Showing posts with label weapons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weapons. Show all posts

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Afghan Security News


High-Level al-Qaeda Killed in NE Afghanistan? Defense Department reports indicate that a high-level al-Qaeda leader may have been recently killed in a U.S. airstrike recently. Read more about this elusive terrorist group member in a new report by Wesley Morgan (The Washington Post, Oct 28, 2016).

UN Report on Civilian Casualties. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has issued its quarterly report on civilian casualties in Afghanistan. The report shows that there is a continuing high number of civilian casualties in the armed conflict. In the first 3/4s of 2016 there were 2,562 deaths and 5,835 injured. Ground engagements remained the leading cause of civilian casualties - followed by complex attacks and improvised explosive devices. Read the report published on October 19, 2016.

Former PCoP Attempted to Flee Afghanistan. A former Provincial Chief of Police for Wardak province was stopped from leaving Afghanistan on a flight to Turkey at the Mazar-e-Sharif airport by authorities. The PCoP is accused of transporting a Taliban official in an official police vehicle in an attempt to provide passage to Pakistan. (Tolo News, Oct 29, 2016).

Opium Feeds the Taliban Organization. One writer believes that there can be no victory in Afghanistan unless narcotics are brought into the war agenda in Afghanistan. Read "How Opium Fuels the Taliban's War Machine in Afghanistan", The Diplomat, October 28, 2016.

U.S. Airstrike hits Civilians. On Friday (Oct 28) a U.S. airstrike in eastern Afghanistan (Nangarhar province) hit the home of a Taliban commander but also caused several civilian casualties. Read more in a news report by Reuters, October 28, 2016.

37 Civilians Killed by Insurgents. Men, women, and six children were killed by Islamic State extremists in the central province of Ghor, Afghanistan. Read a report by Radio Free Europe, October 26, 2016.

EU Contract to be Awarded. The European External Action Service (EEAS) has recently invited tenders for the 100 million Euro contract to protect EU diplomatic facilities in Kabul.

Stryker Gets A New Gun. The Stryker, a U.S. armored vehicle deployed to southern Afghanistan a few years back, is seeing some improvements. It is receiving more armor and some models will have a 30mm cannon mounted on its turret. Read more in "Army Rolls Out Upgunned Stryker: 30mm Autocannon Vs. Russians", Breaking Defense, October 27, 2016.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

M-4 Carbine is Staying

A few weeks back retired General John Scales wrote an article in the January issue of The Atlantic on why the M-4 is a bad rifle for the U.S. infantryman. Kyle Mizokami examines the valid points of Scales but ponders other attributes of the M4 that make him say the M-4 isn't going anywhere soon. Read "The M-4 Carbine is Here to Stay"War is Boring, January 5, 2015.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Weapons of SOF

A detailed online posting describes the weapons issued and weapons of choice for the U.S. special operations community. The SOF of the U.S. receives extensive training and utilize a variety of weapons based on the mission at hand. Read more about the M4, SOPMOD 2, M3X, LA-5, EOTech 553, PEQ-2, M249, M240B, M2 .40 cal, Mossberg 500, M110 Sniper System, M67 grenade, flash bang, MP-5 SD3, and more in "The Weapons of Army Special Operations", Business Insider, December 4, 2014.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Videos of Green Berets Firing Weapons

Some cool pictures / videos of Green Berets firing different types of weapons (in full speed and slow motion). See "Here's What a Rocket-Propelled Grenade Looks Like in Extreme Slow Motion", Business Insider, November 4, 2014.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Army to Deploy More M3 Carl Gustafs to Afghanistan

The Army will soon field more M3 Carl Gustaf weapons to Afghanistan.  Units that have received the Multi-role Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System (MAAWS) thus far are the 25th Infantry, 10th Mountain, and 82nd Airborne divisions.  Some view the "Goose" as an alternative to the AT4 or Javelin. Read more in "Army Units Want More M3 Carl Gustafs in Afghanistan", KitUp Military.com, February 28, 2012.  For more details about the Swedish Carl Gustav (or Carl Gustaf) weapon system visit the WikipediA page here.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Taliban Weapons in Ghazni Province

A blogger provides insight on the types of weapons that the Taliban are using in Ghazni Province.  Read his interesting article on the small arms used by the insurgents in "Taliban Gun Lockers: The Rifles of Rural Ghazni Province", At War Blog, The New York Times, January 31, 2011.

Monday, December 13, 2010

XM25 Rifle Now Deployed in Afghanistan

A new rifle, designed by Minnesota's Alliant Techsystems, has been deployed to Afghanistan.  The XM25 is a revolutionary rifle that is also quite expensive - to the tune of $35,000.  The rifle is called the Counter Defilade Target Engagement System.  It fires 25-mm ammunition and can be set to detonate in front or behind a target.  The weapon is 12 pounds and 29 inches long.  The Army plans to purchase at least 12,500 of the weapons next year.  Read more in "U.S. Army Unveils Revolutionary XM25 Rifle in Afghanistan", Fox News, November 24, 2010.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

XM-25 Grenade Launcher Heads to Afghanistan

The Army is sending a high-tech weapon to Afghanistan for testing.  Over 800 XM-25 Grenade Launchers are heading over to be used by the 101st Airborne Division. The launcher shoots a 25-mm high-explosive round that some call a "smart" grenade.  Read more in "Men in Black Computerized Grenade Launcher Heads to Afghanistan", Wired.com Danger Room, October 14, 2010.

Friday, October 29, 2010

The AMD-65 Rifle - A Poor Choice for Afghan National Police (ANP)

A writer provides a lengthy article on the pros and cons of the AMD-65 Rifle issued to the Afghan National Police (ANP).  The article comes to the conclusion that the rifle was a poor choice and that it was not well-received by the ANP.  Read more in "One Poor Choice in Arming the Afghans, and Its Repercussions", At War - The New York Times, October 26, 2010.