A few weeks ago my good friend (and podcast co-host!) Robbie McGuire gifted me a cool little comic. Now I’m not a comic guy but this one is definitely in my wheelhouse. Robbie gave me a copy of ‘Super Soldiers of the SAS’, which was printed as a part of the ‘Battle Action Force’ series of comics that published in the mid-1980s.
From what I can tell from a little research ‘Super Soldiers of the SAS’ wasn’t part of the normal run of the Battle Action Force comics and isn’t dated, it seems to have been an additional side publication giving more of a look at the SAS and its history.
Front cover of ‘Super Soldiers of the SAS’ (Photo: Matthew Moss)
The Battle Action Force comics were launched in the summer of 1983 and was a partnership between IPC’s long running ‘Battle’ comic (launched in 1975) and UK toy company Palitoy to advertise and tie in with Palitoy’s new Action Force. The Action Force toys were themselves a smaller 3¾” spin off from the larger Action Man figures. Palitoy launched the Action Force toys in 1982 and these included ‘SAS Trooper’ and ‘SAS Frogman’ and overtime a whole SAS team was sold.
‘Super Soldiers of the SAS’ came at the height of SAS mania in the wake of the Iranian Embassy Siege (1980) and the Falklands War (1982). The comic is brilliantly illustrated and gives a brief history of the SAS and their role. With illustrations of the Iranian Embassy Siege, Malaya, the Falklands War and operations in Oman. There’s some nice mentions of known SAS personnel including Sgt Gordon Turnbull who was awarded the Military Medal in 1957 and Captain Gavin Hamilton who was killed during the Falklands War and awarded the Military Cross.
There’s a section on ‘weapons of the SAS’ featuring an AR-18, an L7 GPMG, MP5 and Browning Hi-Power the comic then outlines some of the SAS’s special skills and other equipment including Pink Panther Land Rovers and stun grenades. Then right at the very back is a two page section n the SBS, who were never featured in the Action Force toy range but is a great inclusion here picturing them infiltrating ashore from a canoe equipped with a suppressed Sterling Mk6.
All in all a cool little comic and I can definitely see how it would have captured a little boy’s imagination back in the mid-1980s.
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Bibliography:
The History of Action Force, Bloodforthebaron.com, (source)
Looking back at Battle Action Force, Downthetubes.net, (source)
In this series looking at weapons used in Ukraine we’ve looked at a number of different grenade launchers including GP-25s adapted for standalone use, FN FN40GLs, discharger cups for hand grenades and perhaps the rarest grenade launcher seen in Ukraine so far; the standalone Colt M203. Another interesting and fairly rarely seen grenade launcher that began to appear in Ukraine last winter is LMT’s standalone 40mm M203.
LMT offers a series of M203-derived launchers and two standalone stock attachment methods. The Iowa-based company introduced its 40mm grenade launchers in 2003. The launchers seen in Ukraine appear to be the rail mounted version with a 9 inch long barrel.
An LMT M203 in the field (via Rogue Team)
The first sighting of an LMT M203 in Ukraine came in November 2023, when Georgian volunteer O.d.i.n.s.o.n., part of the GUR/HUR (Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence)’s Omega Team, posted a photo of one side by side with a standalone GP25. The launchers likely arrived in country a little earlier, speaking to TAB at the time he noted that “the aiming module is a little weird. It has like an M4 forward sight and GL [grenade launcher] distance adjustable rear sight but it’s on top of the weapon. So it doesn’t force you to arc the barrel Like a GP25 does.”
The next appearance of one of the launchers came in late February 2024, when Scorpion Protection Group, another SOF group, shared a photo of a combatant training with one. A third GUR unit, Rogue Team, have also posted images featuring an LMT M203. The first image was shared by a team member on 17 March. This was followed by an image shared on the team’s Instagram page on the 5 April.
LMT M203 rail mounted version with 9in barrel – right side (LMT)
On the 14 April, a photo posted by one of the Kraken Regiment’s (also under the GUR) teams also appears to include a standalone LMT M203. Most recently on 16 April, a Spanish member of Omega Team, shared a photo of an LMT M203 with its action open with a round ready to load. On the same day TAB spoke again to Omega Team member O.d.d.i.n.s.o.n. at length about the launchers.
O.d.i.n.s.o.n. explained that the unit switched from rotary 40mm grenade launchers to standalone GP25s and LMT M203 as they are lighter and less bulky than the rotary launchers. He reiterated the difference in the LMT sight from quadrant sights found on other launchers and noted that “instead of a switch or a selector it has a little hook that you pull back and it prevents your finger from going on the trigger.” This is a carry over from the original M203 on which LMT’s launcher is based.
When comparing the GP25 and M203 O.d.i.n.s.o.n. noted that the M203 is light, effective and has a ‘really nice stock’ but he dislikes that the M203’s action has to be opened to reload, unlike the GP25 which when fired “leaves nothing inside the tube and is faster on the reload.” When asked if he’d seen many other units using LMT launchers he explained that “most [International Legion] Special Task Units [affiliated with the GUR] have a couple.”
An LMT M203 with its action open (Courtesy of Delta Knights)
We also spoke with Delta Knights, another GUR Specal Task Unit made up of international volunteers, who confirmed they also use LMT M203s and said that they ‘really love it’ but one thing they do wish they had more of is 40mm smoke grenades, adding that the launcher is most often employed with High Explosive (HE) grenades. Delta Knights were kind enough to provide some photos and videos of the M203 in operation at the range.
While the imagery and information available confirms combat use of the LMT M203s in Ukraine it doesn’t give us a solid picture of just how many are in-theatre and other units who may be using them. As always the imagery shared online represents a fraction of what is going on and can only be considered a limited sample. In terms of the origins of the launchers one potential source for the LMT M203s is Estonia which adopted the LMT MARS-L as the R-20 in 2020. Some of the Estonian R-20s have been seen with LMT M203s and given Estonia’s considerable past support for Ukraine it is possible that they may have provided a number of the launchers.
Special thanks to O.D.I.N.S.O.N and Delta Knights for their time and insights and to the guys at Cloooud for additional assistance.
Update – 1/5/24: A recently shared International Legion recruitment social media post included an LMT M203.
Update – 10/9/24: The ‘Expeditionaries’ Instagram page, seemingly affiliated with an international volunteer team shared a photo of an LMT M203 being jokingly loaded with a deodorant roll-on rather than a 40mm grenade.
Update – 10/01/25: Two additional archival sightings of LMT M203s. The first on the left dates from September 2024. The second, from DC Tactical was shared on 29 October 2024.
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The U.S. government announced, on 9 April, the transfer of enough small arms to equip a brigade to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The weapons originate from the arms shipments that the US Navy and allies have seized in recent years thousands of weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition which have been seized in recent years from Iranian shipments to the Houthis in Yemen.
Thousands of illicit weapons interdicted by USS Monterey, May 2021 (U.S. Navy)
In a statement U.S. Central Command noted that the arms and munitions had been “originally seized by U.S. Central Command and partner naval forces from four separate transiting stateless vessels between 22 May 2021 to 15 Feb 2023.” The transfer to Ukraine includes 5,000 AK-pattern rifles, RPG-7 rocket launchers, sniper rifles and machine guns. This is not the first transfer of seized small arms to Ukraine with a previous transfer occurring in October 2023, when 1.1 million rounds of an unspecified 7.62mm calibre ammunition were transferred. That transfer was made up of ammunition seized from a single dhow on 9 December, 2022.
On Jan. 7. U.S. Navy seized 2,116 AK-pattern rifles including AKS20U & Type 56-1s from a fishing vessel en route from Iran to Yemen. (U.S. Navy)
On 6 July 2023, the U.S. Justice Department filed a forfeiture action for: “over 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, over 70 anti-tank guided missiles and over 700,000 rounds of ammunition” these were reported to have originated from two dhows in 2021 and two from 2023. This suggests a discrepancy in the number of seized weapons detailed by the forfeiture action and the number subsequently handed over to Ukraine. This perhaps suggests that either a further transfer will follow with the remainder or a substantial portion of the arms and ammunition were not suitable for transfer for some unknown reason.
In terms of the types of small arms being transferred we can get a pretty good idea from examining the previously released images of the arms seized over the last couple of years. These include:
Chinese Type 56-1 7.62x39mm AKs
Russian VEPR AKS20U [VPO-158N-06] in 5.45x39mm (these will likely be useful for support troops and vehicle crews)
PK-pattern general purpose machine guns or Iranian and Chinese origin
Russian Kornet and Iranian Dehlaviyeh anti-tank guided missiles
Chinese Type 69 and Iranian RPG-7 clones
Iranian AM-50 12.7x99mm anti-materiel rifles
Chinese SVD clones
Imagery of seized ammunition suggests 7.62x54mmR, 7.62x39mm, and 12.7x99mm
US Central Command noted that:
“The munitions were being transferred from the IRGC to the Houthis in Yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216. U.S. CENTCOM is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including U.S. and U.N. sanctions and through interdictions.”
The U.S. Justice Department confirmed in a statement that the transfer took place on 4 April, also explaining that the transfer required a civil forfeiture ruling against seized arms and ammunition which enabled the hand over. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The Justice Department will continue to use our legal authorities, including forfeiture, to support the Ukrainian people in their fight.”
French naval forces interdicted more than 3,000 rifles and 578,000 rounds of ammunition, Jan. 2023 (US CENTCOM)
Most recently, in February 2023, the U.S. Navy reported that “more than 5,000 weapons and 1.6 million rounds of ammunition” had been seized since the beginning of the year. In 2021 alone, approximately 9,000 weapons were intercepted on their way to the Houthis. This suggests that if the weapons have not already been disposed of then there a further stocks of seized weapons to draw on for transfers to Ukraine. It remains to be seen if and when further transfers of seized weapons will be made and when the transferred weapons will begin to be spotted in the field.
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In late August 2023, a surprising weapon turned up in Ukraine. It appears that Spain provided Ukraine with an unknown number of 5.56x45mm CETME-L rifles. The rifles were spotted during a parade in Kyiv with an entire company of Ukrainian Border Guards seen equipped with the rifles. I’ve delayed writing this article/video in anticipation of them appearing again but there’s been no sign of the CETME-Ls since the parade.
The parade, held on 23 August 2023, in Kyiv’s Sofia Square celebrated the 32nd anniversary of Ukrainian independence and saw at least 25 members of Ukraine’s Border Guards parade with the rifles. The personnel are believed to have been part of either the 8th or the 9th border detachments who are assigned to the Belarusian border region.
Ukrainian Border Guards with CETME-Ls, August 2023 (DPSU)
Spain developed the CETME-L in the early 1980s, to replace the CETME Model C. Entering service in 1986, it uses a roller-delayed gas blowback, check out our earlier video disassembling a CETME-L here. Issues with quality control during manufacturing and quirks of the design led to the Spanish military seeking to replace the CETME-L by the mid 1990s. The HK G36E was selected but the L remains in limited service with significant quantities held in storage.
Ukrainian troops training in Spain in the summer of 2023, have been seen equipped with CETME-Ls but it remains curious that Spain would provide the rifles as aid to Ukraine. While the rifles had a short service life due to reported reliability issues, with approximately 100,000 manufactured between 1986 and 1991 and since largely replaced by G36s there is likely a substantial number in store and available for transfer.
CETME-L (Matthew Moss)
The CETME-L, despite a decent design on paper, was hampered by quality control issues which led to reliability problems. The rifle’s magazine housing also only allows feeding from steel magazines. While in theory they will feed from STANAG magazines, the magazine housing is optimised for proprietary Spanish magazines (with a different follower and feed lip design) with the magazine seated at more of an angle. The rifles also reportedly favour hotter, higher pressure ammunition. These factors may explain why the CETME-Ls have not been seen in the field with the Border Guards preferring to continue issuing AK-74 pattern rifles to personnel on the front line. The rifles seen in Kyiv may have been drawn from central stores solely for the parade.
We approached both the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Ukrainian Border Guards for further information but no addition comment has been received. The Spanish Ministry of Defence directed us to an August 2023 press release which detailed Spanish assistance to Ukraine’s Border Guards which does mention “light weapons with their ammunition”.
Ukrainian Border Guard with CETME-L, August 2023 (DPSU)
The Spanish press, quoting confidential sources, reported that between 1,000 and 2,000 rifles were transferred. It is also reported that the rifles were never previously issued and that they are being used by rear echelon Ukrainian personnel. This frees up more reliable weapons, like AK-74s and UAR-15s, for frontline use. At the time of publication examination of various DPSU (Ukrainian Border Guard) social media channels doesn’t indicate any signs of further use of CETME-L rifles, even with rear echelon personnel.
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With the war in Ukraine’s current trench-bound stalemate often resembling the First World War it isn’t too surprising to see an early 20th century innovation making a comeback. Several variations on the concept of a periscope rifle have been seen in Ukraine since the summer of 2023.
A still from Heroes of Gallipoli (1915) showing a periscope rifle (via IWM)
The concept actually pre-dates the First World War, with sights like William Youlten’s Hyposcope dating to 1900, but really emerged during the war with many nations developing similar periscope-based systems that allowed service rifles to be mounted in frames and fired over the parapet removing the need for soldiers to expose themselves when sniping.
The first design featured in an article by Jeff Farrell in June 2023, Farrell interviewed a Czech veteran of the International Legion, Marian Simunek, who was wounded and has since developed a periscope which a rifle can be mounted in. In a pair of videos Simunek demonstrated fitting the rifle into the periscope mount and how it would be fired. Simunek manages to mount an AK-74 in the periscope mount within 30 seconds. The stock folds down from the body of the periscope and is secured with the pistol grip and trigger assembly being lined up, the stock of the rifle is secured by two straps and then the trigger cable is attached to the rifle’s trigger.
A second periscope design emerged in late January 2024, when a short video showing a tall tripod-mounted periscope was shared. The video shows the testing of a prototype gun mount which can be raised up to above parapet height and allows the gun to be aimed using the periscope the gun is show being tested in both semi-automatic and fully automatic. The trigger is attached to a command cable which runs down to a front grip with an exposed trigger in front of it. The tall monopod isn’t the most stable platform but the user demonstrating it supports the assembly using the integrated stock and pistol grip assembly and holds the stand with his off hand. While the ability to quickly raise and lower the rifle mounted on the stand is useful, especially for reloading, but it may lack stability in the field.
The third variation on the periscope rifle concept was shared on 18 March, with a short 22 second clip showing an AK-pattern rifle with its stock removed, mounted on a well fabricated pole with a periscope, an off hand support grip, a stock shaped like an AKS-74 folding stock and a pistol grip and trigger assembly which uses what appears to be a brake cable. In another video of the mount in the same position an individual demonstrates the articulation of the mount (albeit without a weapon installed). The mount has a wide tripod base and appears to be well made. The gun is set up in an urban environment behind a wall, likely for demonstration proposes. The this periscope rifle may be a more developed version of the previous design but I’ve been unable to find the original source for the video.
Interestingly, another video of as similar periscope rifle set up was shared, the design is clearly the same as that seen in the previous video. The shape of the stock has changed and the position and design of the stabilising forward hand grip differs.
While trench periscopes have been in use since the early weeks of the war, a more modern approach is the use of digital camera aimed remote weapons. These include the Shablya (sabre) remote weapon station developed by Roboneer, which has been in development since 2015 and has been tested with numerous different types of machine guns including PKs and M2 Brownings. Another similar system is the Tarantul, developed by engineers of the 118th Territorial Defence Brigade. This is a concept that Russian forces have also been experimenting with with a number of systems seen in test videos.
— Matthew Moss | Historical Firearms (@historicfirearm) April 24, 2023
The available imagery of periscope rifle systems originating from the war in Ukraine is relatively small so its difficult to gauge their utility fully, I’ve yet to see any evidence of their front line use. They are a specialist piece of kit which depending on the design is suited to some environments more than others. If you’ve seen other examples of periscope rifle systems or evidence of their use in combat please do let me know!
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A few of weeks ago I published an article/video detailing the appearance of Swedish Carl Gustaf m/45 9x19mm submachine guns in Ukraine. One notable feature of the guns was that their configuration appeared to sit somewhere between the m/45A and the m/45B.
In the absence of clearer information I referred to these as m/45Bs, the most common variant and one which has the defining fixed magazine housing rather than the earlier removable magazine well seen on the m/45A. The fixed magazine well is an upgrade which was made before the later m/45B refit. It seems that there was some fluidity to how the upgrades were carried out which has led to guns with a mix of features.
An upgraded m/45A with the 41st Mechanized Brigade (Daily Mail)
From Swedish sourcesI’ve spoken to many of the m/45s seen in the imagery from Ukraine are early spec guns (m/45As) which may have been in storage and were not refit to the m/45B pattern. The m/45B refit was partially necessitated by the need to add an additional retention method to hold the receiver end-cap in place. Some sources suggest this was due to a type of training ammunition then in use, others point to it being simply extra security.
An m/45B (top) and an m/45A (bottom) with the fixed-magazine well upgrade (Henrik Jansson)
Working theories explaining the configuration of the guns seen in Ukraine include: that they are m/45A configuration guns which had been in storage and were retrofitted after the training ammunition left service and the additional end cap retention was no longer needed, so this change to the guns was omitted. As mentioned earlier, another reason may be that these are m/45As which had the magazine well upgrade but were placed in store or transferred before the broader m/45B upgrade was carried out.
As discussed in the initial video, it is thought that Estonia is a likely source for these guns as they received some of these guns in the 1990s and these m/45s have then subsequently been sent to Ukraine. Regardless of origin country the result is guns which do not have the additional end cap retention catch nor the green finish of the Swedish Army’s m/45B. They all feature the fixed magazine housing but there is also a mix of larger and smaller perforations in the barrel shrouds. [Note: Thanks to Jonathan Ferguson who noted that there is some variation in the size of shroud perforations within examples of both A & B model guns.]
A combatant in Ukraine with an m/45 c.early 2024 (via social media)
Since the last video a couple of other sources showing the m/45 in Ukraine were shared with me. Including this image of a Ukrainian combatant with a Swedish K which has the smaller barrel shroud holes. On 10 February a Daily Mailreport, featured Thunder Company, an element with the 41st Mechanised Brigade. Members of the company show journalist Richard Pendlebury an m/45 that is in their inventory. The company’s deputy commander describes it as a ‘museum piece’. Both guns appear to be of the same configuration generally seen in Ukraine. On 4 March, another short video of a Ukrainian combatant firing an m/45 at what appears to be a range was shared. It’s unclear when or where the video was filmed.
My very special thanks to Henrik Jansson for his time, insights and imagery and to numerous others for their knowledgeable input. Thank you to Weapons_Illustrated for their help sourcing imagery, check them out on twitter.
Update – 24/5/24:
On 11 April, a soldier of the 2nd Battery of the 2nd Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion of the Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Assault Brigade shared a photograph holding an m/45. [h/t Cloud for sharing].
Update – 18/6/24:
Some nice range footage of a Carl Gustaf m/45 in Ukrainian service. For more on these in Ukraine check out my video/article here:https://t.co/Hb9PcN8SR8
— Matthew Moss | Historical Firearms (@historicfirearm) June 19, 2024
Update 4/9/24: A new image of the Swedish m/45 submachine gun recently surfaced. (H/T AbraxasSpa)
Update 3/10/24: A photograph of what may be a member of the Ukrainian 129th Territorial Defence Brigade or potentially a member of the International Legion. He’s equipped with an m/45, note the three magazines in his chest rig and Ukrainian digicam pattern sling.
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The NARP or ‘New Assault Rifle Platform’ project began back in 2018, seeking to meet the key requirements of Italy’s special forces. While their were several delays to development due to the COVID-19 pandemic the rifle has been tested and iterated over the last couple of years. In September 2023, Beretta unveiled their next generation combat rifle to the public. I had the pleasure of speaking with Andrea Candian, Beretta’s Defense and Law Enforcement Product Director. He explained the ethos behind the rifle’s development noting that the NARP project will create a family of combat rifles. Beretta were keen to stress that NARP isn’t actually the rifles’ name, but rather the overarching project to develop the new combat rifles. Mr Candian explained that the rifles themselves will likely have alpha-numeric designations once they’re introduced.
Beretta NARP (Matthew Moss)
Working with Italian special forces and other members of the special forces community Beretta identified five key considerations: lethality, ergonomics, reliability, modularity and signature reduction. Mr Candian explained that Beretta systematically analysed and tested various options for each of the rifles features, selecting the ones which optimised one or more of the key considerations. One example of this is the development of a proprietary 3-prong muzzle device which reduces the weapon’s flash signature and similarly the incorporation of a Cerakote finish designed to reduce the IR signature of the weapon. Beretta also noted that they have developed their own 3D printed Inconel B-Silent suppressors which will pair with the NARP program rifles. The rifle also features either a single or a two-stage trigger – the trigger of the rifle on display at SHOT Show was impressive with a notably short take up and a crisp break.
Beretta NARP (Matthew Moss)
The rifle’s controls are full ambidextrous and also symmetrically positioned on both sides of the receiver. NARP’s 5.56mm incarnation will be available in 11,5″, 14,5″ (which was the configuration I examined at SHOT Show) and 16″ barrel configurations. In a departure from Beretta’s current ARX-160’s use of polymer both the upper and lower receivers are made from Aluminum. It weighs around 3.2-3.3kg (around 7lbs) and has a quick detachable forend, actuated by a single latch on the right-hand side, with a 12 o’clock rail and MLOK interfaces. Unlike the AR-15, the rifle’s recoil spring is in the upper receiver which allows a full range of buttstocks to be fitted, including an adjustable folding stock developed by Beretta themselves. Since its unveiling the rifle has been seen paired with both Lancer L5AWM translucent magazines and Magpul PMAGs.
The weapon uses a short-stroke gas system with a 2-position (normal and suppressed) adjustable gas port and has what Beretta described as a prismatic bolt carrier with a rotating bolt, this reportedly minimises vibration and reduces fouling issues. For ease of cleaning the handguard can be removed and the gas system stripped in a matter of seconds and the captive bolt group can be removed from the rear of the upper receiver without having to remove the T-lever charging handle.
Beretta NARP (Matthew Moss)
The initial configuration of the NARP program to be unveiled was unsurprisingly a 5.56x45mm-chambered rifle with various barrel length offerings but Mr Candian emphasised that it is not an AR-15 pattern rifle, though given the ubiquity of the AR-15, the new rifle does borrow features from the familiar platform. This, Beretta says, was a conscious decision to take advantage of widespread user familiarisation with an established and proven platform. In the future Beretta plan more chamberings including .300 Blackout and 6.5 Grendel and a larger calibre version chambering 6.5 Creedmoor, 7.62x51mm and the NGSW’s 6.8mm is in development.
Beretta NARP (Matthew Moss)
Development and testing was rigorously shaped to fulfil and exceed NATO’s D14 Handbook on Evaluation Procedures for Future NATO Small Arms Weapon Systems. Beretta say that with standard issue SS109 5.56x45mm ammunition they are achieving accuracy close to that of a designated marksman’s rifle. But as the rifle has been developed for military tenders they could not give any specific data on this.
Beretta’s brochure for the NARP:
Mr Candian noted that tweaks are still being made to the rifle based on feedback from testing with special forces personnel and that the receiver’s profile will have some small changes made. There is also room for the possibility of customer-driven features such as a left-side charging handle, a selector with a burst function and different hand guard lengths, muzzle devices and barrel lengths.
Beretta NARP (Matthew Moss)
With a number of European nations expected to begin seeking replacements for their current service rifles in the near future Beretta are making a concerted effort to revamp their military offerings and are positioning themselves to compete with other major players within the small arms sector.
This article was adapted from a piece originally published at TFB. Be sure to check out my friend James’ TFBTV video for another look at Beretta’s NARP with some additional input from Beretta representatives.
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One of the rarer Russian anti-armour weapons to surface during the ongoing war in Ukraine is the RPG-16. The RPG-7’s big brother was developed in the late 1960s and entered service in the early 1970s. It was predominantly developed for Russia’s airborne forces, the VDV, but also saw issue to Spetsnaz units.
The RPG-16 is characterised by its larger diameter tube which can fire a 58mm (2.3 inch) PG-16 rocket-propelled grenade. Unlike the RPG-7s munitions the PG-16 slides flush inside the launcher, while this limits the volume and types of warhead the RPG-16’s ammunition can carry it provides improved accuracy and slightly increased range. The PG-16 is a fin-stabilised high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round with a rocket booster which propels it at a maximum velocity of 350 metres per second. The rocket weighs around 2.1kgs and has a maximum range of 800 metres, though practical engagement range of vehicles is closer to 300 metres. It can penetrate up to 300mm (12 inch) of rolled homogenous armour.
An RPG-16 seen in a Russian news report, June 2023 (Russia 1)
The RPG-16 can only fire the PG-16 round and following its adoption in the early 1970s it has been surpassed by other anti-armour weapons which have entered Russian service and by the development of more capable PG-7 series warheads. The launcher weighs 12.4 kg (27 lbs) [compared to the 7 kg (15.4 lb) of the RPG-7] when loaded and is 110cm (43.5 in) long but can be broken down into two parts: the rear tube with venturi and the forward tube and fire control group. Unlike the smaller RPG-7 it has a bipod near the muzzle and a grip area on the fire control group, it does not have a second, rear pistol grip.
A reported 120,000 were produced with manufacture continuing into the late 1980s. It had been thought that the RPG-16 went out of Russian service in the early 2000s but evidently some have been drawn from stores and have been used in Ukraine. The RPG-16 was reportedly used against fixed positions during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and may now be pressed into the same role in Ukraine.
It appears from available imagery that the RPG-16 began to be issued in early 2023. Early March 2023 saw Russian state-news outlet RIAshared a report featuring combatants of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division firing small arms and RPGs in woodland. One of the RPGs fired was an RPG-16.
Russian combatant firing an RPG-16, December 2023 (via social media)
In late April, stills from a video of troops said to be with the 98th Guards Airborne Division featured an RPG-16 being fired near Dibrova were shared. I’ve been unable to find the original footage. In June, one of the launchers appeared in a Russia-1 news report featuring Russian forces near Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast.
On 26 November, a Russian combatant shared a photograph of an RPG-7 and an RPG-16 next to one another, reportedly taken in a depot or armoury. Two days later on 28 November a short clip of marines from the Russian 40th Naval Infantry Brigade was shared showing an RPG-16 in action, location unknown, possibly near Pavlivka.
A week later, on 3 December a video featuring a pair of Russian combatants from the Otvazhnye (Brave) Group, firing an RPG-7 and an RPG-16 was posted on telegram. The footage was probably filmed in near Kreminna where the unit was reportedly active.
Russian combatant poses with an RPG-16 and AK-12, January 2024 (via social media)
On 13 December, a mobilized Russian combatant shared a post on Telegram describing his experiences at the front. He mentions that due to a lack of infantry anti-armour weapons with sufficient range to reach Ukrainian AFVs standing off and firing on their positions his unit began issuing RPG-16s. In late January, two photographs of Russian troops in a trench, location unknown, posed with an RPG-16, and some unrelated RPG-7 munitions.
From the limited imagery available it seems that the RPG-16s have been again issued to largely airborne units, however they have also been seen with Russia’s naval infantry. Exactly why the RPG-16 has returned to service is unclear, as by one Russian combatant suggested, it may be that the greater range offered by the RPG-16 enables engagement of distant targets, another potential reason might be Russia’s desire to use up existing reserve stocks of munitions.
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Specifications:
Calibre: 58.3 mm Length: – Assembled: 1,104 mm – Disassembled: 645 mm Weight: – Unloaded with optical sight: 10.3kg – Loaded: 12.4kg Velocity: – Initial: 130 m/s – Maximum: 350 m/s Effective range: 800 m Armour Penetration: +300 mm
Bibliography:
Jane’s Infantry Weapons 2014-15, R.D. Jones & L.S. Ness (2014)
Earlier this week a short video featuring an ASRAAM-Supacat ‘Franken-SAM’ surfaced online. Early on 8 February, Ukrainian Telegram channels began sharing a video pulled from TikTok, which is likely the first daylight footage of one of the UK-developed and supplied ad-hoc air defence systems.
The system can be seen parked by the side of a road and was filmed (original source now private) from a passing vehicle. The date and location the video was filmed is unknown. The launcher appears to have two AIM-132 Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM) loaded with the launcher ramp raised in the ready position. It is difficult to make out but the cab has seemingly been fitted with a protective screen to guard against drone attack. Also visible is what appears to be a sensor turret mounted behind the cab, this is possibly an electro-optical/infrared sensor used for targeting.
Still from recently posted footage of an ASRAAM Franken-SAM in Ukraine, 8 Feb. 2024 (via social media)
The UK-developed system is one of several so-called Franken-SAMs produced by Ukraine’s allies. They are part of an effort to affordably and quickly bolster Ukraine’s air defences. In October 2023 a pair of videos shared by the Ukrainian air force gave a glimpse of the system in action. The both filmed at night shows a launch but the vehicle is not visible. The second, shared on 12 October, by Ukraine’s Air Command – South shows the successful engagement of a Russian long range loitering munition. As the darkness is lit up by the missile launch, the Supacat 6×6 High Mobility Transporter is briefly visible.
The AIM-132 missiles and the vehicles launching them were provided by the UK in the summer of 2023. ASRAAM uses infrared homing and can lock onto its target after launch. It has an air-launched range of more than 25km but this is likely shorter when used in a ground launched role. The system may be used in conjunction with radar systems which feeds target data to the missile. A key feature of the ASRAAM is its ability to lock-on after launch, theoretically allowing it to be vectored onto a target in the air before it begins IR homing.
A photo dating from August 2023 of a Supacat High Mobility Vehicle mounted with a pair of MBDA UK ASRAAMs (Ukrainian Ministry of Defence)
The system, however, isn’t ideal with limited ready-to-fire capacity on the launcher ramp, with just two rails, and no protection for the missiles themselves, from either the elements or from potential fragmentation or impact damage if attacked. The ad-hoc air defence system first saw action in Ukraine in August 2023, and represents an ingenious improvisation utilising a highly capable missile in an air defence role it was never envisaged in. In December 2023 UK Ministry of Defence summarised their development:
“In summer 2022, a joint MoD-MBDA team developed air defence systems to fire ASRAAM from the ground for the first time. Within four months of initiating the surface launched ASRAAM project, these air defence systems were developed, manufactured, trialled and Ukrainian crews trained on their usage, on UK soil, before being transferred into Ukrainian hands.”
It is unclear how many of the systems have been assembled but in late 2023, it was reported that the UK had supplied “a handful” of the missile-equipped Supacat trucks. They were believed to be in use in near the front and in the Kyiv region, defending key infrastructure, against Shahed-136/Geran-2 long-range loitering munition attacks.
In December 2023, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that a further 200 ASRAAMs would be provided to Ukraine and that the systems in-country had achieved a “successful hit rate reported as high as 90% against some Russian air targets.”
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At SHOT Show in 2022, Ohio Ordnance Works teased their new .338 light weight medium machine gun, keeping the gun’s key features hidden under strategically placed scrim. This year the REAPR was unveiled for all to see. The REAPR or Recoil Enhanced Automatic Rifle is chambered in .338 Norma Magnum and can also be calibre converted to 7.62x51mm.
The gun was developed by Ohio Ordnance Works (OOW) in response to solicitations from the US SOCOM and US Marine Corps for a Lightweight Medium Machine Gun in .338NM. The niche requirement for a .338 gun dates back to at least 2012 with the first Sources Sought Solicitation being launched in May 2017. The solicitation requested:
“The LWMMG should fire the belted .338NM round of ammunition with a polymer case. The LWMMG should weigh less than 24 pounds unloaded with a barrel length of 24in. The LWMMG should have a rate of fire of between 500-600 rounds per minute. Weapon shall be compatible with current rail mounted aiming systems with the ability to incorporate more advanced fire control technology. The system should include both a suppressed barrel and an unsuppressed barrel that can be rapidly changed. The LWMMG should include a tripod that is lightweight and provides the stability and accuracy required to engage targets at extreme ranges. The LWMMG should be able to mount in current machine gun mounts designed for the M240B/C. The weapon should have sufficient accuracy to engage area targets and vehicles at 2,000m.“
General Dynamics led the field developing their .338 machine gun but this design was later divested to True Velocity and since then SIG Sauer have also developed their MG338/SL MAG. The 2017 solicitation is now inactive, however, in 2021 SOCOM (via PEO SOF Warrior, PM Lethality) began seeking an ‘LMG-M’. LMG-M project seeks a gun that can engage targets out to 2,500m and has a similar weight and form factor to an M240B. A contract had been hoped to be awarded by the end of 2022, however, this slipped back to 2025 and now likely 2026.
The aim of .338 machine guns is to fill the gap between the 7.62mm GPMG and the .50 HMG while providing a dismounted, lighter weight platform that can give the performance of a .50 calibre machine gun.
OOW began work on their gun in 2020 with numerous patents granted on its features. The REAPR is a select-fire weapon with ambidextrous controls on either side of the pistol grip assembly as well as a traditional cross-bolt safety. The pistol grip itself can be swapped out for any AR-15/M16 compatible grip. Robert W. Landies, OOW’s president and one of the designers of the gun, told me that with REAPR they addressed a lot of the pet peeves they had with legacy machine guns designs and that they “took a lot of features and amalgamated the best of them” when designing the weapon. Intriguingly, the gun uses a roller delayed operating system, similar to that of the MG45, this means the opening of the action is slowed by rollers but does not fully lock. Post-Second World War Two this system had some influence on a range of designs including the SIG MG 710-3 and a host of Heckler & Koch weapons. The gun uses a pair of springs on dual guide rods and has a 600 rpm rate of fire. The weapon can be field stripped without tools. To remove the action a pin at the rear is removed which allows the butt stock and rear of the receiver to be removed with the springs, guide rods and bolt sliding out of the receiver.
It has a side folding stock, designed in house with B5, with a shoulder rest and an adjustable cheek riser. B5 also provided the REAPR’s P23 Grip and MLOK rail covers. According to OOW the REAPR weighs in a 26.8lbs and has an overall length of 51.7in (131cm) when the stock is collapsed, 54.5in (138cm) when deployed and 44in (112cm) when folded (it can fold either to the left or right). For use when mounted on vehicles or aircraft the stock can be removed and a spade grip kit can be fitted. There is also a rail mounted removeable carrying handle.
A key feature is the gun’s barrel quick change system, this can be done with one hand by the operator. The change can also be done with the bolt either in the forward or rear position. The patented system uses 2 opposing groups of 5 interrupted threads, this allows the barrel to be released with just a 90-degree turn. To remove the barrel the operator grasps the barrel cover, pushes the barrel rearward, towards the receiver, and then turns the barrel 90-degrees to disengage it. The REAPR can be mounted with a suppressor, it has been seen paired with cans from a number of different manufacturers.
Another feature is that the entire system can be broken down into 3 pieces within 10-20 seconds. It can be packed away with the barrel at 24.5in (61cm) being the longest component. The REAPR has a one-piece steel receiver and an aluminium hand guard with MLOK slots, which can be removed via a pair of catches. The gun also has MIL-standard mounting points for either tripod or pintle mounting. Another key, patented, feature is the gun’s feed tray which can slide out to the side of the gun for loading and clearing, this allows the operator to use optics with a larger continuous footprint. SIG Sauer addressed this issue by having a cover which hinges to the side. The REAPR’s direction of feed can be flipped either left or right and ejection is through the bottom of the receiver. OOW note that the gun has a mounting interface for an ammunition pouch on the left side of the receiver but are considering adding one to the right side but are waiting on feedback from users.
OOW say that the REAPR is currently available for ordering in test quantities but full volume production is set to begin in April 2024. The REAPR seems to be a very competent, well thought out design with a lot of promise. It will be interesting to see how the LMG-M programme progresses.
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Bibliography:
‘Firearm top cover with multiple degrees of freedom of motion’, US Patent #11268774B1, (source)
‘Quick-change barrel for a firearm’, US Patent #11598600B2, (source)
The Armourers Bench 