Military equipment of ISIL
This is a list of some of the military equipment used by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This list does not include equipment used by the Syrian Opposition.[1][2]
Small arms
Assault and battle rifles
Sniper rifles and anti-material rifles
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mosin–Nagant | Sniper rifle | ![]() | ![]() | Is rarely seen compared to the Dragunov sniper rifle. Equipped with PU, PE, and modified PSO-1 scopes.[12][13] Was also seen in an execution video. | |
Dragunov SVD | Designated marksman rifle | 3000+[4] | ![]() | ![]() | |
PSL/FPK[14] | Designated marksman rifle | ![]() | ![]() | ||
M40A3 | Sniper rifle | ![]() | ![]() | ||
M14 EBR (Limited) | Designated marksman rifle | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Iraqi Army.[15] (8:40 mins)[16] | |
M99 | Anti-material rifle | [4] | ![]() | ||
Machine guns
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PKM | General-purpose machine gun | [4] | ![]() | Most common belt-fed machine gun used. | |
Type 80 | General-purpose machine gun | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Syrian Army. | |
Rheinmetall MG3 | General-purpose machine gun | [17] | ![]() | ![]() | |
M249 light machine gun[18] | Light machine gun | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Iraqi Army and Police. | |
FN Minimi | Light machine gun | ![]() | ![]() | ||
RPD | Light machine gun | [4] | ![]() | ![]() | |
RPK | Light machine gun | [4] | ![]() | ![]() | |
NSV machine gun | Heavy machine gun | [4] | ![]() | ||
DShK | Heavy machine gun | [4] | ![]() | ||
W85 | Heavy machine gun | ![]() | ![]() | Used very commonly. | |
M2 Browning[19] | Heavy machine gun | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Iraqi Army. | |
Shotguns
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Benelli M3 | Combat shotgun | ![]() | ![]() | Seen on a beheading video. | |
Franchi SPAS-12 | Combat shotgun | ![]() | ![]() |
Pistols
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Glock 17[20] | Semi-automatic pistol | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Glock 19 | Semi-automatic pistol (some converted to full-auto)[21] | ![]() | |||
Browning Hi-Power[6] | Semi-automatic pistol | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Beretta M92[22] | Semi-automatic pistol | ![]() | ![]() | ||
HS2000[22] | Semi-automatic pistol | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Walther P99[23] | Semi-automatic pistol | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Makarov pistol | Semi-automatic pistol | ![]() | ![]() | ||
TT-33 | Semi-automatic pistol | ![]() | |||
CZ 75 | Semi-automatic pistol | ![]() | ![]() |
Explosives, anti-tank weapons, grenade launchers, and anti-aircraft launchers
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
IED | Improvised explosive device | Large quantities | ![]() | ![]() | Most commonly used. Some captured from YPG. |
M62 grenade | Hand grenade | ![]() | ![]() | Multiple caches.[24] | |
RGD-5 | Hand grenade | ![]() |
![]() |
Captured from Iraqi and Syrian stockpiles. | |
F1 | Hand grenade | ![]() |
![]() |
Captured from Iraqi and Syrian stockpiles. | |
RPG-43 | Anti-tank grenade | ![]() |
Captured from Syrian army stockpiles. | ||
AGS-17 | Automatic grenade launcher | ![]() | ![]() | [4] | |
RPG-7 | Rocket propelled grenade launcher | Large quantities | ![]() | ![]() | Commonly used. |
RPG-22 | Rocket propelled grenade launcher | ![]() | ![]() | [4] | |
RPG-29 | Rocket propelled grenade launcher | ![]() | [4] | ||
M79 Osa[25][26] | Anti-tank rocket launcher | ![]() | ![]() | ||
MILAN[27] | Anti-tank missile | ![]() | ![]() | ||
BGM-71 TOW[28] | Anti-tank missile | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from FSA. | |
9K111 Fagot | Anti-tank missile | ![]() |
![]() |
||
9K115-2 Metis-M | Anti-tank missile | ![]() | ![]() | ||
9M133 Kornet[29] | Anti-tank missile | ![]() | |||
HJ-8[30][31] | Anti-tank missile | ![]() | |||
FN-6[32] | Man-portable surface-to-air missile | 1[33] | ![]() | Reportedly used on October 3, 2014 in Baiji to shoot down an Iraqi Mi‑35M helicopter.[32] | |
9K32 Strela-2[32] | Man-portable surface-to-air missile | 8[33][34] | ![]() | ![]() | "Limited, aging stock."[34] |
9K38 Igla[35] | Man-portable surface-to-air missile | ![]() | ![]() | ||
9K38 Igla-S[35] | Man-portable surface-to-air missile | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Hwaseong-Chong[33] | Man-portable surface-to-air missile | 1[33] | ![]() | ||
FIM-92[5] | Man-portable surface-to-air missile | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Towed arms
Towed artillery
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ZU-23-2[36] | Towed anti-aircraft twin autocannon | 83 (2015)[33][34] | ![]() | ![]() | Usually mounted on technicals.[33] |
AZP S-60[35] | Anti-aircraft gun | 21[33][34] | ![]() | ![]() | |
85 mm divisional gun D-44 | 1 (2015)[33] | 1[33] | ![]() | ![]() | Field gun |
122-mm howitzer D-30[36] | Howitzer | 2[34] | ![]() | ![]() | |
122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30)[33] | Howitzer | 2[33] | ![]() | ![]() | |
203 mm howitzer M1931 (B-4) | Howitzer | 1+ | ![]() | ![]() | More than one captured in Dayr Hafir. |
D-74 122 mm field gun[33] | Field gun | 6 (2015)[34] | ![]() | ||
M-46[36] | Field gun | 34[33] | ![]() | ||
M198 howitzer | Towed howitzer | Up to 5[37] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Iraqi Army. |
Vehicles
Logistics and utility vehicles
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UAZ-469 | Off-road military light utility vehicle | 8[33][34] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured in Iraq. |
Ural-4320 | 6×6 off-road truck | 50+[38][39] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Syrian Army. |
HMMWV | Light Utility Vehicle | 2300+[40][41][42][43][44] | ![]() | ![]() | Many captured from Iraqi Army. Main vehicle used by ISIS in SVBIED operations. |
Technicals | Improvised fighting vehicles | Varies from hundreds to thousands. | ![]() | ![]() | Hundreds of variants exist, including SVBIED versions. |
RG-31 Nyala | Infantry Mobility Vehicle | ![]() |
|||
Safir | Off-road military light utility vehicle | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Hezbollah. |
Tanks and armored fighting vehicles
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BMP-1 | Armored personnel carrier | 25[33] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from the armies of Iraq, Syria, and other factions such as SDF and FSA. Some converted to SVBIED. |
MT-LB[45] | Armored personnel carrier | unknown[34] | ![]() | ||
BPM-97 | Armored personnel carrier | 1+[38][39] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Syrian Army. |
BRDM-2[33] | Amphibious armored personnel carrier | 6[33] | ![]() | ||
MRAP | Armored personnel carrier | 13[36] | ![]() |
Captured from the Iraqi Army and Police. | |
M1117 Armored Security Vehicle | Armored personnel carrier | 17[34] | ![]() |
![]() | Captured from the Iraqi Army and Police. |
M113 APC | Armored personnel carrier | 52[34] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from the Iraqi[46] and the Egyptian Army. Some converted to SVBIED. |
T-55/55MV/AM/AMV | Main battle tank | At least 82 (2015)[33][34][47] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from the Iraqi Army and Libyan militias. Many destroyed or captured. |
T-62 Obr. 1967/Obr. 1972 | Main battle tank | 15 (2015)[33] | ![]() | ![]() | Possibly captured from Syrian Army, one destroyed near Kobani, another with reinforced turret knocked out near Ma'adan. |
T-72/72M/A/AV /TURMS-T/M1 TURMS-T | Main battle tank | 22 (2015)[33][34] | ![]() | ![]() | Possibly captured from the Syrian Army. |
Self-Propelled Artillery
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2S1 Gvozdika | Self-propelled artillery | 3-4[33][36] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Syrian army. |
ZSU-23-4 Shilka[35] | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun | 3[33] | ![]() | ![]() | Captured from Syrian army. |
BM-21 Grad[36] | Multiple rocket launcher | 11[33] | ![]() | Captured from Syrian army. | |
Aircraft
Name | Type | Quantity | Origin | Photo | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
L-39ZA | Trainer/ground-attack aircraft | 3 (2 operational, as of 2014)[48] | ![]() | ![]() | Originally four. Captured by Jaysh al-Islam at the Jirah airfield on 12 February 2013. One was subsequently destroyed during a SAAF bombing.[49] Two were repaired to airworthiness and shown taxiing during a propaganda video released by Jaysh al-Islam.[50] Project abandoned upon the airfield's capture by ISIL.[51] |
MiG-21 | Ground Attack | 7(Unkown amount operational, as of 2014)[52] | ![]() |
![]() |
Captured at the Jirah airfield on 30 August 2012. Flown by ex Iraqi pilots and were operated from the Jirah airfield.[53][52] |
commercial civilian drones | Drone (UAV) | many[54][55][56][57][58] | ![]() | Some were captured from the Syrian Army and Iran. ISIL demonstrated the use of a reconnaissance drone in "Clanking of the Swords IV" (June 2014) and in October 2014 over Kobanî in the John Cantlie video and the Tabqah Air Base video. The three drones in Syria were shot down over Kobanî by Kurdish forces defending the city,[59][60] and by the Syrian Army over an airbase.[58] | |
Improvised bombing and surveillance drones (mostly quadcopters)[61] | Drone (UAV) | 80+[61] | ![]() | ![]() | Large numbers of originally civilian drones are used by ISIL, often heavily adapted to be used for bomb attacks, spy missions, propaganda, etc. These drones are mostly controlled by the Al Bara’ bin Malik Brigade, part of the aviation sector of the Islamic State’s Committee for Military Manufacturing and Development.[61] |
Watercraft
ISIL has been using a mix of watercraft to transport fighters around the Tigris River and Euphrates River and has been referred to as their unofficial riverine navy.[62] US forces have come across small watercraft that can ply rivers to carry troops, equipment and in some cases act as floating IEDs.[62]
- Barges for transport.
- Skiffs.
- Motorized vessels.
Weapons production
IS has an indigenous weapons industry. Their workshops can produce identical copies of the RPG-7 and SPG-9. In addition, they have developed an indigenous rocket launcher, which comes in four varieties. Two variants fire PG-9 munitions at short and long range. A third fires PG-7V munitions and the fourth fires an unspecified thermobaric munition. They also produce grenades to be fired from the muzzle of an AK pattern rifle or dropped from a drone. They also produce mortar ammunition and rockets.[63]
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