms Survey has just released my latest report examining the small-calibre ammunition. Written as an update to my earlier, longer-format report on small-calibre ammo in Libya, this piece examines some new headstamps documented in the country, as well as looking at proliferation out of Libya. Small-calibre ammunition has proliferated out of Libya to […]
Milkor MGL Mk. 1 in the Central African Republic
A quick post to point out what appears to be a Milkor MGL Mk.1 grenade launcher, seen here in the hands of Séléka fighters near Bangui, in the Central African Republic (CAR). The Milkor MGL is a South African six-shot rotary grenade launcher, designed by Andries Piek of Milkor (Pty) Ltd. and introduced into service with […]
Did Chinese HJ-8E ATGWs in Syria Originate in Sudan?
In recent months, Chinese HJ-8E anti-tank guided weapons (ATGWs) have been documented in the hands of anti-government fighters in Syria. The HJ-8 (Hong Jian-8, or “Red Arrow-8”) is a second generation ATGW, operating on the semi-automatic command to line-of-sight (SACLOS) principle. Use of the HJ-8 requires that the operator continually keep the target in the […]
Which Light Weight Automatic Grenade Launcher for the ADF?
The following is an excerpt of an article scheduled to appear in a forthcoming issue of the Small Arms Defence Journal (Vol.6 No.1), which examines the contenders for the Australian Defence Force’s LWAGL requirement. The complete article is over 3000 words in length, and discusses the grenade launchers, ammunition, and fire control systems of each […]
Libyan 11th ‘Lightning’ Battalion with new Bulgarian rifles
The image above shows members of Libya’s 11th ‘Lightning’ Battalion special forces armed with Arsenal AR-M9F assault rifles, in 5.56 x 45 calibre. The 11th Bn has ‘rapid response’ duties, as well as conducting close personal protection (CPP) details. From what I have seen so far, the first images of these rifles in their hands […]
UN report confirms use of CW in Syria
A brief post to note that the UN report on the now-confirmed chemical weapons (CW) attacks on Ghouta has been released. It appears that many commentators and analysts, including myself, were correct in pointing to the unknown munition detailed in my previous posts as the probable delivery mechanism for CW agent in these attacks. The […]
The Rogue Adventurer 