#Misc

Defense Blog has published evidence that Iraqi security forces are using a counter drone gun to aid in the fight against the so-called Islamic State’s many hobby drones that are either acting as forward observers for the terrorist group or weaponized themselves by dropping grenades upon unsuspecting Iraqi forces from the air. Every month since the attack on Mosul began we’ve seen these drone attacks skyrocket compared to what they were previously.

Soon after the release of the so-called Islamic State’s marksmen shots video ( discussed in-depth here), the terrorist organization released another video but this montage focused on the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. The largest difference between the two is the enemy faced and the tactical employment of the IS marksmen teams. In the Sinai IS affiliated shooters are facing troops who are heavily armed compared with the Kurds in Kirkuk. Although these troops are better armed, their counter-sniper tactics, behavior, and reactions under fire aren’t that much better than the Kurdish volunteers that were seen earlier. As an example, we are seeing Egyptian troops at the very same positions and outposts taking far too many casualties than they should be.

While at Latin America Aerospace and Defence 2017 (LAAD 2017), Israeli Weapon Industries released the latest in their line of Jericho handguns. The 9x19mm NATO/.40 S&W/.45 ACP Jericho 941 PL Enhanced handgun is a move towards bringing the Jericho into motion with numerous changes in recent modular pistol design. This includes a flattened polymer frame, interchangable backstraps, a rounded trigger guard, and more picatinny rail-estate on the forend. The 941 PL comes in two sizes, a full size and a compact version. So far the only difference between the two that we can tell is that the full size has one more picatinny cross section and might be somewhat longer in the grip. The handgun comes in Black, Green, and FDE. Offering this handgun in FDE appears to be a first in terms of finish FDE options for IWI as well.

A number of AR15s that have been turning up in Iraq appear to be counterfeit products but are in the markets and treated as legitimate production versions of the rifle companies the producers are seeking to counterfeit. Some of them are very small differences, only being distinguished by the wrong roll mark or incorrect engraving. Others are blatantly obvious through the combination of several companies on a single lower. As an example, the largest indication that we are seeing is an AR15 with a 14.5 inch barrel, Burst selector, and with both Colt markings above the serial number and FN Herstal markings above the selector switch. Although both companies have been making M4s and M4A1s for the U.S. Military, neither of these companies have ever actually combined forces and produced a joint rifle. We’ll post the glaring examples we have seen so far down below. There are far more examples that are borderline counterfeit, but I don’t want to post them because I just don’t have the in-depth Colt roll mark knowledge to be able to discern whether or not it is genuine.

The De Lisle Commando Carbine has fascinated small arms enthusiasts since knowledge of it became widespread after the Second World War. Almost entering myth like lore, it is claimed to have been the quietest weapon ever issued and used by Allied forces both in the European and Pacific theaters of war. Only 129 are known to have been produced on a production line (there might have been more but we only have 129 recorded) and were mostly issued to Special Operations Executive (SOE), Royal Marine Commandos and in very rare cases some American special operations forces during the war.

In what appears to be LWRC cornering the Swedish special operations and SWAT issue rifle market, we have yet more evidence of LWRC’s piston operated IC-A5 rifles in usage by the Särskilda operationsgruppen (SOG, Military SOF), the Förstärkt Regional Insatsstyrka (Reinforced Regional Task Force), and though unconfirmed the Nationella insatsstyrkan (National Task Force). Earlier on TFB, we covered the use of LWRC rifles by SOG, a component of the military, in addition to H&K MP7s.

Turkish company Harp ARGE has exported its first anti-drone jamming device to the Azeri military recently, in an unmentioned quantity for delivery. Already in service with numerous Turkish military and security entities, the anti-drone device is being used to combat the usage of drones by enemies for surveillance purposes and even for dropping limited ordnance as has been seen in Iraq and Syria.

French Counter-Terrorism group National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) recently announced at SOFINS 2017 that it would be adopting CZ’s 806 Bren 2 in 7.62x39mm with a 9 inch barrel. So far 68 carbines have been ordered for the roughly 400 man counter-terrorist force, resulting from extensive testing of various platforms in 7.62x39mm since 2015. CZ was apparently a late comer to the testing and evaluation but appears to have come out on top amongst the others involved. Currently, GIGN is stipulating that the carbine must be modified to accept a suppressor and an accompanying gas system to assist with shooting subsonic ammunition reliably. In addition to the carbine CZ is also trying to push the P-10 for adoption as well, but this appears to be a no go at present.

The Ruger .22 LR 10/22 rifle probably has the record for the most “drop in” imitation firearms ever. There are 10/22 platforms that will allow it to look like a Garand, a P90, even an AK74! The majority of these are of course mostly aesthetic and don’t really add much to the actual system itself. At the end of the day, you aren’t much better off than if you hadn’t done anything to the 10/22 base action in the first place.

During the adoption of the Thales EF88 rifle by the Australian Defense Force, one of the operational requirements for the EF88 was to produce a tiered system for combatants. There is nothing new about this “system” when it comes to small arms throughout military history. Most militaries prioritize troops at the front over troops in the rear when it comes to small arms and equipment. Although support troops are essential to the mission, they most likely won’t be actively engaging the enemy, and thus have less of a need for superior fighting equipment.

Within the Leeds based Royal Armouries small arms collection in the United Kingdom there is a particular Soviet AK47 that is kept amongst the collection of other AKs. The serial number is ГЛ4027, in addition to a date stamp of 1953 with an Izhmash arms plant logo. Although the Armouries house a huge collection of Kalashnikovs, this exact one has a rather fascinating history attached to it. The rifle itself is nothing mind blowing, it just being one of several million Kalashnikov pattern rifles produced in the Soviet Union. It has a milled receiver which makes it slightly more interesting than the stamped AKMs that were to replace it in the 1960s, almost being a “Type 2” instead of the earlier Type 1 variant of the early Kalashnikov designs.

Unlike in the United States, Britain requires that every single firearm imported, produced, or modified on the isle to be “proofed”. This means that at least two high-pressure charges be fired through that firearm before it can be allowed for public sale or usage. Proofing has been an official regulation since the 1600s when numerous Gunmakers put their heads together and asked that a standard be set for their industry. The problem they were trying to solve was that there were too many inconsistencies within firearms of the period and customers were suffering from this through improperly made guns. Today Britain follows the CIP standards set forth by a number of European countries. In the United States we have SAAMI which although is very similar, it isn’t government sanctioned as CIP is.

This past week a Serbian product, the 40mm/6 M11 made by Yugoimport SDPR J.P. was seen in use by the Safwa Islamic Brigade & Suqur al-Shamal opposition groups in northern Aleppo. The launcher isn’t very prevalent outside of Serbia and thus it’s presence in Syria indicates a line of supply that might lead back to Serbia. The 40mm/6 M11 is essentially a copy of the South African Milkor 40x46mm Low-Velocity MGL 6 round grenade launcher developed in the 1980s. Currently Milkor still produces the MGL, licensing the launcher out to various companies across the world.

Recent media have highlighted the presence of Russian Special Operations forces in Syria, and particularly around the area of the highly contested battlefield of Palmyra. According to sources, the SF soldiers pictured aren’t the famed Spetsnaz, but instead are of the SSO, another contingent of special operations forces organized very similar to Spetsnaz units. The release of these public materials could serve a strategic purpose as these SF troops are probably a Tier Two or even Tier Three level SF asset. Thus, when looking at these materials we may come to many conclusions about their equipment and small arms, but the issue items of the Tier One guys is still kept very secret. So we might have some idea about what Russian SF troops are using, but instead might also be far off our mark when it comes down to the actual capabilities of Russia’s elite forces. One trend that looks to be evolving is the usage of suppressors on the issue 5.45x39mm Kalashnikov AK74Ms and precision rifles but also on the RPK74 Light Machine Guns also in use. PKMs mounted with optics is increasing as well, I’m sure suppressors will be the next addition. Another trend that is interesting is the dependence on U.S. or European equipment as opposed to Russian designed material. I must caution that just because we see some of this equipment doesn’t mean that it is of the original manufacturer, and may indeed be excellent copies made in Russia. This does bring into question the quality of said equipment. A prime example is of some of the EOTechs in use. Simply because it looks like an EOTech from afar, doesn’t mean it is one, and thus doesn’t mean that it might have IR capabilities or be able to maintain zero/parallax like the currently made EOTechs after their scandal with U.S. SOCOM command.

The VSK-94 is a rarely seen Russian semi-automatic precision rifle firing a 9x39mm cartridge from a heavily modified Kalashnikov receiver with an integral suppressor. The rifle was an attempt to make a cheaper version of the VSS Vintorez chambered in the same 9x39mm cartridge. Currently, only law enforcement within Russia uses it, while Russia’s Special Operations forces use the the higher quality Vintorez rifle while on operations.