Iraq M16 biometric tracing
Military.com reported a few days ago that the entire Iraqi army is moving to the M16A2 and M4. Some Iraqi units have been using M16s since May last year. The move was originally announced last April.
So far, the U.S. military has helped the Iraqi army purchase 43,000 rifles - a mix of full-stock M-16A2s and compact M-4 carbines. Another 50,000 rifles are currently on order, and the objective is to outfit the entire Iraqi army with 165,000 American rifles in a one-for-one replacement of the AK-47.
“Our goal is to give every Iraqi soldier an M-16A2 or an M-4,” Scott said. “And as the Iraqi army grows, we will adjust.” - Military.com
Reasons given are logistical and that the M16 is a superior and more reliable weapon. Many think it is superior but few would say more reliable. It is easier to see the logistical benefits. I imagine training will also be easier.
The big advantage is that the rifles can be easily traced. Mexico has gone down this route by using a weapon they themselves designed. If a FX-05 “Xiuhcoatl” ends up in the hands of a drug runner, the Mexican army will know where to find the culprit who supplied it.
Last year it was reported that then an Iraqi soldier gets issued an M16 he is finger printed, undergoes a digital retina scan, and is photographed with the rifle serial number. The information is then transfered into a central database.
The weapon exchange is just the first step in a five-day program of instruction for the Iraqis. However, new rifles are not handed out in a one-for-one swap. Coalition Forces assign each IA recruit a weapon using a high-tech, biometric issue system.
Verified against a master list and having tuned in his old rifle, the IA soldier and his new M-16 continue on to one of ten biometric stations, where he is finger printed, undergoes a digital retinal scan and is photographed with the M16’s serial number. Officials then transfer the information to a database in Baghdad, to ensure accountability and to prevent the weapon from ending up in the wrong hands. - Blackanthem Military News
The BAT (Biometrics Automated Toolset) in Iraq
The DOD Biometric Task Force
My thoughts on the move to the M16
The move of course also sends money to American factories. It makes sense as hundreds of millions have been spent on arms for the Iraqi army. At the end of last year Iraq’s defence Minister Abdul-Qadir al-Obaidi announced a US$230 million deal with Serbia for what is likely to be rifles, machine guns, explosives and ammo.
Serbia has signed a US$230m (£116m) deal with Iraq to sell weapons and military equipment, the defence ministry said yesterday.
It did not specify the weapons but Serbian military experts believe they include Serbian-made assault rifles, machine guns, anti-tank weapons, ammunition and explosives. - IRAQ UPDATES
Training with M16s in Iraq. May 2007. US Army photo.
Unfortunately for the rest of us who do not own shares in ammunition manufacturers the supply of 5.56mm to yet another army at war, and who will be at war for a long time, means the price is only going to go up and up.
What does not make sense is why they do not supply them with the gas piston AR variants. Politics would be my guess. I think they had enough media attention over the body armor, they don’t want to be accused of issuing the Iraqi superior rifles.
Iraqi Army soldier loading
5.56mm ammo.
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Still has the same two fundamental flaws: the gas action dumps carbon and heat into the action resulting in jams, and the wet lubricant sticks particles to the contact point in the action resulting in jams. its a terrible choice for a desert environment with a lot of dust and without near religious amounts of maintenance, will jam constantly.
There are fixes to both problems but we arent applying them to ours or the IA’s. Supporting the troops my a-s.
I often wonder what the behind-the-scene-politics are of not providing a gas piston upgrade to the existing M16/M4s in service.
Everyone is focusing on the functional arguments of the M-16 Series. These points are all well known and have been discussed to death. There is a much simpler and more practical implication to this move. First let me establish my BS rating. I have been in Iraq for nearly 5 years. I spent several years in the field, and now I am a mentor at a tier one Iraqi training unit.
Many of the rank and file Iraqi Army and Police wear 2 hats. Army by day, insurgent by night, and it is an even bet that NEITHER of his two families knows about the other. The AK is so ubiquitous in this culture, seeing one is meaningless, taking his AK and giving him an M-16 “outs” him to everyone who sees it. It makes it much easier for us to tell good guys from bad guys.
I suggested pinning gold paper stars to their clothes, but I guess that was tried once before and people got pretty touchy about it.
An Iraqi army uniform is pretty easy to come by if you want to run a fake checkpoint for carjackings and shakedowns. An M-16 is much harder. Once we can say 100% of the Iraqi army is packing the Mattel toy rifle people have an instant visual cue that the guys ahead are phonies. This also applies to our guys. Increasingly US soldiers are operating side by side with Iraqis. At a couple hundred yards viewed through NVGs that distinctive profile is a big help in deciding what to do. Now when you see that classic AK image, you dont have to pause to check for friendlies in the area. Skulking around at night+AK in hand=72 Virgins.
Yes, follow the money. That is usually the answer. For a second here forget about the money involved in ammo contracts. This move means we can CUT OFF ammo. As long as the Iraqis use 7.62×39 in a State sponsored capacity we have to allow it to exist. This enables us to take that card off the table by eliminating any stockpiles we find as obsolete, or even better, tracing them straight to insurgents.
You could also add black ammo into the mix, but that is another conversation.
Yes biometrics adds an additional layer of tracking should one of these guns go missing, but that is a secondary effort. You can accomplish the same thing with morning formation. Everyone who is not holding an M-16 please step into the office. Done. Also one of the M-16 family traits is an insatiable need to be cleaned. It will not be long before any rifle that falls out becomes deadlined because Iraqis, used to AK’s, who have not been trained in it’s care and maintenance will be unable to keep it running. You know what these guys Everyone is focusing on the functional arguments of the M-16 Series. These points are all well known and have been discussed to death. There is a much simpler and more practical implication to this move. First let me establish my BS rating. I have been in Iraq for nearly 5 years. I spent several years in the field, and now I am a mentor at a tier one Iraqi training unit.
Many of the rank and file Iraqi Army and Police wear 2 hats. Army by day, insurgent by night, and it is an even bet that NEITHER of his two families knows about the other. The AK is so ubiquitous in this culture, seeing one is meaningless, taking his AK and giving him an M-16 “outs” him to everyone who sees it. It makes it much easier for us to tell good guys from bad guys.
I suggested pinning gold paper stars to their clothes, but I guess that was tried once before and people got pretty touchy about it.
An Iraqi army uniform is pretty easy to come by if you want to run a fake checkpoint for carjackings and shakedowns. An M-16 is much harder. Once we can say 100% of the Iraqi army is packing the Mattel toy rifle people have an instant visual cue that the guys ahead are phonies. This also applies to our guys. Increasingly US soldiers are operating side by side with Iraqis. At a couple hundred yards viewed through NVGs that distinctive profile is a big help in deciding what to do. Now when you see that classic AK image, you dont have to pause to check for friendlies in the area. Skulking around at night+AK in hand=72 Virgins.
Yes, follow the money. That is usually the answer. For a second here forget about the money involved in ammo contracts. This move means we can CUT OFF ammo. As long as the Iraqis use 7.62×39 in a State sponsored capacity we have to allow it to exist. This enables us to take that card off the table by eliminating any stockpiles we find as obsolete, or even better, tracing them straight to insurgents.
You could also add black ammo into the mix, but that is another conversation.
Yes biometrics adds an additional layer of tracking should one of these guns go missing, but that is a secondary effort. You can accomplish the same thing with morning formation. Everyone who is not holding an M-16 please step into the office. Done. Also one of the M-16 family traits is an insatiable need to be cleaned. It will not be long before any rifle that falls out becomes deadlined because Iraqis, used to AK’s, who have not been trained in it’s care and maintenance will be unable to keep it running. You know what these desert dwellers call an M-16 that hasn’t been cleaned in a while? Nothing. They are dead because it wouldn’t fire.
Hi InfidelTababa, thanks for your insight.
I mostly agree with you, but I don’t think that they will ever be able to assume M16 = friendly. Iran produces a clone of the Chinese AR-15 clone, these clones will probably make their way to the insurgents for use in fake checkpoints etc.