Category Ammunition & Ordnance
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 […]
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 […]
Update: Alleged CW munitions in Syria
This piece is an update to my two earlier pieces examining the unidentified munitions alleged to have been used in chemical weapons (CW) attacks in Syria. It should be stressed that this is still a preliminary analysis of the photographic and videographic material available. It is still not clear whether these munitions carried a CW payload, nor are their […]
Alleged CW munitions in Syria fired from Iranian Falaq-2 type launchers
Note: this piece is intended as a follow-up to my earlier, preliminary analysis of the unidentified munitions claimed to have been used to deliver chemical agents in Syria. It will repeat a little of the material covered in the earlier piece as it is intended to be translated and made available in Arabic. It should be stressed […]
Preliminary analysis of alleged CW munitions used in Syria
UPDATE: I have posted an update containing several important details. UPDATE 31/08/2013: A second update including more details is available here. In recent days, the world’s attention has been focused on the alleged chemical weapons (CW) attacks in Syria. This post will seek to examine the alleged delivery system used in these attacks, and provide a preliminary analysis […]
Anti-Assad fighters in Syria modify PG-7 projectiles
Anti-Assad fighters from the Mujahid Battalion of the Caucasus Emirate have posted a Russian-language video to their website, outlining how to modify the VP-7M type fuze to disable the self-destruct mechanism present in PG-7 type warheads. Typically, these warheads self-destruct at around the 920m mark. Disabling this feature extends the maximum range of the weapon, though […]
A case study of one cartridge case from today’s protests in Egypt
The image above is of a fired (spent) 7.62×39 cartridge case in the hands of a pro-Morsi protester in Egypt, as photographed by Louisa Loveluck earlier today. The cartridge is marked with the Arabic lettering for ‘A.R.E.’ at the 12 o’clock position, which stands for ‘Arab Republic of Egypt’, as seen on Egyptian ammunition produced from […]
Less-lethal launchers during recent protests in Turkey
Recent crowd control actions executed by Turkish police have showcased the employment of several less-lethal launchers. Aside from a range of medium-calibre riot guns (including 37/38mm Federal Riot Guns, 37/38mm Penn Arms PL-8 rotary launchers, and MKE 40mm launchers) firing CS, impact, and possibly OC munitions, three other less-lethal launchers have been observed. Each of […]
Identifying and analysing Small Arms Ammunition in Libya
The Small Arms Survey has recently released my latest long form report, examining the variety of Small Arms Ammunition (SAA) observed in Libya during and immediately after the recent conflict. This is the first in a series of baseline assessments of arms and ammunition holdings in Africa and the Middle East that I intend to […]
Submunitions in Syria: additions and updates
Following are two more safety sheets I produced for the RRMA, as part of a package provided to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to support their ongoing efforts in Syria. The content of these is drawn largely from previous posts here. There are one-sheets for the ZAB-2.5 incendiary and Sakr Type B submunitions, as well […]
The Rogue Adventurer 