List of military equipment used by mujahideen during Soviet–Afghan War

This list shows military equipment used by the mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War. The Mujahideen obtained weapons from many sources, mostly supplied by the CIA during Operation Cyclone and channeled through Pakistan. Many weapons were also captured from Soviet or DRA forces.

Small arms

Weapon Type Origin Notes
Webley Revolver Revolver  United Kingdom
Enfield revolver Revolver  United Kingdom
TT-33 Semi-automatic pistol  Soviet Union Inherited from Royal Afghan Army and some captured from DRA forces
Makarov PM Semi-automatic pistol  Soviet Union Captured from Soviet and DRA forces
Stechkin APS Machine Pistol  Soviet Union Captured from Soviet army and special forces
Type 54 pistol Semi-automatic pistol  People's Republic of China Obtained from China and Pakistan
PPSh-41 Submachine Gun  Soviet Union
Sten[1] Submachine Gun  United Kingdom
Heckler & Koch MP5 Submachine Gun  Germany
AK-47 Assault Rifle  Soviet Union
AKS-47 Assault Rifle  Soviet Union
AKM[2] Assault Rifle  Soviet Union
AKMS Assault Rifle  Soviet Union
Type 56 Assault Rifle Assault Rifle  People's Republic of China
AK-74 Assault Rifle  Soviet Union
AKS-74U Assault Rifle  Soviet Union
Heckler & Koch G3 Assault Rifle  Germany License built version obtained from Iran[3]
M16A1 Assault Rifle  United States
Norinco CQ [4] Assault Rifle  People's Republic of China
Jezail Musket
Martini–Henry Single-shot Rifle  United Kingdom
Mosin-Nagant Bolt-Action Rifle  Soviet Union
Lebel[3] Bolt-Action Rifle  France
M1 Garand Semi-Automatic Rifle  United States
SKS Semi-Automatic Rifle  Soviet Union
Lee-Enfield Bolt-Action Rifle  United Kingdom
Hanyang 88[5] Bolt-Action Rifle  People's Republic of China
RPD Light Machine gun  Soviet Union
ZB-26 Light Machine gun  Czechoslovakia
Degtyaryov machine gun Light Machine gun  Soviet Union
PKM General Purpose Machine gun  Soviet Union

Heavy weapons

This includes anti-air and anti-tank weapons used by the Mujahideen, also artillery.

Weapon Type Origin Notes
DShK[3] Heavy Machine Gun  Soviet Union
Type 54 HMG[6] Heavy Machine Gun  People's Republic of China
SG-43 Goryunov[7] Heavy Machine Gun  Soviet Union
ZU-23-2[8] Anti-Aircraft Gun  Soviet Union Some mounted on Trucks and Armored vehicles.
ZPU Anti-Aircraft gun  Soviet Union ZPU-1, ZPU-2 and ZPU-4 Versions used.
Oerlikon 20mm cannon Anti-Aircraft gun   Switzerland 40 delivered in 1984.[9]
RPG-2[3] Anti-tank Grenade Launcher  Soviet Union
RPG-7 Anti-tank Grenade Launcher  Soviet Union
RPG-18 Anti-tank Grenade Launcher  Soviet Union Captured from Soviet forces
RPG-22 Anti-tank Grenade Launcher  Soviet Union Captured from Soviet forces[10]
Type 69 RPG Anti-tank Grenade Launcher  People's Republic of China
Type 56 Recoilless Rifle  People's Republic of China
B-10 recoilless rifle Recoilless Rifle  Soviet Union Chinese Type 65 variant also used.[6]
SPG-9 Recoilless Rifle  Soviet Union
82-BM-37 Mortar  Soviet Union Most widely used artillery piece[10]
107mm M1938 mortar[11] Mortar  Soviet Union
Saqar Multiple rocket launcher  Egypt Delivered in several variants with varying range and caliber.[11]
76 mm M1942 Field gun  Soviet Union Captured from DRA forces[10]
M-30 Howitzer  Soviet Union Captured from DRA forces[10]
D-30 Howitzer  Soviet Union Captured from DRA forces[10]
Type 63 Multiple rocket launcher  People's Republic of China About 500 launchers supplied.[12]
HN-5 MANPAD  People's Republic of China HN-5A and HN-5B versions delivered, About 400 missiles supplied.[12]
Blowpipe (missile) MANPAD  United Kingdom 50 Launchers and 300 Missiles delivered.[12]
FIM-43 Redeye MANPAD  United States 50 Launchers delivered.[12]
FIM-92 Stinger MANPAD  United States 800 Missiles delivered overall, deliveries began in 1986.[12]
9K32 Strela-2 MANPAD  Soviet Union Egyptian Sakr-eye version also used.
9K34 Strela-3[13] MANPAD  Soviet Union
BGM-71 TOW ATGM  United States 80 Launchers delivered in 1988[12]
MILAN ATGM  France 160 launchers delivered in 1988[10]

Vehicles

The Mujahideen acquired substantial amounts of armoured vehicles from the DRA, both captured during combat and brought over by defectors but the lack of trained personnel, spare parts and the prevalence of Soviet airpower meant that they were seldom used.[10]

Weapon Type Origin Notes
T-54/T-55 Main Battle Tank  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA, limited use[10]
BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA, limited use[10]
BTR-60 Armoured Personnel carrier  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA, limited use[10]
BTR-152 Armoured Personnel carrier  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA, limited use[10]
GAZ-66 Transport truck  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA[14]
ZIL-130[15] Transport truck  Soviet Union
Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-up truck  Japan Bought in Pakistan[14]

References

  1. ↑ Jalali, Ali Ahmad; Grau Lester (1989). Afghan Guerrilla Warfare, in the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters. MBI Publishing. p. 379. ISBN 0-7603-1322-9.
  2. ↑ Grau, Lester W. (1998). The bear went over the mountain - Soviet combat tactics in Afghanistan. Frank Cass. p. 42. ISBN 0-7146-4413-7.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Roy, Olivier (1990). Islam and resistance in Afghanistan. Cambridge University Press. p. 185. ISBN 0-521-39700-6.
  4. ↑ The Soviets in Afghanistan, the equipment seized what good things have (in Chinese) Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  5. ↑ Jalali, Ali Ahmad; Grau Lester (1989). Afghan Guerrilla Warfare, in the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters. MBI Publishing. p. 253. ISBN 0-7603-1322-9.
  6. 1 2 "苏联人在阿富汗缴获的装备 啥好东西都有 – 铁血网". bbs.tiexue.net.
  7. ↑ Jalali, Ali Ahmad; Grau Lester (1989). Afghan Guerrilla Warfare, in the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters. MBI Publishing. p. 357. ISBN 0-7603-1322-9.
  8. ↑ "The Taliban acquisition of anti-aircraft platforms - FDD's Long War Journal". 2 November 2010.
  9. ↑ "Stinger missiles in Afghanistan".
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Isby, David (1989). War in a distant country, Afghanistan: invasion and resistance. Arms and Armour Press. p. 42. ISBN 0-85368-769-2.
  11. 1 2 "The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War/Glossary". Wikisource.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Trade Registers". armstrade.sipri.org.
  13. ↑ http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=158&Itemid=47
  14. 1 2 Urban, Mark (1990). War in Afghanistan. London: Palgrave MacMillan. p. 96. ISBN 0-333-51477-7.
  15. ↑ Grau, Lester W. (1998). The bear went over the mountain - Soviet combat tactics in Afghanistan. Frank Cass. p. 169. ISBN 0-7146-4413-7.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.