Whilst employed less frequently than the other types of small arms and light weapons covered in this series, grenade launchers and anti-armour weapons have still played a role in Iraqi Special Forces’ operations during the re-conquest of parts of Iraq from the Islamic State. Complementing other types of weapons used in the fighting, weapons firing high-explosive (HE) munitions were used sparingly due to the significant collateral damage they could inflict on the civilian population of Mosul, as well as the logistical burden of ammunition resupply from a limited Iraqi support infrastructure.

One of the key systems in service with ISOF is the 40x46SRmm M203 under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL), typically coupled with an ISOF member’s M4 pattern self-loading rifle. The two primary variants in use are a 9-inch barrel version using an early type of short, ventilated, replacement handguard and the more modern and widely used 12-inch barrel M203 that is mounted underneath the barrel and Picatinny handguards of an M4 rifle. The 9-inch barrel version, in addition to its reduced length, has a distinctive shape. In the past, there have been at least five makers of this configuration: Colt, Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT), Knight’s Armament, AirTronic and RM Equipment. The examples in Iraq appear to be primarily sourced from surplus U.S. military stocks. Most of these are Colt manufactured. However, LMT examples have also been documented in use.

Of the M203 models in use, very few are mounted with the appropriate flip-up leaf sights that align with the M4 front sight post for aiming purposes. Instead, many of the ISOF grenadiers place AN/PEQ-2 aiming devices at the 12 o’clock position. This does not pose an issue when used with M203 models with 12-inch barrels but complicates mounting for the variants with 9-inch barrels that use the shorter handguards. To solve this predicament, some ISOF grenadiers have been using M16A2-type carry handle mounts which attach to the standard A2 carrying handle on an M4 pattern rifle and have a Picatinny rail extension that rests over the handguard of the rifle. This allows any Picatinny-mounted optic to be placed in a forward position.

Interestingly, images showing ISOF fighters with M203 pattern grenade launchers rarely show any spare cartridges among the soldiers’ gear. In fact, there is very little video or imagery showing ISOF members firing these weapons. Current and former members of ISOF revealed that supplies of 40x46SRmm cartridges are extremely low ISOF-wide. Grenadiers are carrying their M203 UBGLs and even have purpose-designed MOLLE pouches mounted on their plate carriers, but very few combatants have been issued more than one round. In some cases, no ammunition is carried. In order to deliver HE direct supporting fires on the battlefield, ISOF troops have instead turned to a variety of man-portable, anti-armour systems that can be hand-carried throughout the dense urban streets of Mosul. These range from 84mm AT4 recoilless weapons to the ubiquitous RPG-7.

ISOF employ both the U.S.-supplied Saab 84mm AT4 single-shot recoilless anti-armour weapon and the RPG-7 multipurpose recoilless weapon of Soviet origin. There has also been limited use of 66mm M72 LAW-type rocket launchers. Although the AT4 is single-use and somewhat bulky to carry on foot, the reliance on vehicles as a base of operations and for fire support means that ISOF teams are rarely far from a mobile firebase in combat. AT4 anti-armour weapons seem to be in good supply due to U.S. logistics support of its own forces.

Whilst the RPG-7 is generally less accurate than the AT4, it does allow a single ISOF team to sustain a reasonably high rate of fire whilst remaining foot-mobile. PG-7V and PG-7VL anti-tank projectiles are carried, as are limited numbers of OG-7V anti-personnel projectiles. Many of the projectiles appear to be of Bulgarian origin, but a wide range of manufacturers’ munitions are known to be circulating within Iraq, and ISOF are likely to have employed captured and recovered stockpiles. Either the operator or an assistant is often seen carrying purpose-designed backpack pouches for carrying spare rounds. RPG-7 pattern weapons from a variety of Eastern Bloc countries appear to be in use, and it appears that most originate from Iraqi Interior Ministry purchases, rather than supplies to ISOF via foreign military sales from the United States.

The Mk 19 AGL

In addition to man-portable systems, ISOF also make extensive use of the Mk 19 40x53SRmm automatic grenade launcher (AGL). Within the ISOF arsenal, the Mk 19 is almost entirely confined to a vehicle-mounted role, generally fitted to turrets with improvised armour mounted on M123 series HMWWVs. The majority of the HMWWVs in use carry M2-type heavy machine guns (HMGs) as a primary source of firepower. A small number are instead armed with Mk 19 AGLs, however. Unlike 40x46SRmm ammunition, 40x53SRmm cartridges for the Mk 19 appear to be readily available.

Although ISOF have this automatic HE fire support capability, it has been used relatively infrequently in recent operations due to the potential friendly-fire and collateral damage it can inflict in the confined spaces these engagements have been fought in. The Mk 19 is also considered by some ISOF members as less effective than the M2 HMG at stopping certain lightly armoured, relatively fast SVBIEDs used in ambushes in tight urban terrain. The Mk 19 AGLs in use with ISOF are largely U.S.-supplied versions made by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, but a small number are believed to Korean Daewoo K4 models.

40x53SRmm ammunition has also been modified for use in improvised air-delivered munitions, dropped on to battlefield targets by commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In the Iraq-Syria theatre, this concept was first employed by the Islamic State, but such munitions are now employed by Iraqi security forces, including ISOF. Iraqi government forces often make use of commercially available shuttlecocks to provide some aerodynamic stabilization.

This article is reproduced courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES). See armamentresearch.com for further original content.

According to previous video issued by Iran’s state broadcasting company (IRIB), Tehran has a top-attack version of its Toophan (“typhoon”) anti-tank guided missile. The Toophan series are derived from the U.S. BGM-71 TOW series of anti-tank guided weapons (ATGW). This marks Iran’s return to the licit arms market, while also belying the previous illicit transfers of similar missiles to Iraq and elsewhere in the region. It has been previously reported that Toophan systems were intercepted en route to the Gulf of Aden in 2015. Toophan missiles have also been documented as being in service with pro-government, predominantly Shi’a militias in both Syria and Iraq.

The Toophan-3 (T3) is a recent addition to the family of anti-tank missiles that grew out of licensed TOW production in the 1970s. The family includes the Toophan-1 (a licensed copy of the BGM-71A), Toophan-2 (a BGM-71C derivative) and at least two other variants designated the Toophan-5 and Qaem (developed from the Toophan missile), which have no direct TOW counterparts.

The T3 closely resembles the BGM-71F (TOW-2B). Both operate by using magnetic and laser sensors whilst passing over the target, causing the munition to function a downward-facing explosively formed penetrator (EFP) against the relatively thin top armour of most armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs). Unlike the TOW-2B, the T3 employs only a single EFP. In addition, the T3’s EFP is narrower, which is likely to lower its effectiveness even further. However, the claimed penetration (>80 mm RHAe)—consistent with common rule-of-thumb estimates relating penetration to warhead diameter—is still enough to successfully neutralise most modern AFVs.

Large interest in the emergence of the T3 at a March 2016 Defense, Security & Aviation Fair underscored the importance Tehran placed on re-entering the global arms market. In 2006, the United Nations Security Council banned Iran’s export of arms in a resolution linked to the nuclear dispute. The JCPOA, signed July 2015 to resolve this issue, promised to remove these restrictions. Although, in theory, Tehran remains bound by these resolutions until certain provisions are implemented and verified, in practice these details have been brushed aside by Tehran in its hurry to win over new and old customers alike. This is especially true when the customers, like Iraq, are potential geostrategic allies.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS*

Length: 1.16m

Weight: 19.1kg

Diameter: 150mm

Range (Day): 3,500m

Range (Night): 2,500m

Average Velocity: 240 m/s

Warhead Diameter: 128mm

Warhead Weight: 1.7kg

Penetration: 80mm RHAe

* Claimed specifications as per Ministry of Defense’s export webpage.

This article is reproduced courtesy of Armament Research Services (ARES). See armamentresearch.com for further original content.

Elusive Rifles         

From the small sample size that we have been able to research with, there appears to have been two production runs of Al-Kadesiah rifles: an early initial batch that might have run from 1988 to 1991 and then another lot in 2003, just before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. We still don’t know how many in total were produced, but a ballpark estimate would be in the several thousand, perhaps not more than ten thousand rifles ever produced. What we know about the intent and use of the Al-Kadesiah is even less. Similar to many of Iraq’s indigenously produced small arms, it doesn’t appear that many of them ever saw combat or were even intended for combat use in the Iraqi Army, Republican Guard or paramilitary Fedayeen forces. Historical photographs, videos and interviews with pre-2003 Iraqi Army forces reveal that many soldiers could easily serve a term of service without seeing a Tabuk, Tariq or an Al-Kadesiah. A prime, statistics-based example of this is at the reserve collection of the Marine Corps Museum, which has several hundred captured Iraqi Army items spanning Desert Storm and post-2003, the overwhelming majority of which are not Iraqi-produced.

With the exception of the Tabuk rifles, Al-Quds RPK light machine guns and al-Nasirah RPG launchers, a critical component of these indigenously produced weapons appears to have been a gifting mechanism, both within Iraq as an award, promotion or to the family members of soldiers killed in battle, and to foreign governments overseas (Gaddafi of Libya and Mubarak of Egypt are two known examples). Indeed, some of these gold-plated Tariqs, Al-Kadesiahs and carbine Tabuks are inscribed in Arabic: “A Gift from President Saddam Hussein, President of the Republic of Iraq.” One rare example in the case of Tariq handguns reads: “The home country is the honor of the fighting soldier; A present from the President Saddam Hussein for those who defend the mother country” engraved along the slide. However, not all of these gold-plated small arms would have any particular phrase stamped into them; many are simply gold-plated without any additional markings.

Features

What make the Al-Kadesiah distinguishable from a Soviet SVD Dragunov are enough features to make the majority of parts from either rifle not interchangeable. This is important because between the Soviet and Chinese Dragunov rifle variants and even the Romanian PSL rifle, users and logistics officers alike have assumed interchangeability when there was none to begin with, something that causes problems downrange. An example is PSL magazines because they can latch into place in an Al-Kadesiah magazine well, but without actual modification to the rifle or to the magazines, their tolerances are off just enough that the rounds will not feed when charged. This hasn’t stopped rifles already in theater being altered by rebels on the ground who are often forced to make do with limited supplies.

Outwardly and from afar, the two rifles are virtually indistinguishable, but upon a closer inspection, we find that the Al-Kadesiah is actually a poor clone of the Soviet SVD. Operationally, the two rifles are identical, both utilizing a long-stroke gas impingement system acting on a multi-lug rotating bolt; however, the Al-Kadesiah’s gas tube cannot be adjusted, and the bolt is akin to a Kalashnikov bolt with its two main locking lugs and one guide lug rotating in the same direction (a Dragunov’s bolt rotates opposite of a Kalashnikov’s due to the cut of the lug paths). All Al-Kadesiah rifles also have a red-capped plastic pistol grip. A very important distinction is in the receiver construction, the Al-Kadesiah is a three-part, stamped-steel receiver with a thickness of 1.5mm and pinned trunion, while the Dragunov is a single-milled receiver (trunion area included). Some key visible differences are in the Al-Kadesiah’s palm-tree-embossed magazine, four cooling slats in the handguard versus six in a Dragunov and rear sights without any Cyrillic markings on the Al-Kadesiah. Scopes used in the series are mainly Yugoslavian OM-M76 4x optics with special 7.62×54 marking on the turret, but also seen are some older Soviet PSO-1s, and many were issued with Romanian LPS Type 2 optics.

Three Variants

After a thorough study of available examples of Al-Kadesiah rifles in reference collections, open sources and on display in museums, there have been three basic variants that have come to light. We begin with the serial number lot numbers. All the available Al-Kadesiah rifles surveyed begin with the 50000XX serial number range. This is on par with other Al-Kadesiah products, such as 9x19mm Tariq handguns which all fall in a 313XXXXX range, Al-Quds RPKs in an early 300XXXX range, folding stock Al-Quds in the 400XXXX range and Tabuk rifles that can fall in a number of different serial number ranges.

The earliest variants we observed are gold-plated rifles from 1988. These rifles have not been observed to come equipped with scopes but appear to have scopes in their velvet carrying cases. They have also been seen separately, in plastic bags. They have a full and matching serial number stamped on the lower receiver, bolt carrier and receiver cover, a year stamp below the serial number and have the marking “AL.KADESIAH, 7.62×54, MADE.IN.IRAQ.” At least one of these rifles has been spotted with the gift inscription and a Tariq Ibn Zayid medallion pressed into the wooden handguard.

After this golden presentation variant comes a standard field-grade variant which appears to have been intended for troop issue. The rifle is identical to the first variant but is not gold-plated and has “KADESIH” instead of “SIAH.” Year samples are from 1991 and 1992. Some of these features a shortened two-digit serial number on the receiver. Note that the serial numbers ascend from the earliest rifle in 1989, indicating a constant serial number block regardless of year.

Our next variant exists in 2003 and is a drill-purpose rifle. A hole has been drilled in the barrel underneath the handguards just forward of the chamber at the 3 o’clock position, underneath the handguards. This has resulted in at least one such rifle suffering a catastrophic malfunction when fired in Iraq. The usual marking on the right side of the receiver is no longer there, instead switched to the left side and now hand-etched with “للتدريب/lel-tadreeb” in Arabic, which means “Training,” in addition to a three-digit serial number and the year of manufacture. The same phrase is also imprinted on a metal medallion that is embedded in the right-hand side of the stock.

Of these three variants surveyed out of a total of 15 rifles spread between the United Kingdom and the United States, nine are gold-plated presentation rifles, four are field-grade rifles, and only two are drill purpose from 2003. These numbers fit with the attitude that the rifles were primarily a gift or ceremonial item as opposed to combat arms. As stated before, interviews and media research of Iraqi armed forces have revealed that the Al-Kadesiah did not appear to be in use at all by operating forces—not in the Iran–Iraq War, invasion of Kuwait, resulting Desert Storm and finally in the grand finale of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Technical Specifications

Caliber          7.62x54mmR

Magazine Capacity           10 rounds, proprietary Iraqi magazines

Overall Length       48.42in

Barrel Length         24.48in

Barrel Internals     4 grooves, 1:10 right-hand twist

Weight          9lb, 14oz, loaded with scope attached

Effective Range     1,300m

Sources

Iannamico, Frank, AK-47, The Grim Reaper, Chipotle Publishing, LLC

DesignatedMarksman.Net, Iraqi Al-Kadesiah (also known as Al-Kadesih) Sniper Rifle 7.62x54R

USMC Museum Reference Collection

Phoenix Defence Reference Collection

Israel Defense and HLS Expo is the country’s largest biennial defense show that is held at the Tel Aviv Expo International Center. The show features both indigenous Israeli and foreign defense companies with booths for both in a main convention hall. This year’s emphasis was centered on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and counter-UAV technology as the increasing use of drones in warfare continues to advance at a breakneck pace. Apart from UAVs, there were certainly a number of other companies that displayed the latest and greatest this year as well.

Mounting Systems

Flex Force Enterprises Inc. displayed its ASP RWS mount for the MK-93 tripod, currently in use with the U.S. Navy. Displayed in the booth was a .50 BMG M2 machine gun affixed to the system, but other machine guns can be easily emplaced in the system as per customer request. The purpose of the mount is to have a gyro-synchronized heavy machine gun stabilization system while also offering the capability of a remote-controlled weapon station with the addition of a user-operated remote-control panel. This allows machine gunners to have a much more accurate system while operating in arduous environments such as shooting from a boat at sea or the turret of a vehicle while on bumpy roads. But units that want to employ an RC system will have this option as well.

Rifles

Israeli Weapons Industries (IWI) released the company’s new 5.56x45mm NATO Carmel rifle within the last year. It was on display at IWI’s booth where it took many an onlooker’s attention. The rifle appears to be designed for export sales as the IDF is still actively using Tavor X95 and M4-patterned carbines. Similar to the Tavor and Masada firearms, Carmel is named after a mountain in Israel. The rifle is a short-stroke piston, gas-operated, select-fire design that uses STANAG magazines and is equipped with a folding stock. Currently there are no plans to import it into the United States for sale on the civilian commercial market, but judging from previous IWI designs, this will most likely be a matter of time and is in the works with the ATF for importation approval.

Optics

Counter-UAV applications being of particular importance during the show, the Israeli start-up company Smart Shooter, Ltd. was showing off its SMASH optic that it has been working on for several years. Both an optic and a fire control system, once mounted to a rifle and zeroed, the system allows a single shooter to lock-on to a moving or stationary target with the press of an external button mounted on the handguard. Once locked, the SMASH system blocks the trigger from being pressed until the system computes a ballistic solution that matches the trajectory and velocity of the bullet. When this is achieved within the system, the user can then press the trigger and the rifle will fire. Although initially debuted for infantry targets, the SMASH system has been successfully used to shoot down commercial drones with single shots up to ranges of 200 meters while undergoing tests in the United States.

Steiner Optics is entering the digital age with the company’s 4-28x56mm M7Xi IFS precision rifle optic. The scope has an embedded computer that surrounded the focus lens and is run by a single AA battery. This device is connected and customizable through an app that can be downloaded to a tablet or smartphone. Peering through the scope, a user can use the external buttons for such inputs as wind speed and range. These are then computed into the display, and suggestions are given to the user as to how to dial the elevation and windage turrets in order to make a ballistic calculation. The app also allows users to input previous shooting data from different ammunition loads that a shooter might have access to, thus allowing a wide range of preset options to be used in the field.

Handguns

Introduced along with the Carmel is the 9x19mm Masada, Israel’s first mass-produced, polymer-framed, striker-fired handgun that should be coming to the U.S. commercial market soon. On display at the show were a wide variety of finishes and configurations to include an optic-ready variant and a simplified rear combat sight variant.

Representatives from Fobus Holster were present with a new Inside the Waistband (IWB) holster called the APN. There are currently three models on the market so far, the APN26 for the Glock 26 and 27, APN43 for the Glock 43 and the APN365 for the SIG SAUER P365 handgun. The holster is uni-directional as it can be switched for left- or right-hand use within minutes.

Israeli start-up Recover Tactical had on hand a number of its polymer add-on components designed for a variety of handguns. But of particular interest was their Browning/FN Hi Power pistol grip panel, incorporated Picatinny rail upgrade system. Unfortunately, this wasn’t at the show table, but the company has completed testing and will soon be ready to ship in the United States.

Wearable Equipment

Aleppo Systems International has been working on a backpack belt ammunition system that is currently in trials with a number of IDF units. What makes the backpack unique is the use of advanced polymers for the feed chute where belts of 5.56x45mm ammunition are fed through from the backpack itself to the gunner in the front. This frees up room to maneuver with the light machine gun, in addition to having a continuous feed system without having to reload. The system can also be configured to be placed in a vehicle where the machine gun might be mounted in a turret.

TrekAce is a new company with a vision of changing the way infantrymen navigate on the battlefield. The concept is to wear a forearm-mounted wrap that communicates with a user via a set of vibrating pins that a soldier can tactilely feel on his skin. Arranged in a star-like pattern, these pins will vibrate in directions so that a soldier can “feel” his way across a battlefield. The idea is to allow soldiers to focus more on their surroundings and be situationally aware, instead of being channeled into a GPS device or compass, possibly being led astray. One extremely innovative plan that the company is testing is whether the device can be used to navigate soldiers on high altitude jumps where they need to be completely aware of the terrain below them and what is in the sky around them, but also need to make pinpoint landings in their LZ, even in complete darkness.

Although quietly displayed, Israeli company Source Tactical (known for their hydration systems) showed its FORTEX Protective System combat uniform at its booth. Company representatives were tight-lipped about it due to its current competition with the British MoD for a future combat uniform, but we should be seeing more about it in the future. The uniform incorporates such features as ballistic fabric sewn into the upper part of the blouse, air vents at the armpits, forearms, an optional “beltless” waist system and cargo pockets that can be accessed while sitting in cramped vehicles, in addition to many more innovative features.

Biennial Expo Highlights Southeast Asia’s Small Arms Manufacturing

The biennial defense exposition Indo Defence 2018 was held this year in Jakarta and has much to offer readers in terms of some of the latest military small arm developments outside the United States. Being one of the largest expositions of its variety in the Southeast Asian region, the show was certainly one that Small Arms Review wasn’t going to miss covering. Companies from all over the world came to attend the show, many vying at possible contacts or solicitations among the Indonesian military. Lasting for several days with the final day open to general public access, the exposition was set up by country in order of booths. It was spread over two enormous convention halls (a third smaller hall) and the open ground in between them for vehicle displays. In addition to the displays there were vehicle demonstrations that took place, showcasing their tactical capabilities while in operation.

A small part of the trade show floor.

The KNT-76 from MKE has a number of features that make it useful as a designated marksman rifle for the Turkish infantry, such as the adjustable stock and variable power optic.

Upgrades from Turkey

Representing Turkey at the show was the state-owned MKE enterprise, privately-owned Kale Kalip and ATA Arms. MKE was displaying some of the latest additions to the Turkish Armed Forces arsenal with the manually operated Bora-12 Precision rifle and the self-loading KNT-76 Designated Marksman rifle, both in 7.62x51mm NATO. These will be seeing service by Turkish soldiers in upcoming months. The KNT-76 is simply a designated marksman’s variant of the MPT-76 service rifle, allowing the Turkish infantry to have a precision rifle at the squad or platoon level capable of rapid precision fire without the need to learn a new weapon system.

The other half of the MPT-76 story is of course with Kale Kalip, one of the three manufacturers of the service rifle and also present at Indo Defence. Apart from the MPT-76 Kale Kalip had its 5.56x45mm variants on display, one of them being a compact variant with a sub-8-inch barrel. But new from them this year was licensed production of Accuracy International AX50 anti-materiel rifles.

The Vietnamese booth struck a chord with many visitors who came to the show and for good reason as this was the first time Vietnam has displayed recent small arms manufacture at such a large event.

However, the biggest news from Turkey came from the small and nimble ATA Arms with a recent contract to supply the Turkish Armed Forces with 8,000 units of their BA40 Low-Velocity 40x46mm under barrel/standalone grenade launcher. This was on display at the ATA Arms booth along with a number of commercial shotguns and rifles that the company is submitting to the ATF in order to be imported into the United States for sale on the civilian market.

Profense’s 5.56x45mm Miniguns

Breaking into the M134 Minigun market for some time now is the Arizona-based company Profense with their own take on the venerable design. However, this year along with AUSA 2018 the company turned some heads with their 5.56x45mm variant of the Minigun, specifically designed for special operations requirements and built on a client’s request. Readers will probably remember the 5.56x45mm XM214 Minigun variant from the Vietnam War era and some of the reasons why it wasn’t accepted for service. Coming full circle today, a 5.56x45mm Minigun is seen by some as being viable for certain applications, especially in terms of greater mobility through weight reduction.

Vietnam’s Entry into Small Arms Production

Probably one of the biggest head turners at the show was Vietnam’s entry into small arms production as evidenced by the Vietnam Defense Industry’s spectacular booth display of all of the models currently being manufactured. This will make Vietnam the fifth Southeast Asian country to have successfully established small arms manufacturing (Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand). Recently entering into licensing agreements with Israel for the manufacture of Galil ACE rifles, Vietnam is slowly replacing Cold War-era designs with locally produced variants among its Armed Forces. But Galil ACE variants aren’t the only item being produced or assembled in Vietnam. Derivatives of the Lee Enfield, M79 grenade launcher, OSV-96s, Soviet handguns and even a helical magazine-fed 9x19mm PP-19 Bizon submachine gun are but a few of the other small arms being produced and assembled in modern day Vietnam. Some of the small arms on display might have a chance at being imported into the United States for the civilian market, such as the manually repeating Lee Enfield variants that were on display.

ATA Arms had their BA40 on display with the ambidextrous barrel assembly allowing a user to rotate the barrel to the left or right for manual reloading.

Indonesian Design and Manufacture

Of course, what would an Indonesian defence exposition be without indigenous Indonesian products? Representing the Indonesian state arms manufacturing arm was PT Pindad with their booth close to the entrance of the fair. There were a number of upgraded and improved models available from Pindad this year. The 7.62x51mm SS3 rifles were shown in newer configurations, essentially being upgraded models of their smaller 5.56x45mm variants. Versions of the standard 5.56x45mm rifles were displayed with upgrades such as Magpul and Trijicon add-ons and accessories. A new submachine gun was displayed, the 9x19mm PM-3. The compact piece takes MP5 magazines, incorporates a folding stock and is reportedly to be used by Indonesian Counter-Terror forces.

In the belt-fed arena was the presence of a .50 BMG STK 50MG Heavy Machine Gun, in cooperation with Singapore’s ST Kinetics, designated SM5 by Pindad. The dual belt-fed machine guns were displayed at the Pindad booth for the first time but haven’t been seen in service with the Indonesian military yet. Close by were newly introduced, manually operated precision rifles being produced by Pindad with variants chambered in .50 BMG, .338 Lapua and 7.62x51mm NATO.

Separate from Pindad was the Indonesian Army’s Kodiklatad Polytechnic research and development division. The department’s booth featured locally designed and produced copies of the Israeli “Corner Shot” arm device that allows a shooter to toggle a handgun around a corner and shoot it accurately via an LCD screen attached to the “receiver” of the device. Mounted to the arm was a Glock 19 handgun, but there were other handgun designs that the arm was made to fit such as various Pindad handguns. Kodiklatad Polytechnic was displaying both manually and electronically operated versions of the toggle arm while at the show, allowing attendants to interact with it while on the show floor. Talking with Kodiklatad Polytechnic representatives, we were told that the device was created in response to Indonesian Special Forces’ requests for a domestically produced version of the original Israeli design when they encountered it in training.

Kale Kalip’s subcompact 5.56x45mm AR15-patterned variant on display.

British Precision Rifle Expansion

Many readers might immediately think of Accuracy International when discussing British precision rifles, but Steel Core Designs has slowly been creeping into the market with small contracts worldwide, particularly in the Middle East. During the recent fighting against the so-called Islamic State, the .50 BMG variant (Cyclone) was actually employed against rebel forces by a sniper who was a part of the Iraqi Emergency Response Brigade. Coupled with optics from the Czech company Meopta, the manually repeating, externally magazine-fed rifles are brutally simple compared to other precision rifle designs in their class. This has contributed to sales in the Middle East due to the lack of complex components where fine sand could find its way. New for the show was the Hurricane SF in 7.62x51mm NATO, a variant of an earlier line of rifles that Steel Core Designs had introduced.

Steel Core Designs’ precision rifles are slowly gaining traction in the Middle East defense sector. Note the extremely simple construction of the tubular receiver and folding stock on their Thunderbolt line.

The PM-3 submachine gun, introduced this year by Pindad Defense. Note the folded stock and the MP5 magazine. This allows units to retire their aging MP5 submachine guns while still retaining the reliable magazines.

This article provides a brief summary of night vision devices (NVDs) known to be in Taliban possession. It draws primarily from open sources and addresses both thermal and infrared optics, as well as infrared aiming devices. This is particularly timely, given recent attacks by Taliban forces making use of NVDs. Interestingly, whilst some NVDs and aiming devices have been captured from the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), others appear to have entered the Taliban’s supply chain from other sources, including Lithuanian-made thermal and infrared imaging devices.

Due to the Taliban’s decentralized and far-ranging operations, the group’s ability to employ NVDs varies substantially regionally. Currently, there is little distribution of this technology throughout the force as a whole. This is partially due to the considerable power held by individual local Taliban commanders, as well as an underdeveloped logistical system. Broadly speaking, at least for now, possession of NVDs by a certain Taliban fighting unit is more likely to evidence a local commander’s ability to acquire and employ such a capability, rather than a concerted effort by Taliban leadership to distribute NVDs to the broader fighting force.

Taliban groups that possess night vision capabilities have historically acquired them through battlefield capture in their areas of operation or via corrupt individuals within the ANSF. Some have also been purchased or traded in illicit markets, a limited number of which are trades organized online via popular social media and communications platforms.

The still image taken from a Taliban propaganda video, was published by Long War Journal and features equipment captured in Kandahar Province. This propaganda video is notable, in that it featured a relatively large number of captured thermal, infrared and other optics. Understanding the nature of these video productions, it is highly likely that these different optics were deliberately staged together due to their propaganda value.

From left to right in the still image, note the Trijicon 4×32 Rifle Combat Optic (also note the AN/PEQ-2 Target Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Light or TPIAL), Pulsar 550 (mounted directly on the 12 o’clock optics rail) and a UTM x Universal Thermal Monocular made by BAE Systems mounted to the handguard of the M16A4 self-loading rifle. These models and others are discussed below.

Whilst Taliban possession of NVDs is undoubtedly concerning, sustaining and correctly employing such devices does require a skillset beyond simple acquisition. Despite slogans such as “Own the Night,” many NATO units still struggle to operate effectively at night. A simple example: an AN/PEQ-15 aiming device must be properly fitted to a weapon, adjusted via tools and zeroed to suit the weapon in question. NVDs may provide Taliban units with an edge, but they are unlikely to prove the decisive factor in an engagement until their understanding of the technology and its employment improves.

Infrared NVDs

The night vision capability most commonly employed by the Taliban is the use of infrared NVDs. Most of the infrared optics and associated mounting equipment in Taliban possession appear to originate from battlefield captures of equipment from ANSF. Numerous open and closed source images indicate that AN/PVS-7 models are likely to be the most common NVDs in use by the Taliban. The AN/PVS-7 is being phased out of US military service, but it remains a capable device.

The recorded attack on a patrol base in the Ghorak district of Kandahar Province in late 2016 provides various details regarding the Taliban’s night vision capabilities. The recording was made in two stages, by filming with a video camera first through a thermal optic, while fighters were moving to their release points, and then through an infrared NVD during the actual conduct of the assault.

One interesting feature of the video is the beam of infrared light shown crossing the center of the screen (see image). It emits a pulse very similar to the IR illuminators of weapon-mounted laser aiming devices, such as the Advanced Target Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Laser (ATPIAL). But unlike an ATPIAL, the beam does not exhibit much wobble and does not seem to change position as would be expected from a weapon-mounted device. One possible explanation is that a single IR laser unit was being used to direct and lead the attackers to the patrol base.

The video also shows two fighters with AN/PVS-7 type NVDs; one mounted on a captured helmet and another using a head mount. With the aid of the IR beam pointed directly at the Afghan National Army (ANA) patrol base, the attackers appear to be using these NVD-equipped fighters as point men to maintain the direction of the attack under low light conditions. The assault is coming from right to left of screen, along with fire from supporting assets, stationed behind the beam.

Another Taliban video shows equipment captured from ANA patrol bases in the districts of Khakrez and Shah Wali Kot in Kandahar Province in July 2017. It features a Nightline NL963B NVD, a copy of the AN/PVS-7, that appears to be in operable condition, complete with a tie-down dummy cord and objective lens cap. The AN/PVS-7 is powered by AA batteries, making resupply for Taliban fighters in Afghanistan much simpler. Nonetheless, good quality batteries can sometimes be difficult to obtain in Afghanistan. The AN/PVS-7 has been produced by several manufacturers and at least three models are present in Afghanistan.

An image shared by Afghan media activist Bilal Sarwary shows a Taliban fighter in Helmand Province using a Lithuanian Pulsar Digisight N550 mounted on the optics rail of a captured M16A4 self-loading rifle. The Digisight N550 is a considerably cheaper, less advanced infrared scope that makes use of a digital screen. Notice the remote switch that is attached to the scope dangling by the side of the fighter. Many Pulsar models have a remote switch that allows the user to switch between different viewfinder modes. This may suggest that the Taliban fighter does not understand or is not utilizing the full capability of the device.

Thermal Optics

The presence of commercial thermal optics that can be affixed to rail interface systems—such as those in limited service with ANA special operations forces—is becoming more widespread among Taliban fighters. This trend may constitute a greater concern than the presence of infrared equipment, due to the more advanced technology involved; there are also indications of a supply chain separate to the battlefield capture of NVDs.

Several NVDs observed in Afghanistan have been identified in open sources as Russian in origin. ATN Corps is a Russian commercial optics company that makes budget thermal optics for the worldwide civilian hunting market (Not the ATN of US origin); ARES has documented numerous examples of their products in the current conflict in Syria. However, in several cases, thermal optics that have been identified in open sources as having been produced by ATN Corps were in fact produced by the Lithuanian company Pulsar. ANSF do not appear to be using the ATN or Pulsar thermal optics that the Taliban have been documented employing, and U.S. forces aren’t using or supplying them either.

The image included is of the ANA’s seizure of weapons from southwestern Farah Province, bordering Iran. The thermal imaging optic pictured is a Pulsar Apex LRF XQ50 model. The bulbous portion on the side of the optic is a built-in range finder. This example appears to have a telephoto attachment fitted.

The Ghorak attack video referenced above also features a thermal optic at the beginning of the film. Notice the “square” dimensions of the digital screen inside the focal lens that the camera is recording. The model in question cannot be identified from the footage available, but the quality and visible detail of the optic are consistent with offerings from both ATN Corps and Pulsar, as well as other manufacturers.

One system that is in service with coalition forces operating in Afghanistan is the BAE Systems Universal Thermal Monocular (UTM) x described above. This may be considered as particularly concerning, as the device has various very advanced capabilities relative to other thermal optics in the Taliban’s possession. Most critically, unlike the Pulsar series of commercial hunting optics, the UTM x is designed specifically for the armed forces of developed countries and meets rigorous military testing standards. It can last up to 5 hours on two CR123 batteries, weighs only 520 grams (18 ounces) and can take and store up to 100 digital snapshots. The display can be magnified up to two times in power. The UTM X does not directly mount to a weapon’s Picatinny rail, instead it has a “shoe”—made by Wilcox—that then clips into an M1913 Picatinny rail adaptor. If this shoe is lost, the device cannot be readily affixed to standard rail interface systems.

Infrared Aiming and Illumination Devices

In addition to infrared and thermal NVDs, Taliban forces have also acquired a small number of infrared aiming and illumination devices. These include the AN/PEQ-2 TPIAL, AN/PEQ-15 ATPIAL and Steiner DBAL-I2 models; the image is taken in Kunduz province in 2015 and shows a Taliban fighter holding a captured FN Herstal Mk 17 self-loading rifle with an AN/PEQ-15 ATPIAL mounted at the 12 o’clock position on the forward handguard. Mk 17 rifles have been supplied to some ANA commando kandaks (battalions) as precision rifles. A Taliban propaganda video shows another Mk 17 self-loading rifle, also fitted with an AN/PEQ-15 in the same location. Note the improvised cheek piece on the stock, which may have been added to replace the original. A common complaint levelled against the SCAR series of rifles relates to the fragile folding stock and cheek piece.

AN/PEQ-2 aiming devices are in service with some portions of the ANSF, including the ANA Commando Corps, and such devices in Taliban possession may have been acquired through battlefield capture. The example pictured is seen in images shared by a Turkish news organization in July 2017, which depict Taliban fighters posing in Faryab Province. The middle fighter with the brown vest is holding an AK type self-loading rifle with what appears to be a haphazardly-attached AN/PEQ-2 affixed to the right-hand side of the wooden handguard. Most Kalashnikov rifles in Afghanistan do not have M1913 Picatinny rail systems (although some examples from Pakistan do). AN/PEQ-2 type aiming devices have also been captured by Taliban forces during recent raids on Afghan local militia posts, a somewhat surprising insight into some of the weapons held by militias in Afghanistan.

ARES has also observed a few examples of German Steiner DBAL-I2 aiming devices in use by Taliban forces, mounted on both Kalashnikov pattern weapons and captured M16 series rifles. Few military or law enforcement units in Afghanistan use the DBAL-I2. However, the CRU-222 anti-terrorism unit is known to possess these and is the likely proximate source. One example, taken from an open-source Taliban propaganda video, is pictured here.

Special thanks to Irfan Z. and N.R. Jenzen-Jones.

The design of machine guns meant to fill the role for a small unit dependent on a more compact yet reliable machine gun has constantly been tackled by various firms the world over, from Belgium to Russia. Instead of “reinventing the wheel” as it were, Barrett Firearms out of Murfreesboro, TN has simply enhanced that wheel; that is the venerable M240 medium machine gun. In this article we take a look at their most recent machine gun design, the Barrett 240 LWS.

A colleague once stated that, “The 240 is the most reliable weapon in the entire Marine Corps arsenal”. Barring bayonets and entrenching tools, the author would imagine that few would disagree. Designed in the 1950s, the FN Herstal Mitrailleuse d’Appui Général 1958 (MAG -58), quickly entered service among a number of NATO militaries, where it remains to this day. Despite many variations in design and usage, the machine gun’s open bolt, gas operated, belt fed operating system has continued to survive into the present. The U.S. Military’s association with the weapon system began in 1977 with the adoption of the MAG-58 as a coaxial machine gun on tanks and armored vehicles. Official adoption of the system, replacing the M60 as the general purpose machine gun began in the 1990s with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps as the M240 Golf, and the M240 Bravo. Since then it has proved its worth in combat many times over, and continues in service today, with no need for a wholesale replacement in sight. However, as the old adage goes, “There is always room for improvement”. Barrett Firearms took the adage to heart, and has introduced what they think is the most up to date and perfected version of the medium machine gun.

The LWS field stripped into its major components. Notice the similarity to an M240 design, while drastically improving it for the 21st century war fighter. Current designs come with either a tan or black finish. Note that the design of the front sight has since been changed to a folding front sight.

The Barrett 7.62x51mm NATO 240 Light Weight (LW) program has its design roots in the original U.S. Army solicitation for a lighter M240 medium machine gun in 2010. The program called for a much lighter version of the M240, while keeping the same familiar open bolt design that the machine gun is world-renowned for. This was formally known as the M240B Weight Reduction Program, or the M240E6. The results of that solicitation ended with the adoption of the M240 Lima by the U.S. Army. By producing the receiver out of titanium, instead of steel, FN delivered a light-weight solution by trimming the weight of the M240B by 5.5 pounds, or an 18 percent weight reduction of the original machine gun, giving it an overall weight of 22.3 pounds. Currently the Lima is in service with the U.S. Army in a limited capacity.

Although Barrett did not participate in the solicitation program, the company felt that it could produce an equivalent weight reduction by more efficient manufacturing methods instead of simply switching to the much more expensive titanium receiver. In addition, the company makes the point that the majority of worldwide titanium reserves are coming from Russia and China. Should relations between the United States and these countries sour, it would become much harder to find sources of titanium. Thus Barrett designed the 240 LW series, keeping the standard 240 technical data package, while more efficiently manufacturing the receiver. The company did this by keeping the steel design but eliminating all the rivets, instead using a welding process to marry the two receiver halves together. Successfully completing this, the company was able to subtract four pounds off the receiver alone. However, not only did the company want to make the iconic machine gun lighter, but they felt that they could make it better by modifying a number of the parts in it.

A variant of that program and the subject of this article is the Barrett 240 Light Weight Short (LWS). The design concept for this variant is to produce a viable medium machine gun that would serve in a special operations capacity, where a small team of operators could maximize a medium machine gun by having it in a shorter and lighter package than its big brother, the 240 LW, or the equivalent M240B. This follows in the footsteps of the Mk48 and the M60E6 medium machine gun ideas, also designed for the small unit role. The FN Mk48 is a completely redesigned M249 SAW in 7.62x51mm NATO and has comes across some issues in its service life; it was never designed to be a general purpose machine gun, while the M60E6 arguably came too late to make a difference in USMC and US Army general machine gun adoption, being that the M240 design was well standardized within the DoD ranks. Both offerings are more focused on Special Operations in US Service.

The removable bipods are a welcome addition to the LWS. These bipods can be easily removed by depressing the small latch located towards the end of the handguard. Should they become broken, a gunner can simply take them off and exchange them for a new pair within a unit. Or should the machine gun be used in a static or vehicle mounted position, the bipods can be taken off to allow for better elevation changes.

Rather than produce a machine gun design of their own, Barrett realized the potential of building off the venerable FN M240 design, with the addition of heavily modifying it. After acquiring the technical data package the company got to work in 2011, but have now finally brought the product to fruition. At the time of the author’s visit to the Barrett factory, the program was undergoing a 20,000 round test fire. One might say that this could be nothing more than a machine gun pipe dream, but Barrett has already sold the 240LW to two different standing armies, after much testing and evaluation.

This small unit role has often found itself conflicted between utilizing a smaller caliber belt fed light machine gun, most often the 5.56x45mm NATO M249 SAW or FN Herstal Minimi, or a full blown medium machine gun, such as the M240 or the M60 (The M60E6 and E4 variants certainly condense the package of a GPMG). The designs mentioned above are more reflective of medium or light machine guns scaled up or down to fit this need. The LWS is a variant of its larger brother, the 240 LW, and there are a number of features incorporated into the design that truly set it apart and make it appealing for this small unit role. Adjusting the pistol grip is perhaps one of the largest design changes, and this is what really makes the design shorter and more compact overall. Realizing the potential this could have for these small units such as Special Operations Forces, Barrett made a dream a reality by bringing the ruggedness of the proven 240 design into a smaller package that a small team of troops could depend upon in times of great need, and lead downrange.

The Barrett 240 LWS is a 7.62x51mm NATO gas operated, belt fed, open bolt, medium machine gun in shortened form from the 240 LW. It is 42.5 inches in length with the standard barrel, 38.5 inches with the short barrel, and weighs 20.5 pounds unloaded with the standard barrel, 19 3/4 pounds with the short barrel, loaded with a 50 round belt in a ammunition pouch, it weighs 21.5 pounds with the standard length barrel. It has the ability to attach a 50 round belt in a pouch that connects to the left side of the receiver, below the feed tray. It has a range of 1200 meters with tracer burnout between 800-900 meters. It has a cyclic rate of fire of 500-600 rounds per minute. It may be fired from the prone position, with the bipods extended, from a pintle mount on a vehicle or guard post, or it can be fired from the standing position while assaulting an objective. Length with the standard barrel is 22 7/8 inches, while the shorter barrel is 18 7/8 inches.

The design of the stock allows for a shorter machine gun overall, but it doesn’t lose the ability to extend it into position. This is due to the forward placement of the trigger group, so the machine gun doesn’t have to have a long stock to begin with. Adjustments for length of pull are done by pressing in on a latch on top.

Starting from the removable buttstock, it has a 6 position telescoping buttstock that differs from a similar buttstock on the 240 LW in that it is half the size in length, and does not have a polymer cheek piece. There are two telescoping rods that when depressed from the top portion, allow the buttstock to be extended to the desired position. These rods have indentations on them, which lock into positional latches within the rear of the buttstock itself. The hydraulic buffer is permanently encased within this stock and is necessary for recoil reduction from the violent reciprocating movement of the bolt group. Early prototypes had steel QD sling sockets on both sides of the stock, however current production versions will have solid steel sling loops on either side of it. This is to alleviate any damage that may occur to a sling mounted on the QD socket, and the amount of stress that it could take during carry.

The position of the pistol grip and firing control group is what truly allows the LWS to be as short as it is. In essence, Barrett moved the entire grip forward by about 4 inches, to where the front of the trigger guard is at a right angle to the ejection port. Early concerns in the design process were that ejecting brass would be falling on the shooters hand and trigger finger. However after lengthy courses of test fire, this was found not to be the case, due to the inherent geometry of the cases being ejected out from under the machine gun. Moving the grip forward took away the ability to mount the LWS on a traditional M240 T & E mount or a tripod. But the intent of the LWS is for it not to be mounted, and instead being a part of that small man team needing the additional firepower on a foot patrol. The front pintle mount is still on the receiver, so the machine gun could be mounted to a pintle turret mount, it would just have to be free-gunned the entire time.

By moving the fire control group forward, the overall length can be shortened because the machine gunner no longer needs a traditionally longer stock to compensate for the original position of the pistol group, towards the very rear portion of the receiver. Instead of a machine gunner achieving a cheek weld on the stock, the machine gunner is now resting his face against the actual receiver of the machine gun, also allowing for a closer fit of gunner to weapon. But by doing this, the bolt had to be modified accordingly, because the original location of the sear is no longer there. Barrett had to move the position of the sear catch on the bolt to further down the length of it. The bolt group is still the same as the original M240 design, with the exception of the position of the sear catch.

The redesign of the handguards allow for minimal heat transfer to the handguards from the barrel and the gas tube. Unlike the current M240 where heat transfer is minimized by incorporating more to the machine gun. Barrett has this “free float” handguard system because the company has bolted the handguards directly to the receiver of the machine gun, instead of to the gas tube assembly.

Current production models do not have a permanent rear sight, however they have a Picatinny rail that runs the length of the receiver cover where a Picatinny mounted rear sight can be placed below a scope. The design of the feed tray cover hinge has been altered to be in the shape of a hexagon, thus allowing for the feed tray cover to be able to stay open while at a 45 degree angle to the receiver, while the machine gunner is loading a belt of ammunition. The feed tray has also been altered, with two protruding spring-loaded teeth which can bend in the direction of the ammunition belt. These teeth allow a gunner to securely place a belt of ammunition on the feed tray, while at an upright angle, and not have the belt slip out while closing the cover. In addition they allow a gunner to squeeze the front of a belt into a closed cover. Because the teeth only bend in the direction of the belt, the belt will pass over them, the teeth will click upwards, thus locking the belt in place. Another click forward, and the belt of ammunition will be in place to fire. This allows a gunner to feed a belt of ammunition into his 240 LWS without ever having to possibly expose his position or line of sight, by opening the feed tray cover.

The bolt handle is non-reciprocating, similar to an original M240. The design of the handguard is perhaps one of the more novel contributions to the 240. In an FN Herstal 240, the handguard is attached to the gas tube, and is thus conducting heat from that gas tube when fired. To alleviate this, FN placed a number of insulators around the handguard, in addition to it adding more weight by having a thicker design. Barrett took the approach to this problem by bolting the handguard to the receiver and having it “freefloat” around the gas tube itself. So although the handguard surrounds the gas tube, it never actually touches it during any amount of fire, thus keeping it cool. The handguard itself has Keymod rail sections at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions, with the side sections being separated from the bottom by a gripping surface for the gunner. At the end of the handguard, the M60-like bipod is attached via a VersaPod style sprocket, which clicks into the handguard. By simply depressing a small latch, the bipod can be removed, and stowed. This allows for a gunner to take the bipod off if the machine gun were to be in a mounted position. With the FN 240 bipod design, the bipods can be taken off, but only through complex disassembly of the gas tube. In addition, they could only be collapsed inward from their position, while the LWS allows them to be collapsed either inward or outward, depending on the gunner’s preference. Barrett currently offers the bipods in either of two configurations, with spiked feet, or a flat surface.

The removable barrel has a number of flutes machined into it, to better dissipate heat. These flutes are in a lateral direction down the barrel, originating at the chamber area, and ending before the gas port. In addition, it is around 4 inches shorter than the 240 LW barrel, although the two maybe be interchanged if need be. The barrel changing latch has been redesigned, to allow for a wider finger placement on it. Original designs have a circular type latch, similar to the old one, but new ones have a square one. This latch clicks in at the same method that the original 240 click method works, rotating the handle until 7 clicks are heard and is indicative of proper head space being applied to the barrel. The barrel changing handle itself has been machined out, to further decrease weight. Early prototypes have a fixed front sight post that is adjustable for elevation and windage, but current production models will have a folding front sight post that can be adjusted for elevation and windage with a simple flathead screw driver. The need for a simple flat head screwdriver head to be used was a necessary addition, as soldiers in the field might not have a complex sight adjustment tool. The gas tube regulator is a three position regulator similar to the M240G’s gas regulator. Muzzle compensator is a standard M240 compensator.

LWS bolt group on bottom, LW bolt group on top. Changing the position of the trigger group necessitated changing the design of the bolt, because the former position of the sear would not have accommodated the older sear notches on the older bolt. The new sear notches are directly underneath the stenciled “LWS” while on the older bolt, the sear notches are at the rear of the bolt group.

We took the LWS to the Barrett one hundred meter indoor test range and set up the machine gun on a testing bench up range, shooting from a sitting position behind the table. A Barrett employee affixed an Aimpoint red dot sight to the top Picatinny rail of the machine gun, and brought out a box of ammunition for test fire. Unlatching and lifting the feed tray cover up until it clicked into place, thus keeping it steady for loading procedures. Feeding the belt of ammunition onto the feed tray was made much easier by the preens designed to catch the first couple of rounds. This way a gunner can continue to manipulate the machine gun while not worrying about the belt of ammunition falling off the feed tray. Slamming the feed tray cover closed, the safety was easily taken off while in a firm firing position.

As expected, the lighter weight combined with the full power 7.62x51mm cartridge caused the machine gun to bounce around a little bit more than a heavier M240B would, but it was nothing that a trained gunner couldn’t alleviate to keep the gun on target. The design of the buttstock, although smaller, allowed for the author to really get the gun up in his shoulder during the course of fire. This is due to the curvature of the rear portion of the stock, one side curving into the gunners shoulder, while the lower portion also curves in. The lower portion serves as an excellent placement for the gunner’s non firing hand to grip tightly while fully automatic fire is being utilized. Loading, unloading, disassembly and assembly procedures are the exact same as a standard M240B. The LWS on hand had the flat surface bipod feet installed, and this didn’t help very much with the flat table the machine gun was being fired from. However with the spiked feet, dug into actual dirt, the machine gun would probably fare much better with staying in position during the course of fire.

Due to the range constrictions, we could not fire the LWS from the standing position. But this is demonstrated at many of Barrett’s shoots in which the LW and LWS take center stage, and it has been told that the LWS is very controllable from the standing, provided a gunner take a forward stance and apply pressure to the machine gun.

The LW and LWS laid side by side in comparison. Choice of feet on the bipods, whether they be spiked or smooth can be made by the customer. Notice that the entire format of the LWS fits in the profile of the LW without the LWs stock. A drastic difference in length.

Similar to the Marine Corps’ Infantry Automatic Rifle program, the ease to which an existing M240 gunner can take to the Barrett 240LWS is incredibly simple. One of the items that the Marine Corps wanted in the M27 was that the new weapon system could easily transfer over to Marines already familiar with the M16A4/M4 platform, a design that many Marines know well since their days at Boot Camp. Thus with the LWS, if appropriated by a military that already uses the M240 platform of machine guns, the necessary new knowledge necessary to operate it will be very little compared to a brand new machine gun design coming into procurement.

Overall the 240 LWS is a very well thought out design, bringing the M240 platform into the 21st century in ways that other manufacturers might not have considered, or might not have been able to implement. The efficient design use of a steel receiver, the forward movement of the pistol grip, a redesign of the stock, in addition to the numerous changes put forth in this article make the LWS a formidable competitor to the M240 Lima series of lightweight machine guns. However, like any small arm intended to go into harm’s way, the true test of that platform is in combat. This hasn’t happened yet for the LW and LWS, but with recent sales to two militaries of the free world, time will only tell. But looking at Barrett’s history of excellence in military small arms, the author feels that the company has little to lose and the arsenals of democracy much to gain from such a forward thinking design.

Feed preens on the LWS, these allow a belt of ammunition to only move in one direction when emplaced on the feed tray. It accomplishes this by allowing the preens to collapse in one way, that of the direction of movement of the belt of ammunition. Also notice the feed tray cover is being held open by the latches that are inlaid upon the pin holding the cover in place. This is with an Aimpoint scope attached.

The mobile ammunition pouch attached to the LWS via locking clips. This would be for a gunners contact belt of ammunition, while his main source of belts would be in his pack. Also notice the earlier design of the barrel locking lever, this has since changed to a square design.

A Georgian machine gunner while on patrol with his PKM, using the drum as a stand instead of his bipod. He is outfitted with standard equipment including the Coyote Tan Intercepter vest and multi cam uniform. Later troops would have flame resistant uniforms and multicam colored equipment. Also notice his unit insignia on his left shoulder. Photo courtesy DVIDS

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Although BLS is primarily and mostly supporting the ISAF mission in Helmand province, ISAF has mostly withdrawn and has turned over security operations to the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP). When discussed in conjunction, the term Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is used. Both groups use Shorbak as a military hub for logistics, headquarters, training, and billeting. More so for the ANA because this is the epicenter of the ANA 215th Kandak (Corps). The AUP are mostly outer security and maintain vehicle check points along the route into BLS. The ANA also have security roles but push out mounted patrols into the nearby Area of Operations (AO).

The AUP are mostly armed with different variants of the AKM or AK47 and their respective families. Personal handguns are mostly Smith & Wesson 9mm SMWs and Makarovs. For heavier armament, the AUP use some PKMs, RPKs, and the occasional RPG in addition to AKM mounted 40mm GP28 UBGL. Their vehicles are Ford Ranger pick up trucks, otherwise known among ISAF troops as “Danger Rangers”. These come equipped with an up-gun mount and rifle racks in the vehicle. They have sirens and communications equipment.

The ANA on the other hand have different armament dependent on the unit. The entry level ANA troops have mostly American supplied small arms. M16A2s are standard with M249 SAWs as a light machine gun and M240s being their medium machine gun. In the author’s final months in Helmand, some of the ANA troops were being issued M4s with picatinny rails and forward grips. Usually the M240s are mounted in the posts while the M249s go out on dismounted patrols or vehicle checkpoints. But this does change per the particular platoon operating. PKMs are also in use but very rarely. As for mounted patrols the ANA uses M1123 Humvees in either the cargo hold with barn door hatch configuration or the “bucket” version with raised armored sides and gun mounts. It is in the turrets of these vehicles that either .50 caliber M2HBs or M249s are mounted as upguns. The ANA also uses Ford Rangers and a troop carrying truck they call the “International”. These are the least preferred compared to the Humvees because of their poor performance against roadside IEDs.

A Jordanian officer while on patrol in Afghanistan. His M4 has an optical sight and a rail attachment to the front sight, something normally not seen with Jordanian weapons. The men in ACUs behind him are Afghan interpreters while the men in multicam behind them are U.S. Army soldiers. The Afghan ANA troops to his left and right are fairly well equipped with M16A2s and modern day flack jackets. Photo courtesy DVIDS

Apart from the entry level ANA troops, there are two units that operate out of Shorbak that take it up a notch when it comes to small arms. The first is the Garrison Support Unit (GSU) and the other is the Afghan Task Force 444, or otherwise known as “Triple Four” in conversation. GSU is essentially the Shorbak headquarters and support company that is responsible for internal security and supporting the ANA mission on Shorbak. Another task that they do perform is to send out elements with Marine units to accompany them on combat patrols. These elements are never large, mostly just an attachment of a squad plus. They are armed with everything the entry level ANA soldier has but with the addition of 7.62x54R mm SVD Dragunov sniper rifles. On the patrols that the author has been with them, they have performed very well and were always willing engage in a good fight.

Kingdom of Jordan

The Jordanian ISAF contingent aboard BLS, officially known as JAF (Jordanian Armed Forces) is responsible for the Main Entrance Point or MEP. This where the majority of traffic into BLS comes through, both from outgoing ISAF mounted missions and incoming logistics convoys. Here JAF conducts vehicle searches and assists in guarding the gate area. The unit from Jordan that is currently deployed to BLS are elements of the 3rd Royal Guards (Mechanized). Their primary and only uniform is a digital brown/black/tan outfit with matching flak jackets and coats. JAF does not have a combat flame resistant garment meant to be worn for outside the wire. A misconception that some readers and even ISAF members have might be that since Jordan is in the Middle East, Jordanians can work a lot better alongside ANA troops. This is incorrect because Jordan and Afghanistan have completely different cultures and languages. The Jordanians speak a dialect of Arabic, the majority of Afghans speak Pashtu or Dari. The two peoples cannot communicate in the least.

Afghan ANA GSU unit members while on a joint patrol with U.S. Marines. Notice the modern digital camouflage patterned after the U.S. Army’s ACU uniform with the velcro patches. Their rifles are surplus M16A2s. The level to which the ANA is equipped today is a far cry from what previous years have shown.

The Jordanian arsenal is mostly supplied with American small arms with the exception of their handguns. Most of their missions involve being in a static searching position so they don’t have a full TO/E load-out with crew served weapons and designated billets. For the most part, the JAF enlisted men are armed with American made M4s, some have M16A2s. A very limited number of them have M249 SAWs which they use to mount on tactical vehicles. Interestingly enough, one of the M249s (Minimis) observed by the author had a Para buttstock and short barrel, gear American troops frequently don’t have.

Most of the M4s carried by JAF forces are Picatinny rail equipped with Aimpoint scopes mounted. All have the U.S. Army type rear iron sight with the front triangular sight maintained. Some rifles have the older round handguards instead of the Picatinny type. Along with the older handguards they will have a conventional carrying handle as well. Most of the JAF has 30-round magazines inserted in a condition 3 status with some equipped with 20-round magazines. A portion of the JAF does walk around base in condition 4, with no magazine inserted. All of the soldiers are issued 2 point slings, mostly the green parade type, with no 3 point or 1 points being in use.

Their officers are armed with 9x19mm Browning Hi Powers mostly carried in hip holsters. These were either issued a while back or their supply is old, as most of the Hi Powers have wooden grips with newer polymer grips being the exception not the norm. Some high ranking officers have the occasional Beretta M9 but this is even rarer than the polymer grip equipped Hi Powers.

An Estonian soldier sights in with his M14 equipped with a Hecate II scope. Notice that this is in a later part of the war because of his British Osprey flak jacket. Also see the “Scouts” insignia on his right shoulder. Photo by Staff Sgt. Ezekiel Kitandwe, USMC.

Republic of Georgia

The Republic of Georgia has always maintained a strong presence of troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan throughout the two conflicts. On Leatherneck the country maintained an infantry battalion which is the 31st Georgia Light Infantry Battalion (GLIB). This unit recently was relieved by the 23rd GLIB in April of 2014. Georgian troops hold some of the internal security duties and also send out external patrols outside the wire. Unlike the Danes, Estonians, and British, they use MRAP tactical vehicles borrowed from the U.S. for their operations. Their uniform is loosely based on the US Army’s ACU with a major exception of being of a different hue of multicam. They have a flame resistant outfit that is worn on patrol. They use the older Interceptor flak jackets which are either DCU patterned or multicam, the newer unit using mostly the multicam version.

The Georgian arsenal is composed of a mixture of Soviet origin weapons, modern Israeli designs, and American commercial M4s. Personal armament consists of the Bushmaster M4 with either Aimpoint or Trijicon ACOG optical sights. Some of the rear echelon troops have simple iron sights instead. It should be noted that their rifle is the M4, not a mixed issue of carbine M4s or M16s but just M4s. These are usually accompanied with the standard forward grip. They are also probably the only force on Leatherneck with a standard issue custom sling. This is the single point sling from Tactical Tailor. With the 31st GLIB, AN/Q PEQ15s were found on most rifles to include some light machine guns. But with the 23rd GLIB the older black AN/Q PEQ 2s were used instead. For a grenadier role, UGLs (Georgian in origin) are mounted underneath the handguards of the designated M4s. These have a traditional upper handguard as opposed to a Picatinny rail that American forces use. For sighting options grenadiers use a modified flip up M203A1 sight that is mounted to the grenade launcher. To fire the UGL, there is a button on the left side that is simply pressed and the grenade is launched.

For machine gun armament the Georgians used 7.62x54R caliber PKM medium machine guns and Israeli IWI 5.56x45mm Negev light machine guns. The Negevs are used with 30-round STANAG magazines as opposed to a belt fed drum. Although a good machine gun, the Georgians said that it had to be kept clean and maintained often in order for it to be reliable. Negevs come equipped with Metroplex holographic sights mounted to the rear of the rifle on a Picatinny rail.

ISAF Estonian troops on patrol. Their rifles are the carbine version of the Galil ARM with Aimpoint sights, QD magnifiers, and two point sling attachments. Notice the black magazine pouches on the soldier on the right. Most of the Estonian commitment to Camp Leatherneck has been in the form of a reconnaissance unit called the “Scouts” which uses light armored vehicles to patrol with. Although in this case, they’re using a vehicle borrowed from another country. http://estonianworld.com/opinion/estonias-betrayal-of-omar-the-pashtun-interpreter.

The PKMs come in either black or brown polymer furniture and are used with slings. Their operators carry them around the camp just like everyone else does with their rifles but this strikes the author as odd because they are a medium machine gun and not accompanied with security rounds. This would be akin to a Marine 0331 walking everywhere with his M240 and no ammunition, something that is not done. Regardless, the Georgians take them on patrol with the standard PKM drums in a dismount role and mounted in the MRAP turrets. Just as Afghans call them “Pkaa” so do the Georgians.

Many of the officers carry Israeli IWI Jericho pistols in 9x19mm. These are used in conjunction with also Israeli Fobus hip holsters. Some of the officers have Makarov pistols as well but these are limited compared to the Jerichos. Something that the 31st GLIB didn’t have and the 23rd GLIB did bring to the table were Galil rifles for a designated marksman role. These were in 7.62x51mm, equipped with scopes, bipods and enhanced pistol grips for shooting. The Georgians also use RPG7s on patrol.

Estonia

The Estonians are armed with 5.56x45mm Galil ARMs in either the full size rifle or compact carbine version. Most had two scopes mounted, an Aimpoint 1x power red dot optic and a 3x magnifier on a QD mount. Unlike the Trijicon 4x RCO mounted on Marine M16A4s and M4s (which have close eye relief), the scopes are mounted extremely forward on the rifle. The selectors are the traditional Safe, Auto, and Semi (marked S, A, R) with the pistol grip thumb selector. They have a similar set up as the UK Forces, using a simple two point sling while on garrison but some having a single point attachment to be connected to an attachment on their flak jackets while outside the wire.

Their medium machine gun is the MG3 with its high rate of fire. As for handguns, all the Estonians have Heckler & Koch USPs regardless of being rear echelon or garrison. All of these are used in conjunction with the standard U.S. Military green ambidextrous hip holster. While deployed the author got to fire their small arms due to a charity shoot the Estonians organized on Camp Leatherneck.

The Georgian president visited some of his troops on Camp Leatherneck. This photo gives a good cross section about what the Georgians are armed with. Israeli Negev with Ebitts reflex sight third from right first row. Soldier with M4 and UBGL 9th from right first row. Almost all of these soldiers have PEQ 15s on their rifles. Notice the use of stock mounted magazine holders and Tactical Tailer single point slings. Photo courtesy DVIDS

Denmark

The Danish forces in Afghanistan have established a reputation as a very capable and hard hitting force. As an example, they are the only ISAF force on BLS to use heavy tanks (M1 Abrams) in their mounted sections, and almost all of their tactical vehicles have M2HB .50 caliber heavy machines mounted as up guns. Their enormous and well groomed beards passed down from their Viking heritage just reinforces the image (the Danish realized early on in the conflict that to gain more respect among Afghan villagers, beards were seen as a mark of maturity, thus helping young Danish soldiers have better ground in engaging with much older village elders and the local populace). They maintained a company size element that mostly operated alongside the UK Forces, and sometimes supporting Marines as well. They wore camouflage utilities and had a combat flame resistant garment that was similar to the British design but differed in the torso material being of a beige color. Their flak jackets were of a matching pattern.

For personal armament the Danish ISAF contingent carried Diemaco C7 carbines mounted with variable power Elcan scopes. The rear echelon troops carried 9x19mm Sig Sauer P210s in hip holsters. These had either wooden grips or polymer but wood was observed more often than not. The Danish troops that went outside the wire were occasionally armed with Heckler & Koch USPs as well. Vehicle armament consisted of the previously mentioned .50 M2HBs and some M240s (MAG58) with MDOs mounted.

Bosnia

The small nation of Bosnia has the least amount of ISAF members aboard BLS. But they do provide a significant role in base security by guarding one of the entry points. There is at most a platoon reinforced of Bosnian troops at any one time. Their uniform is the older Desert Combat Uniform (DCU) and this is worn with matching flak jackets and outer garments. There is no combat flame resistant gear in use as they do not conduct external missions.

For armament the Bosnians have .50 caliber M2HB heavy machine guns for static defenses and are issued older M4 carbines with Elcan sights and the original Colt telescoping buttstock. Soldiers utilize 2 point slings and the officers have Sig Sauer P210s which are mostly
carried in hip holsters.

Private Military Contractors

The mercenary business has been around ever since men were willing to chance dying for a bit of gold coin instead of for a cause near to their heart. General Smedley Butler himself even wrote that all war is a very profitable enterprise for some of those not fighting and dying in the muck and the mire. The conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan have simply streamlined the process of hired guns and brought them into being mainstream. As for Camp Leatherneck, the contract that protects the base day and night is an American private military contracting (PMC) company by the name of “Triple Canopy” (Triple for the company’s motto of Assess, Avert, and Achieve). The PMC was formed by prior American Special Forces veterans in the late 1990s and unlike the infamous Blackwater, (morphed into Xe, then Academi) has not gotten itself involved in any “indiscriminate murder” charges.

A captured Taliban cache from an ISAF raid mission. Weapons such as the M1 Garand and 1917 Enfield are still turning up in these caches, almost 50 years after they became obsolete. Notice the older AK47 magazines still in use and the improvised pistol grip for the AKMS.

Triple Canopy (or TC as it is shortened to) is responsible for sections of perimeter guard along the fringes of Camp Leatherneck along with some interior guard duties. The author has stood countless hours of post as an Infantryman and has also been inside a number of TC posts and must admit, these posts would stir the envy of any Service member with their amenities, armament and creature comforts. TC guards have a standard uniform of a long sleeved green shirt with its logo adorned and tan “tactical contractor” pants. For protection, TC issues out SAPI plates and MICH helmets but as far as the actual flak jacket, many TC guards have their own choice, so long as the PPE fits inside. Most of the guards are prior Service members themselves and already know about all things military so aren’t novices when it comes to picking gear or completing their duties.

Personal armament consists of an M4 style carbine made by Bushmaster and offered commercially as the ES2 with one exception in that they have an automatic selector instead of just single fire. Some have a burst selector but these are rare. Most are issued with an EOTech 512 as well. As mentioned earlier many TC guards are prior service and thus have personal preferences about miscellaneous attachments to their rifles such as single point sling attachments, rail covers, forward grips, and flashlights. But these rifles are really only ever taken out while on post or en route to it. All guards are issued Glock 19 sidearms which while most use a hip holster, some use thigh rigs. All are also issued standard 14-round magazines but some have the 17-round magazine and insert that, which looks somewhat odd without a pistol grip extender or plate. On post these pistols remain in their holsters but some guards draw them and place them in the front portion of their flak jackets so as to make a faster draw if a secondary firearm is needed. Although the majority of TC guards have the Glock 19, a select percentage are armed with US Government supplied Beretta M9s.

For heavier armament, TC utilizes 7.62x51mm M240 Bravo medium machine guns, .50 caliber M2HB heavy machine guns, and Mark 19 Mod 3 40x53mm High Velocity automatic grenade launchers. Guard procedures are very scrupulous in clearing these weapons out between guards and maintaining them. Something as important as head space and timing an M2 machine gun can turn a bad situation into a very detrimental situation very quickly if not completed properly. Unlike many Marine machine gunners in theater that utilize MDOs and HDOs on their machine guns, TC doesn’t have optics on their machine guns and instead use the weapons iron sights. The posts already have binoculars and most sectors of fire are not that far out that suspicious activity wouldn’t be out of binocular range.

Although Triple Canopy is the largest PMC aboard BLS, there are plenty of other contractors that assist with training and other spectrums of base operations. These contractors were mainly armed with Beretta M9s and Glocks but a few Sig P226s and Heckler & Koch USPs were present. Again these handguns were mostly carried in hip holsters.

Being based on BLS and having the opportunity to be around all these ISAF and ANSF forces in addition to actually working and fighting alongside them was in itself an absolute delight while being on a combat deployment. Being able to be around all their various small arms, shooting them, and examining the differences in equipment and tactics was even better. Being in the profession of arms in addition to small arms being the author’s most important passion, this allowed an intimate look into the way that warfare is conducted in the modern age. The author hopes that the readers will gain much insight and knowledge from this glimpse into the forces on the front line.

Over the summer of 2014, Small Arms Defense Journal received the unique opportunity to tour Accuracy International’s production facility in southern England. SADJ also got a chance to sit down and talk with Dave Walls and Tom Irwin about the company’s history and future.

Small Arms Defense Journal: Explain the beginnings of Accuracy International from your perspective.

Dave Walls: I was a qualified toolmaker making various press tools and fixtures along with my work colleague Dave Caig. I was a competitive target shooter and represented my local rifle club, my county, and eventually I qualified to join the national squad and shot for Great Britain in international competitions. Dave Caig was also a club and county shooter and represented Scotland. We both repaired our own guns; our engineering backgrounds enabled us to design better components to replace existing weaknesses in our rifles. It didn’t take long before other club members noticed that we had done modifications to make our guns shoot well. And when they needed work done they would ask if we could do what was necessary to get them up and running again. We worked through lunch breaks and after work to make the parts needed to repair other club member’s rifles. Our payment for this was for them to buy us a beer at the local pub. Before long we were repairing guns for shooters all over Sussex, Hampshire, Essex and other neighboring counties in the UK. We received so many repairs it became impossible to do them all for drinks so we had to start charging. The work demand grew so much that we could no longer continue to operate during our lunch breaks, as the demand was too great, this progressed into us buying our own machinery to install in my garden shed. The demand for repairs continued to grow more and more, taking up most of our time outside of our full time jobs, we had reached a breaking point where we were in it full time or pack it all in and have our lives back. We decided to see how much money we were earning part time to determine whether this would be enough to support one of us at least in a full time job. So over a three-month period we kept a record of our earning, and were surprised to discover that we were making more money part time than in our full time jobs.

SADJ: You made a decision to venture into a new career?

Dave: I wasn’t happy with my full time job because due to staff shortages the company decided to move me from my tool making position to work on form grinding on a surface grinder, which I knew long term, would be bad for my health. My boss at that time told me that he couldn’t find anyone skilled enough at form grinding but he could replace a toolmaker more easily. This gave me the hard shove I needed to persuade me to give in my notice. It was a big decision to make quitting a good job, going into the unknown. I had a mortgage, a wife and two kids, but I have never ever had a reason to look back. On the day I left, my boss said to me, “You’ll never make any money by just selling a few guns.” A statement that has proved to be far from the truth. Dave Caig and I started a business partnership and traded under the name of C&W products, which stands for Caig & Walls. A few years later at a three positional rifle shoot we met up with Malcolm Cooper, at the time he was one of the best shots in the UK, and later became a twice Olympic Gold medalist and world champion. After the match we all went to a barbecue where he was told about the replica Colt pistols that we had made, he was very interested and asked if he could see them. I lived less than a mile from the barbecue so we left and drove to my house. After seeing the pistols he said to me, “You’ve got the potential to design your own rifle.” To which we replied that we already had been designing our own action for a target rifle. Malcolm wanted to see the action and after looking at it he asked us if we would make him one, which we agreed to do. He later shot a new 300 meter world record. Malcolm at that time was the owner of a gun shop in Portsmouth. Dave Caig and I formed a mutual agreement to do repairs and re-barreling for him, as we did for several other gun shops. Trade was building up along with our reputation. Soon we were taking in repairs and tuning of rifles from top international competitors from all over the world. Malcolm was approached by a contact in the British Army about a tender (contract) for a new sniper rifle and he came along to discuss with us the possibility of putting a magazine in one of our target rifles. We had never made a magazine fed rifle before as all my interest was in target shooting which was single shot. Malcolm said, “I’ll get you any gun you want, if you want to have a look and see if you can get any ideas from them.” He produced about 8 rifles and I discarded about 5 of them.

SADJ: What ended up as the design of the magazine?

Dave: Initially I settled for a Springfield magazine, basically because it was easier to fit in my gun than any of the others. I designed the magazine port in the underside of the action body around this magazine and it seemed to work quite well. Then Malcolm submitted this weapon to both the SBS and the SAS who were also interested. After the trails on these weapons were made an order was placed for 42 rifles with aluminum chassis’ with a wood covering this was the predecessor to the later developed L96A1. Then we found a company that would make honeycomb-like stocks with a hard surface on the outside.

SADJ: Where are those 42 original rifles today?

Dave: Well some went to Hereford and some went to Dorset; I don’t know where they went from there. They might even still be there. Following on from this after the Falklands War the British infantry got interested in tendering for a new sniper rifle. This contract was for 1,212 rifles plus spares. We decided to enter the tender, but we didn’t think we’d ever win, but we could use the trail to obtain feedback on our product. At this time we were still working from a garden shed and we didn’t think the British Army would be interested in our rifle. We literally went ahead, submitted our tender for this trial along with 17 other companies, most of them American and European with Remington, Winchester, Walther, Browning, Mauser, Beretta, BSA and Parker Hale among them.

SADJ: Some of these companies had been in existence for a hundred years already.

Dave: Of course, and they make hundreds of guns a week, whereas between us if we were lucky we’d probably get only one rifle every 4 or 5 weeks. We were a very small business in comparison. We submitted our trial rifle and surprisingly enough the army actually quite liked it. From 17 rifle entries it went down to about 8, and we were still in it. Then it went from 8 to 5 and we were still there again. Then we began to have some worries that we might win this. The worry was what would we do if we were to win. The next elimination process took it down to 3 and we were still a contender. BSA was eliminated from the group, leaving Parker Hale and ourselves to take part in a shootout to win the contract which we won with the provision that it would be manufactured by a company with the approved quality standards.

SADJ: They must have found out that all you had was a garden shed operation?

Dave: Yes, they realized that and told us that it would have to be made by a reputable company and overseen by us. So we were sent to a company in Dartford, which was chosen by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) to manufacture the rifles. We would oversee the production for the first batch of rifles helping their production manager with our knowledge. Before Accuracy International Ltd. was formed Malcolm suggested to us that we would stand a better chance of success if we promoted the rifle in his name as he had world recognition for being a world champion. Malcolm then asked if we wanted Fame or Fortune: “If you want fame, we do it in your name. If you want fortune, we do it in mine.” I didn’t have any money at that time and neither did Dave Caig so we settled for fortune. Malcolm promoted the weapon in his name and that’s the way it began. We then started assembling the rifles ourselves in a company in Portsmouth, which was the start of Accuracy International Ltd. The company expanded and we started purchasing machines. I managed the production, programming and running the machines along with my son who had recently done a CNC programming course at college. More machines were purchased along with the increase of employees to six people working on the machine shop floor. After we had completed the MOD contract, we tendered for the Swedish contract and won the trial, which would become the Arctic Warfare System (AW Rifle). This was soon followed by Holland, Belgium, Denmark and Germany and was followed by several other nations that could not afford extensive trials and were happy to follow on the judgment of other countries. In 1999, Accuracy International was sold to a group of investors and Malcolm Cooper retained 10%. Accuracy International now had new people running the business and maintained the normal running of the company until 2001/2002 when they decided to outsource everything made in the machine shop and shut down the manufacturing side of the company. They only kept two machines and these were to make stock sides and sold all the other machinery. Tom Irwin was appointed as sales and marketing manager. In 2005 the company went into receiverships and within the first minute it was announced, I stood up and said, “I want to buy it back.” Tom immediately walked over to me and said I’d like to join you, so we got together and did it. Since we took the company back it’s gone in leaps and bounds. My focus has always been on making the guns shoot well and my target background married up with the military side extremely well. I needed somebody that had a better head for business than me and Tom fulfilled that role. I rely on Tom’s judgment on that side of things.

SADJ: So how does this affect the management of the company?

Tom Irwin: We’re both in charge; we don’t have a present managing director or CEO that runs the company. We share the responsibilities.

Dave: We have a mutual understanding that if we don’t agree on an idea we will not do it, but we will find a solution to the problems that we can both agree on.

SADJ: This has been working since 2005?

Dave: Yes, that’s when we bought the company back.

Tom: Yes, I was mostly in the States but then I got involved over here, always on the selling/sales side. After 2005 then there were four of us originally, Dave Walls, Dave Caig, the original designers and founders of the company, and then there was a finance guy and myself. There were four of us that literally split responsibilities and then Dave Caig retired so we bought back his shares. The other person remains as a shareholder but is no longer involved in the management of the company. It is now Dave and I and we did a further split of responsibilities. It works well.

SADJ: Now that the company has a phenomenal military contract success rate, has there ever been given any thought to a target rifle?

Dave: This whole time I’ve enjoyed hitting small targets at long range. I would think we could go back to our beginnings but this is more of a passion more than a business. We stayed away from assault rifles as we know our expertise is making accurate bolt action rifles. There’s no point of us trying to get into a market that is already saturated with loads and loads of companies making that sort of thing, trying to compete with people who have been making this stuff for years and years. We’ll stick to what we’re best at.

SADJ: Where did you get the idea for the thumbhole?

Dave: Target rifles. I used to shoot with thumbhole stocks and the angle of the hand was better than a traditional cranked wrist sort of thing. It puts the trigger in line so you can pull the trigger back in a direct line. Lots of target technology went into the development of that stock. A competent engineer with a reasonable amount of firearms knowledge could design a rifle but to design one to force someone into a good shooting position by the design of the stock is not that easy. Between Malcolm Cooper, Dave Caig and myself we had a vast experience of shooting and stock design. We’d come up with stocks for all different builds. I was the tallest, so we would modify it to suit me, then Malcolm was the shortest. So we could actually model the stock for the three different builds of shooting.

SADJ: Much has been written about the L96’s “flat bottomed receiver.” Can you shed some light on this?

Dave: There are a lot of articles that have been written about this, explaining the stress factors of the steel are stronger and all the tremendous mechanical advantage. I looked at these articles and thought to myself, “What a brainy guy they think I am!” The actual fact is that when designing the L96, I went to the steel rack and I didn’t have a round bit of metal, I only had a rectangular piece and everybody started copying it. The design turned out to have a lot of advantages, but they were tripped over by accident. One of the advantages is that it lends itself quite nicely to a double row magazine whereas if it was a round action, a double row magazine wouldn’t work as well. Another advantage of a square action body is bonding it on to the chassis. When it comes to machining, it makes life a lot easier because you have a nice flat base to hold on to, and easy to check because of square sides. There are lots of advantages to what we did, but it was tripped over by accident and not as scientific as people think.

SADJ: What do does AI think of the Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) Contract?

Tom Irwin: The probability of winning it was low; we certainly tried as hard as we could to win and we came up with a product that was good enough to win. But to be realistic about it, I knew when you’re up against Remington in the USA it was always going to be difficult. When we won the British MOD contract, which became the L115A3, we said, “We are going to win this and we are not going to let anyone take this contract.” We’re not going to let some overseas company come into the UK with this. It would look really bad for us. Remington took the same position with the PSR contract in the United States. If Remington had lost that job, it would have been bad for them, with all of their facilities and home grown political support they get. We’ve got 10 people, including myself, and 4,000 square feet in the U.S. When you compare that to Remington’s facilities, we’re small fry. We didn’t expect to win it but what I expected to get out of it was a new product, and that’s what we’ve got. Even before the results came out, we went into production with that and sold over a hundred of them on a special limited edition run of the PSR contract rifle kit. It gave us an opportunity to get the rifle into full production and today we have a complete range of AX rifles directly as a result of the PSR solicitation. There are many features in all of our rifles, including the AX50, which came about because of the PSR contract so it helped us change our product range.

SADJ: With the PSR contract, some of the companies were incorporating powered rails. What does AI think of that?

Dave: This is the trouble with modern weapons; everyone wants to look like Rambo. It makes them feel good when they are carrying this stuff but it doesn’t help the shooter and it doesn’t make the rifle shoot any better. Designs are being changed really considerably by individuals that think for instance a powered rail would be a legitimate thing to have but when you come down to it from a shooting point of view, in some cases it’s not practical at all. For example, I’ve been designing a new bipod and I’ve been told that customers would like the bipod to lock solid, but I would say it’s better to have a certain amount of movement. This would be more favorable on lose ground when you fire a shot, one side of the bipod sinks in the ground. If you have it locked you would have to reach forward and unlock the bipod and lock it again, but with a certain amount of tension. But not locked you can just twisted the gun back to position, unfortunately people are saying it has to be locked.

SADJ: How has the marketing approach changed in the company?

Tom: Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, the marketing approach was completely different than today; they would not have been sitting here, talking to gun writers. There was involvement with movies and TV dramas but not anywhere near the level we are doing today. It was the same with articles, magazines and advertising. The approach was that we make the best: people know that and they’ll just come to us. They didn’t promote themselves as the best sniper rifle in the world. Around the world, with military government contracts, there are contractual requirements, which include penalty clauses, and bonds, which the prior management would not enter into. Upfront payments were a part of doing business back then. The main competitor products were customized hunting rifles. Now, fast forward to today. If you didn’t put bond money up front, if you didn’t sign up for penalty clauses, and if you tried to get upfront money, you would not get any contracts. Those days have gone! If you look at the competition, there are a number of companies using the same concept of an aluminum platform and several of them have flat bottomed receivers. Most of the competitive rifles are designed for tactical use and none of them are customized hunting rifles. There is a lot more competition around today. Our approach is to be the leader, stay ahead of the competition and we make the best sniper rifle in the world. We are not going to be catching up; others will catch up with us. If we were still making only the AW and AE today we would be going downhill rapidly. We invested in facilities, people and products and that is why we are at the point we are today, where we have no qualms at all in saying we make the best sniper rifle in the world because we believe that.

SADJ: How has legal legislation changed the picture of civilian shooting in the UK since you began the company, in both the political and social aspects?

Dave: Politically it’s almost impossible for a company to get into firearms manufacturing today, in the UK, because of all the government red tape. Socially the sport is going away. One of my friends from my competition days recently stepped down from coaching the national team and when I asked him why, he said, “There’s no new people coming into shooting, all the old guys like us are dying out.” and he’s absolutely correct. When I was young and in my teens, I would go down to my rifle club and those old guys on the range would teach me the finer points of rifle shooting. Now that generation is dead and there are no rifle clubs that kids these days can go to because they’ve all been shut down after the government has made it almost impossible to continue operation due to the restrictions.

SADJ: What does the future hold for Accuracy International?

Dave: Old age. (Laughter ensues…)

Tom: Well due to the fact that we literally just changed our product line to the AX and AT, then the immediate future is making sure we can get the product as good as it can be. So for the near term future, which you can say is the next 5 years, that is our focus and right now we’re not planning on anything beyond that. We spent so much getting to this point and we’ve done enough to keep us growing for the short term. That’s where our focus is.

SADJ: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today – a truly amazing story.

Acronyms:

AW- Began out of the Swedish trials and stands for Arctic Warfare, 3 lug action. Later made in .338 Lapua.

AE- Entry-level rifle for law enforcement agencies in 2001 as well as being an economically priced rifle.

AS- AS50, semi auto .50 caliber rifle.

AT- Improved AW. 6 lug action and quick release barrel with an AW action.

AX- PSR contract rifle. AX multi caliber, .308 NATO, .300 Win. Mag., .338 Lapua. AX 308 separate.

AICS- Accuracy International Chassis System, AT AICS, AX AICS, AW AICS. Aimed at the civilian market and upgrading existing law enforcement rifles either for the Remington 700 action or the Accuracy International actions.

L96- Original company production rifle designated L96 in British Army and nick named “The Green Meanie.” Later replaced by the .338 Lapua L115A3.

Today, unlike in the 1990s, the company is not in any sort of debt, and all the machinery in the factory is paid off in full. From a meager 2 CNC machines in the late 90s, one of which wasn’t even working, the company now boosts over 30 of them in addition to various other modern machine stations.

This machine is using electricity going through a wire and cutting the receiver to the correct specification shape. It is computer controlled and automatically cuts as many as 6 receivers in a single setting. The liquid inside the container is sterilized water.

Tom Irwin demonstrates features of the magazine well on an AX .308 chassis; particularly how a shooter or spotter can insert a magazine from the left without moving the rifle and maintaining the rifle on target.

Notice the modularity of all the external parts on the chassis. If any of these parts become worn down or broken, shooters can swap them out with new ones. Borrowing a concept from polymer handgun designs, the pistol grips can be swapped out for different size swells to accommodate different shooters.

Putting a .338 Lapua AX through its paces in the factory 100 meter range. The scope is a Schmidt & Bender, a world renowned scope for an equally remarkable rifle. Notice the amount of KeyMod slots on the frame.

Various bolt housing groups in line for further finishing and assembly. Another feature of the design was the short 60 degree bolt throw open, allowing more rapid bolt manipulation. This was especially evident during the test fire of the weapon system in the 100 meter range, the bolt being especially smooth during operation.

Top left, Caig and Walls’ third prototype rifle from 1981. Bottom left, a target rifle design from 1984. Top right, standard and original L96 sniper rifle. Notice the military iron sights and the transition from the gentle curves of the target rifles to the rigid lines of the military rifles. Middle right, Arctic Warfare cutaway. Notice on all three of these contract rifles, the different muzzle compensator design changes. Bottom right, German G22 .300 Win. Mag. Even in 1997, the need for Picatinny rails has already become apparent as is evidenced by this rifle’s scope mounting systems. Also notice the night vision optic in front of the scope. Because making optical mounts such as these was so difficult and cumbersome to pair up with the various other mounts on the market, Picatinny rails and KeyMod slots on the AX rifles did away with the headaches of the different configurations.

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Since 2005, the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP) have been providing a paramilitary force capable of stabilizing reconstruction efforts and will continue to provide a long term security force for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.  This essay takes a look at the small arms, equipment, and organization of a Police unit based out of the Loy Kolay Precinct, Nawa district in Helmand province.  During the time frame of this article, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Infantry Regiment (1/9) was supporting the AUP and ANA positions in Nawa Ye-Baraksi district.  Since then, 2/6 has taken over.  (A note on abbreviations, AUP was formally designated Afghan National Police (ANP).  This is not to be confused with the Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghanistan’s standing army, or the Afghan Local Police (ALP), a community based police program.)

Closing with and destroying the enemy through fire and maneuver has been a storied trademark of Marine riflemen for 236 years.  A much more enduring task in Afghanistan is providing security for the country so Afghans can make democracy work on their own long after the United States has pulled out.  By advising and training a functioning Army and Police force to provide security, this is becoming a reality.  All over Helmand, from Garsmir to Sangin, Marines are living with ANA and AUP forces in patrol bases, working with and mentoring them.  One such permanent position is at Loy Kolay, and this is where this article will primarily focus upon.

The Loy Kolay Police precinct headquarters and Marine partnered Patrol Base (PB) is ten kilometers south of the capitol of Helmand province, Lashkar Gah, and is typical of the partnered stations in Nawa Ye-Baraksi district.  Usually consisting of a reinforced squad of Marines and twice that amount of AUP patrolmen, the stations are modeled after the Combined Action Platoons of the Vietnam War (as is written about in The Village by Bing West (Pocket Books, 2002).  The Marines and AUP are autonomous; they have their own mobile sections, supplies, and a shared Area of Operations (AO) for which they are responsible.  The ultimate mission for the Marines is to advise and assist the AUP in order for them to take charge of provincial security on their own.  If any readers are curious as to what type of force the AUP are similar to, they are akin to a national police force.  They are police in the general scheme of things but do not operate in the way a typical police department would because they have national jurisdiction.

Typical AUP Ford Ranger loaded down with patrolmen on its way to a patrol base. Nicknamed ‘Ranger Dangers’ by Marines, they offer a rugged truck to get around but not very safely. This truck doesn’t have any antennas mounted on it and a PKM is absent from the bed of the truck. The Pashtu digits on the rear of the truck is a tip hotline for civilians to call.

Organization and Missions
The police commander of Loy Kolay precinct is in charge of three other police checkpoints within the region.  He in turn reports to the Nawa district police chief at District Center, which is twelve kilometers south of the Loy Kolay precinct.  District Center is also partnered with U.S. Marine Patrol Base Jaker, a large patrol base featured in the documentary of the same name (David Scantling, Waltzing Matilda Films, 2010).  There are approximately 20-30 patrolmen at any time detailed to the Loy Kolay precinct headquarters.  To help run this, the commander has an executive officer, an administration officer, some Sergeants and junior team leaders.  The Patrolmen’s duties include vehicle/foot patrols, Vehicle Checkpoints (VCPs), and standing post.  Some Patrolmen are from the local area, but most are from nearby districts or as far away as Kandahar and the Pakistani border.  Local men may go home on weekends but the others take leave only every three to five months.  They sign service contracts ranging from one to two years.  The ultimate goal for both the AUP and the Marines is to get all the Patrolmen into the Police Academy in Lashkar Gah, which is a two month training school. Officers attend school in programs ranging from three to six years.

Uniforms and Equipment
Uniforms and equipment are largely the same among the AUP in Nawa Ye-Baraksi.  There are three primary uniform colors; green, black, and either light or dark blue.  Most patrolmen have the new light blue uniform based on the U.S Army’s ACU design.  These include Velcro pockets, zippered front openings, shoulder and ankle pockets and blousing ties.  An American based M65 field jacket is used in the cold weather months, complete with Velcro patches, liners, and a fur collar.  Covers are universal and are a stiff material with sewn in ear muffs and the AUP emblem on the front.  The older uniforms are much like the U.S Marine Corp’s Service Bravos and are even sometimes accompanied by a blue tanker jacket.  Patches include Police Battalion crests, AUP emblems and Afghan flags.  Some Marine Infantry Battalions have left their mark by giving the AUP stickers and patches of their emblems and mottos.

Footwear is a mix of Marine boots, aftermarket tactical boots and sometimes sandals or regular shoes.  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is limited at best.  Although the Loy Kolay police have enough Kevlar helmets for some to be used on foot patrols, they are never taken out of their berthing.  Some patrolmen have either fake or real eye protection and occasionally wear them.  Many vests have back panels for SAPI (Small Arms Protective Insert, ceramic plates capable of stopping up to 7.62mm) plates but the AUP are not issued any.  In the author’s time at Loy Kolay, he only saw two American issued SAPI plates, and they were kept as good luck omens, never taken out of a berthing.

A patrolman on a patrol in southern Nawa. He has an AMD65 and has coupled two magazines together with duct tape. This practice is seen among some patrolmen but is not widespread. The author has even seen three magazines coupled with rubber straps but this was rarely taken out on patrol.

Load bearing equipment differs from patrolman to patrolman and is not yet standardized; some are aftermarket Chinese copies of western tactical vests.  These come in a wide array of colors and styles: woodland and desert MARPAT, army ACU, black, blue, woodland analog, and desert chocolate chip.  Others are copies of green or tan Vietnam War style AKM magazine pouches.  There is an official blue AUP patrol vest but it is not widely used.  A combat load usually consists of three magazines and some water but patrolmen carry everything from Flexicufs to metal handcuffs, tourniquets, whistles, VOG-25 grenades, Icom radios and of course, naswar tobacco for anybody who is familiar with the region.  Some patrolmen disregard the vests altogether and put on patrol belts with magazines and batons attached.

Communication between checkpoints and stations is provided by Japanese made ICOM radios and receivers.  These are generic throughout the Middle East and are also used by the Taliban.  When generators are down, the receivers are powered by solar panels.  For transportation, AUP use civilian cars and motorbikes in addition to Ford Rangers.  At higher levels, trucks that are similar in appearance to American military seven ton trucks are used for moving large quantities of supplies.  These have waist high rails on the bed and a turret mount and port in the cab.

Ford Rangers are manual, all-wheel drive crew-cab trucks, specially equipped for AUP missions.  All are light green with markings on them indicating AUP units and vehicle numbers.  ANA Ford Rangers are all either a light tan or a camouflage splotched pattern.  Special additions include Vistal SL sirens, five foot CB whip antennas, heavy duty trailer hitches, winches, brush guards with side steps and all-terrain tires.  Lockable tool boxes, tie down D rings in the bed, dual rifle rack in between the front seats, adjustable spot lights, and a fuel tank rigs are standard.  These trucks are made in Australia but assembled in Thailand.  Mounted on the center of the roll bar is a machine gun pintle mount, which can mount an AUP PKM or M240.  For mobile missions, patrolmen fill the cab and then have a number of patrolmen seated in the bed.  Since the bed usually contains food supplies and blankets that take up much space, the patrolmen have a good platform to sit or stand on.

A patrolman handing out Afghan Government leaflets in a rural village. He has a Peshawar AK47 copy and ACU patterned vest. His sling is an issued web sling and he is draping the rifle only around his neck, turning a traditional rifle sling into a sort of tactical improvisation because though it holds the rifle in place, he can still rapidly use it. Notice in the background the long stick with a metal blade on the end. With its moniker the ‘sickle’ it is taken out on patrol to give a stand off distance when investigating suspicious objects that might be Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The operations of the AUP at Loy Kolay are primarily centered on three types of missions: mobile patrols, foot patrols, and VCPs.  Each one of these can be either independent of the Marines or partnered with them.  All missions are usually confined to the northern part of Nawa and the Helmand River, with the exception of supply and administration trips to Lashkar Gah.  Partnered foot patrols are kept at squad size and are sent to areas that the Marines need to go to, but the AUP pick missions and tasks as well.  When going on a foot patrol, patrolmen take a combat load and their issued rifle.  Occasionally, a patrolman will bring along the station’s PKM medium machine gun.  A team leader or squad leader might also take a 40mm Low Velocity Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) GP25 or a 9x19mm NATO Smith & Wesson SW9VE.

For VCPs, the AUP use four or more patrolmen and bring their combat load and sometimes the PKM.  Checkpoints consist of stopping all vehicle and foot traffic, inquiring about their situations, checking National ID cards, and searching vehicles for contraband, weapons or IED materials.  Out of traditional Islamic respect for women, vehicles with women inside are not stopped and allowed to pass unsearched.

Mobile patrols consist of motorcycles and/or Ford Rangers.  Combat loads and rifles are taken, as is the PKM with either type of transport.  For the Ford Rangers, patrolmen take all the seats in the cab as well as piling in the back of the already loaded bed section.  Maintaining a patrolman observing each sector, there are no safety straps or seats in place.  Also, for ease of operation, the PKM isn’t mounted to the pintle mount, which is really only useful for frontal targets within 90 degrees of the cab.  If this appears as unsafe travel, it is.  Most roads in Helmand are hard enough for Marine tactical vehicles, much more for civilian pickup trucks.  Outside the urban areas, all rural roads are dirt and unimproved.  Most run alongside full or dried up canals and vehicle roll over’s and accidents are not uncommon.  In September of 2011, an IED hit a Ford Ranger in a public figure’s convoy.  The two men in the cab survived unscathed but the two men in the bed were thrown out and subsequently died.

Partnered Marine and AUP shooting range. The PKM is in full use here and functioning well. Patrolman on the left with the belt of rounds has a black vest and elbow pads that are being used as knee pads. The cloth around his neck is used as a sweat band or to cover up his face when in the back of a truck. His rifle is a Romanian AIM with apparently black furniture but really it is black tape to protect the wood. Also the stock is broken, slanted and also being held together by duct tape. The AUP in dark blue is the commander and thus wears shoes instead of boots. He and the machine gunner are wearing the same uniform, only that the commander’s is a darker blue.

When using motorcycles for mobile patrols, three or more are taken.  Combat loads, rifles are standard with the occasional PKM.  Police ride two to a bike and have a round in the chamber before riding off.  Since patrolmen are sometimes from the areas in which they patrol on foot, they usually just have a magazine inserted and only load a round in suspect areas or situations.  But with mobile patrols there might not be enough time to chamber a round when seconds count.  In addition, Taliban have been known to shoot at AUP on motorcycles as well as from their own vehicles.

Small Arms
The AUP and the ALP primarily issue two pistols, the 9x19mm S&W SW9VE (AUP) and the 9x18mm Makorov (ALP).  The SW9VE is supplied by Smith and Wesson in five contracts beginning in 2005.  The pistol is a variant of their polymer striker fired line based on the Sigma series.  It is issued to officers, squad leaders and occasionally guards or patrolmen going on solo trips for personal protection.  The only ammunition observed used with the SW9VE is from the Lone Wolf ammunition company.  Holsters come in many varieties and designs.  Since traditional Afghan clothes do not incorporate belts or belt loops, shoulder holsters are very popular.  When worn under a coat or a shawl, as many men wear on motorcycles, it makes the pistol and ammunition very concealable.  Most shoulder holsters are cheap cloth or leather tactical types with straps to secure the pistol and saddle slots for individual rounds of ammunition.  Some will have a magazine pouch either on the holster or on the opposite side of the harness.  When AUP are in uniform they use two types of holsters, a conventional belt mounted holster with a flap and a very simple leather device that mounts on the belt and keeps the pistol secure but is not protected from the elements.  If these are not available, many simply jam it into their belt or pockets.  Also, when in uniform, officers have a tendency to position their pistols in a cross draw fashion while team leaders use a strong arm side.

The patrolman’s standard issue rifle is the AKM in various versions or configurations.  These rifles come from countries like Pakistan and Romania and the AUP has quite a variety of them.  AKs seen in use include, Chinese Type 56s, Hungarian AMD65Ss (wood and green furniture), Russian AKMs and AK47s, Romanian AIM’s, Bulgarian AKKs, and Peshawar copies.  Rifles are issued to patrolmen and they take them to which ever station they are assigned to, and they even take them home on leave.  Considering the age of the AKs in use, they have stood up to a good deal of hard use.  Serial numbers are telling, the most recent Romanian AIM seen was made in 1985, but most were made in the 1970s.  These rifles are very wide spread among the AUP in Helmand.  Some stocks are broken and the rifles are left without wooden stocks.  Hungarian AMD65s seem to have the most breakages with the rod stock snapping at the swivel.  Most Chinese AKs are missing the attached bayonet but some still remain.  Peshawar AKs are easy to identify because all the parts are from different rifles and the markings are poorly stamped.  Few issued AK slings remain and contraptions are made out of uniform belts, strips of cloth, engineering tape, and headbands.  In the hands of the AUP, accuracy is average to minimal, however this is not due to the rifles – Marines have shot them on partnered ranges and have had good results on paper.  Ammunition is usually entirely Lone Wolf 7.62x39mm.  For zeroing, most patrolmen have to use Kentucky windage because front sight adjustment tools are very rare.

Some AUP patrolmen pose for a picture. Most of these men are the entry level patrolmen in their everyday uniforms. The men in the right part of the picture are the commanders and patrol leaders. Here is also a good comparison between the dark blue and light blue uniforms, the ACU patterned and the service Charlie uniforms. There are no green or black uniforms present.

The AUP’s primary fire support weapon is the PKM medium machine gun of Russian origin.  Carried out on most missions, it is equivalent in use and deployment to the Marine Corps’ M240B medium machine gun.  Coupled with a saddle box attached for the belted ammunition, it is slung over a patrolman’s shoulder while on a foot patrol or held while on motorcycles or trucks.  For additional belts of ammunition, patrolmen wrap the belts around their waists and shoulders in a manner that keeps them secure.  The Ford Rangers have post mounts designed to work with the PKM and M240s, but the police do not attach machine guns on them because it only allows forward coverage.  Equipped with a haphazard sling and bipods locked up, the AUP prefer it over the RPK and take good care of it.  Cleaning the PKM and keeping it clean is an important priority for the AUP.  For bases such as Loy Kolay or larger, two or more PKMs are present.  But for smaller outposts, usually only a single PKM and RPG are all they have for heavy armament.  Of note is that the AUP and ANA have not been seen to bring spare barrels out on missions.  For their light machine gun, the AUP have the RPK but have rarely taken it out at Loy Kolay.  Ammunition for the PKM is a split between Lone Wolf and an unknown source 7.62x54Rmm.

GP-25 grenade launchers firing the VOG 25 round are used extensively on all types of missions and are akin to Marine 40x46mm M203s mounted on M4s and M16A4s.  Unlike the M203, the GP-25 can be easily dismounted and the AKM is back to its original configuration.  When M203s are dismounted, the rifle needs a lower handguard which is not issued to the Marine for it to be back to a M16A4 or M4.  GP-25s are usually carried by squad leaders, team leaders, or senior patrolmen, accompanied by a vest of magazines and VOG 25 rounds, or a specially made satchel of 10 rounds that is carried on a sling.  The satchel is sometimes affixed to the front of the vest or simply slung off to the side of the patrolman.  RPG-7s are the heaviest armament in the AUP arsenal and are used very respectfully and with discretion.  Usually only one launcher goes out on mobile missions where patrolmen don’t have to hump the extra rockets along with them in the canvas carry pack.  Anti-personnel rockets are carried but a few anti-tank rockets with the bulbous warhead have been seen in use.  For both GP-25 grenades and RPG rockets, origin of ammunition is usually Bulgarian noted by the “10” encircled factory designation.

AUP mobile mission. The crew cab will fill up but alert patrolmen are still seated in the bed on the food supplies and blankets. Patrolman on the left has the PKM and saddle ammunition box, without extra belts. He has improvised boot bands in the form of tucking his trousers into his socks and has secured the saddle drum with engineer tape.

Patrolmen are generally very good at keeping their weapons clean and well lubricated.  Using Marine supplied CLP fluid and diesels oil as lubricants, they clean their personal weapons once a week on average.  The PKM is cleaned by several patrolmen at once or by a single senior patrolman who is experienced with the machine gun.  For materials, they use anything available and make much out of little.  Old rags, ripped clothing and brushes are all used extensively. Even an improvised “Bore Snake” made out of a silky rag and shoe string tied together is utilized.  When done cleaning or not in use, the rags are stuffed in the orifice behind the trigger mechanism in rifles that do not have stocks.  Otherwise it is wrapped around some part of the rifle, wedged in between the hand guards or even used as a sort of muzzle cap by tying it around the muzzle and stuffing it in.  Cigarette butts are used for this purpose as well.  An interesting technique that the AUP do is that once finished cleaning their weapons, they leave them out in the sun to dry.

For Soviet small arms and their clones, an equal amount of copper tainted Soviet and gray Lone Wolf is supplied to the AUP.  Magazines and belts are intertwined with both kinds in 7.62×39 and 7.62x54R.  The 9x19mm rounds for the SW9VE pistols are mostly Lone Wolf.  On one occasion, the author inspected some magazines in a patrolman’s vest only to find that the top ten rounds were blanks.  Whether this had a purpose or not, the author still found it very odd to find a magazine with blanks on a combat patrol.  Patrolmen do fire warning shots quite often to stop vehicles or get a farmer’s attention.

The Afghan United Police have come a long way since Afghanistan won its independence from vicious Taliban rule.  But they still have a long way to go in terms of developing a professional force capable of standing up to today’s insurgency.  Many patrolmen are illiterate with their only formal education being the Police Academy.  Some defect to the Taliban or simply desert.  Most of the police work conducted is rudimentary, without the introduction of investigative services and support.  Villagers living in conditions more akin to the 15th century than the 21st are still coming to terms with a professional police force to back them up.  Most stations are heavily reliant on Coalition Forces for fuel, water and ammunition.  The future is uncertain for Afghanistan and its people, especially with the imminent American military draw back.  The American efforts of time, material, and training have been thoroughly shared, but whether or not the AUP and the new country can pull through depends entirely up to them and their willpower from now on.

A disassembled Chinese Type 56, showing the serialized components. Some rifles had all matching numbers, while many just had certain parts matching. Due to the age of the rifles and the constant trade of arms and parts within the region, many become mismatched with others as spare parts are hard to come by.

(Special Thanks to Liza Ponomarekno, Kit Young, Randy Lambert, and the Marines and Afghans at PB Loy Kolay.)