Category Libya
Improvised use of S-5 rockets in land warfare
Yuri Lyamin and I have authored the first ARES Research Report, “Improvised Employment of S-5 Air-to-Surface Rockets in Land Warfare”, which aims to provide a brief history and technical appraisal of a battlefield phenomenon which has received little attention to date. Below are some extracts from the publication, which can be read in full here […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Anza Mk-II MANPADS in Libya
Anza Mk-II Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) have been observed in Libya. A source working with an NGO in Libya, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent me the images featured in this piece. These images were taken in 2011 at arms depots wrested from government control by rebel forces. The Anza Mk-II, developed at the […]
The Vagaries of Proliferation: AK-103 and F2000 assault rifles in Gaza
On October 2nd the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين), the al-Quds Brigades, took to the streets of Fatah in Southern Gaza to mark the 17th anniversary of the assassination of Fathi al-Shaqaqi. Shaqaqi was assassinated in Malta by the Mossad in 1995. Each year, the al-Quds Brigades take to the […]
Optics of the Libyan Conflict – Part III
Whilst work continues on the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) database that I am currently compiling, I continue to come across a few interesting optics here and there. You can see my first two posts on these here, and here. I’ve added a handful more below. This Barrett M82A1M is fitted with a Leupold […]
A Libyan Conflict Oddity – Romanian Model 80 30mm AA Gun
A post on the Defence Talk forums by Abbas Ahmed, from Zenad Magazine in Misrata, featured a few curious photos of an unidentified AA system. At first glance, it appears to look quite similar to a Russian ZU-23-2 (or a foreign copy), built around the 2A14 autocannon so commonly seen throughout the world, and in Libya. […]
Optics of the Libyan Conflict – Part II
I’ve been trawling through thousands of Libyan conflict photos over the last few days and I’ve found a number of interesting small arms to add to the database. I’ve also come across a few more weapon sights to add to the list that I started here. Stills from this video show what appears to be […]
Small Arms of the 2011 Libyan Conflict – Cataloguing the Weapons of War
As some of my readers know, I have been undertaking a rather large research project over these past few months, inspired by my recent articles on the AK-103 assault rifles that have been seen in Libya. I am endeavouring to build a ‘complete-as-possible’ database of the various small arms used in the recent Libyan conflict. […]
The Rogue Adventurer 