Amongst arms and equipment inspected by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, one suppressed rifle stands out. The display of military hardware took place at a National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) training centre outside of Kiev in 2014, and displayed predominantly Ukrainian-produced armoured vehicles, small arms and light weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a line of small arms and light weapons on display shown above, the second-from-left rifle, with what appears to be an integral suppressor and bipod , is unfamiliar. A media release from the NGU sheds further light, listing among the arms displayed the ?????-61, or ‘Hopak-61’. A machine-translation of its description reads “operational portable rifle, based on AK/AKM”. While the Hopak-61 appears to have a wholly conventional AKM-style receiver, complete with gas block, no gas tube is visible. This could indicate that the rifle is blowback operated, likely chambered for a pistol calibre cartridge, or that it is manually operated.

Another weapon of note is seen on the far right, more easily identifiable in the photograph below. The UAG-40 automatic grenade launcher (AGL) is tripod-mounted, belt-fed, and capable of a 2200 metre maximum range. It is chambered for the 40 x 43SR mm cartridge, common amongst NATO and allied nations’ AGLs, and weighs less than 30 kg complete with tripod. The UAG-40 is manufactured by the Leninska Kuznya plant in Kiev. Previously only the AGS-17 AGL has been documented in service with Ukrainian security forces, as noted in ARES Research Report 3, Raising Red Flags on arms, munitions and equipment of the Ukrainian conflict.

This article is courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES) –
www.armamentresearch.com

The owner, ‘U‘, says he purchased the pistol a few months ago from a contact within the Supreme Security Committee (SSC), a branch of the Libyan Ministry of Interior tasked with providing security within Tripoli following the 2011 revolution. U believes that the pistol was bought and issued to the SSC by the Libyan government before it was sold to him by an SSC officer. While the supply of arms to Libyan security forces is permissible under certain circumstances outlined in the UN arms embargo, this case highlights the challenges of controlling these weapons once they arrive in Libya.

Pistols are a rare commodity in Libya, and command a significantly higher price than long arms. U paid LYD 5,000.00 for his Caracal F (over USD $4,000.00), a price he says was actually about 1,000 LYD below the going rate. This Caracal F is chambered for 9 x 19 mm ammunition; U had loaded his magazine with cartridges produced in 1978 by FN Herstal, in Belgium. As well as being scarce, the 9 x 19 mm ammunition is also expensive in Libya. ARES Director N.R. Jenzen-Jones has previously documented the prices of small calibre ammunition in Libya; in February 2012, 9 x 19 mm ammunition cost around LYD 8.00 (more than USD $6.00 per cartridge). In 2014, U has been paying around LYD 5.00 (more than USD $4.00) per round – but U and fellow shopkeepers are happy with the economic trade-off of these weapons; whilst rifles are much more commonly available and relatively inexpensive, he says they “opt not to go for heavier weaponry, to avoid attention.”

Interestingly, certain production batches of the Caracal F were recalled in October 2012, with the manufacturer citing a potential problem with the trigger assembly. The recall included all Model F handguns bearing serial numbers beginning with “L”, like this example. It is unknown if this Caracal F has been returned or repaired since the recall.

The Caracal F, and the rest of the original line, was replaced by the CP660, CP661, and CP662 models which feature redesigned slide assemblies. The Caracal F (full-size model) has the following selected technical characteristics:

Slide length: 178 mm
Barrel length: 105 mm
Height: 137 mm
Width: 30 mm
Weight: 750 g
Calibre: 9 x 19 or 9 x 21
Magazine capacity: 18
Trigger system: ‘Short Double Action’
Trigger weight: ~2.3 kg

This article is reproduced courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES) – www.armamentresearch.com

The Chinese M99 anti-materiel rifle (AMR) is chambered for 12.7 x 108 mm or 12.7 x 99 mm (.50 BMG), and has been in service since late 2005 with Chinese armed forces. With an effective range of 1500 metres, the M99 has been seen on more than one occasion in the hands of Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces, sometimes mistaken for the externally similar Accuracy International (AI) AS50 AMR.

It remains unclear how Kurdish forces in Iraq have acquired these weapons. They may have been captured during skirmishes with Islamic State (IS) forces (who, in turn, may have captured or acquired them from Syrian rebel forces), supplies by rebel groups within Syria, or supplied by a foreign state. Qatar, for example, are believed to have supplied Syrian rebel forces with Chinese weapons procured from Sudan, including the QLZ87 and M99, as well as HJ-8 anti-tank guided weapons (ATGW) and FN-6 man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS).

Photos posted to Twitter show Kurdish forces in Iraq with a limited number of Chinese QLZ87 automatic grenade launchers and M99 anti-materiel rifles.

Photo credit: @green_lemonnn (Twitter user) A Kurdish fighter takes cover with a QLZ87 AGL.

An M99 anti-material rifle held by a Kurdish Fighter in Iraq

A Kurdish fighter takes a sight-picture with a QLZ87 AGL.

M99 Anti-Materiel Rifle
Calibre: 12.7 x 108 mm, or 12.7 x 99 mm
Action: Direct gas impingement
Capacity: 5 round box magazine
Effective Range: 1500 metres
Length: 1.48 metres
Weight: 11.8 kg

QLZ87 Automatic Grenade Launcher
Calibre: 35 x 32SR mm
Action: Direct gas impingement
Capacity: 6 or 15 round drum magazine
Effective Range: 800 metres (bipod), 1750 metres (tripod)
Length: 1.04 to 1.3 metres
Weight: 12 kg (weapon), 8 kg (bipod)

The Mk 14 EBR series are self-loading rifles chambered for 7.62 x 51 mm and typically employed as designated marksman rifles (DMR). Originally introduced by the US Navy, Mk 14 series rifles have since been produced for other US service branches and sold to foreign allies. The model pictured appears to have been produced by Rock Island Arsenal, in Illinois. Minor diagnostic details such as the type of optic, scope mount, bipod, and other components distinguish it from other models. It is designated as the M14EBR-RI, and some 6,200 examples were fielded by the US Army. Another photo uploaded the same day shows fighters with a 120 mm M120 mortar system, with one fighter carrying another M16-type rifle.

It is not clear how Division 30 acquired these weapons, but it is possible they received them as part of a US-administered train and equip programme. These could also be captured hand-me-downs. The Mk 14 EBR has previously been seen in Iraq in the hands of IS fighters, as seen below, thought to be captured from Iraqi security forces who had, in turn, received it from the United States. With recent reports that Jabhat al-Nusra fighters successfully abducted members of Division 30, and killed others, there remains a possibility that some of these supplied weapons will yet find their way into the hands of other groups.

FSA fighters from Division 30 with an M120 mortar system.

Recent photos to emerge from Iraq show government troops with new Iranian AM50 (sometimes written as ‘AM-50′) anti-materiel rifles (AMR) and Russian ORSIS T-5000 sniper rifles. Whilst initially misidentified as the Austrian Steyr HS .50, the photos suggest that these rifles are actually an Iranian-produced copy of the HS .50, known as the AM50. In 2006-2007, Iran acquired 800 Steyr HS .50 rifles; shortly thereafter, Iranian copies of the rifle were observed.

Manufactured by the Iranian state-controlled Defence Industries Organization’s (DIO) Individual Combat Industries Group (ICIG), the AM50 is a single-shot, bolt-action anti-materiel rifle chambered for 12.7 x 99 mm (.50 BMG). The most easily distinguishable differences between the HS .50 and the AM50 are in the grip and barrel. The Iranian AM50 seems to make use of a pistol grip that ICIG produces for the S-5.56, a copy of the Chinese CQ rifle (which is itself an AR-15 clone). HS .50 rifles are derived from a Heinrich Fortmeier design developed for Steyr in 2002, now available as the Fortmeier .50 BMG. Whilst the Iranian AM50 features the modified bolt handle and muzzle brake adopted by Steyr in the production HS .50 rifles, the barrel appears to be of an evenly tapered, non-fluted design, as seen in the Fortmeier rifles, rather than the stepped, fluted design adopted by the Steyr rifles.

A soldier with the new Iranian AM50 rifle. (Yuri Lyamin)

Whilst the AM50 has been documented in use by both Iranian and Syrian government troops, and a handful have been observed in the possession of non-state armed groups in Gaza and Syria, it is only in the last few months that these pictures from Iraq have surfaced. The method by which these rifles came to be in possession of Iraqi troops is unknown, but two possibilities are more likely than others.

First, the rifles may have been captured or otherwise acquired from one of the non-state armed groups in possession of these weapons. They may have been captured from fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), who are known to have captured such weapons from forces loyal to Assad, and are also operating inside Iraq. Alternatively, Iraqi troops may have acquired these rifles through the pro-government Shiite militias, who in turn may have received such rifles from Iran.

It is also possible that Iraq purchased the AM50 directly from Iran. According to a report from Reuters in February, Iraq signed a deal to buy arms and ammunition from Iran worth $195 million USD. The documents cited by Reuters included provisions for “light and medium weapons.” Whilst such a contract would violate UN sanctions against Iran, it remains a possibility that these weapons could have been delivered to Iraqi troops.

A soldier holding the new Iranian AM50 rifle. (Yuri Lyamin)

The presence of the Russian ORSIS T-5000 sniper rifles in Iraq is more readily explained, as the Iraqi government recently purchased them from Russia in a sizeable arms deal. As with the AM50, pictures of the T-5000 began to appear around March 2014.

The ORSIS T-5000 is a precision bolt-action sniper rifle fed from a detachable box magazine (either five or ten rounds). Manufactured in Moscow at Promtechnologies Group’s ORSIS1 rifle factory, the T-5000 is produced in three different calibres: 7.62 x 51 mm (.308 Winchester), .300 Winchester Magnum, and .338 Lapua Magnum. There is currently no clear indication of which calibre, or combination of calibres, Iraq has purchased.

An Iraqi soldier with a Russian ORSIS T-5000. (Yuri Lyamin)

An Iraqi soldier holding the Iranian AM50 rifle. (Yuri Lyamin)

Whilst some sources have claimed the ACE series was originally designed and developed by Indumil of Colombia, the official statement from Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) is that IWI was responsible for initial development. IWI notes that Indumil is licensed to produce major component groups of the 5.56 x 45 mm variants for the exclusive use of Colombia’s armed forces.

Chambered for 5.56 x 45 mm, the Model 21 is a compact, short-barreled, gas-operated assault rifle with selective-fire capability. The example shown features a 35-round magazine and a collapsible buttstock. Sources indicate that several more of these weapons have been seen in South Sudan recently. One possibility is that the ACE rifles may have been supplied by Uganda; the UPDF are known to use the ACE rifle.