List of equipment of the Afghan Armed Forces

This is a list of equipment used by the Afghan Armed Forces.

Infantry weapons

Name Image Origin Type Information
Rifles
M4  United States Carbine Over 10,000 captured from the former Afghan National Army.[1][2]
M16 M16A2_rightside_noBG  United States Assault rifle 104,000 M16A2 and M16A4 variants used.[3] Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[1]
Colt Canada C7 M16A2_rightside_noBG  Canada Assault rifle 2,500 captured from former Afghan Army
AK-47  Soviet Union Assault rifle [4]
Type 56  China Assault rifle Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
AKM  Soviet Union Assault rifle [4]
AK-74  Soviet Union Assault rifle [4]
ASh-78 Albania Assault rifle [5]
AMD-65[4] Hungary Assault rifle Unknown number captured from former Afghan police.[6]
Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965 Romania Assault rifle Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
Zastava M70  Yugoslavia Assault rifle M70B1 rifles captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
Samopal vz. 58 Czechoslovakia Assault rifle [4]
AKS-74U  Soviet Union Carbine [4]
SKS  Soviet Union Semi-automatic rifle [4]
Lee–Enfield  British Empire Bolt action SMLE No.4 Mk.1 rifles captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
Submachine guns
Škorpion Czechoslovakia Submachine gun [4]
Shotguns
Mossberg 500  United States Pump-action shotgun Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
Sniper rifles
M24 Sniper Weapon System  United States Sniper rifle Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[2]
PSL Romania Designated marksman rifle Unknown number in service captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
Machine guns
M249 SAW  United States Light machine gun Unknown number in service captured from former Afghan National Army.[7]
RPD  Soviet Union Light machine gun [4]
RPK  Soviet Union Light machine gun [4]
M240  United States General-purpose machine gun Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[7]
PK  Soviet Union General-purpose machine gun The PKM variant also used.[4]
Zastava M84  Yugoslavia General-purpose machine gun Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
M2 Browning  United States Heavy machine gun Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[7]
DShK  Soviet Union Heavy machine gun [4]
KPV  Soviet Union Heavy machine gun [4]
Grenade launchers
M79  United States Grenade launcher Possibly captured from US stockpiles.[3]
M203  United States Grenade launcher At least 1,394 M203 grenade launchers were captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
GP-25  Soviet Union Grenade launcher Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[3]
AGS-17  Soviet Union Automatic grenade launcher [4]
QLZ-87  China Automatic grenade launcher Source unknown.[3]
Pistols
Beretta M9  United States Semi-automatic pistol Unknown number in service captured from the former Afghan National Army.[7]
Smith & Wesson SD  United States Semi-automatic pistol Unknown number captured from the former Afghan National Army.[7]
Glock  Austria Semi-automatic pistol Glock 17 and 19 captured from the former Afghan National Army.[7]
Makarov PM  Soviet Union Semi-automatic pistol [4]
TT-33  Soviet Union Semi-automatic pistol [4]

Anti-tank

Name Photo Type Origin Caliber Quantity Notes
RPG-7[8] Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union 40 mm N/A
Type 69 Rocket-propelled grenade  China 40 mm N/A [3]
RPG-16 Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union 58 mm N/A [4]
B-10[8] Recoilless rifle  Soviet Union 82 mm N/A Chinese Type 65 guns are also used.[3]
SPG-9[8] Recoilless gun  Soviet Union 73 mm N/A

Missiles

Name Photo Type Origin Caliber Quantity Notes
9M14 Malyutka Anti-tank missile  Soviet Union 125mm N/A [4]
Scud 2-B Short-range ballistic missile  Soviet Union [9]

Uniform

Name Image Origin Type Information
Military uniform
Universal Camouflage Pattern  United States Combat uniform Unknown number in service, captured from the United States Army during the War in Afghanistan. Used in unconventional warfare to attack government targets.[10]

Armored fighting vehicles

Name Image Origin Type Number Notes
Tanks
T-62  Soviet Union Main battle tank unknown quantity Still seen in parades.[11]
Armoured fighting vehicles
International MaxxPro  United States Infantry mobility vehicle 155[12] [11]
M1117  United States Internal security vehicle 634 [11]
M113  United States Armoured personnel carrier 173 [13]
Military vehicles
Humvee  United States Military light utility vehicle 3000+ [14]

Unarmored vehicles

Name Image Origin Type Number
Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck  United States Military truck At least 2[15]
Navistar 7000  United States Military truck 323[16]
Ford Ranger  United States Pickup truck 900[16]
Toyota Hilux  Japan Pickup truck Unknown[17]
Toyota Land Cruiser  Japan Pickup truck Unknown[17]
Ford Cargo

 United States Truck At least 8[16]
M915  United States Military tractor unit At least 7[16]
GAZ-66  Soviet Union Military truck ?[18]
UAZ-469  Soviet Union LUV ?[18][19]
Ural-375  Soviet Union Military truck ?[19]
ZIL-131  Soviet Union Military truck ?[19]

Artillery

Name Image Origin Type Number
Mortars
Type 63-1  China Mortar ?[3]
M224  United States Mortar ?[3]
82-BM-37  Soviet Union Mortar ?[3]
2B14 Podnos  Soviet Union Mortar ?[11]
M69  Yugoslavia Mortar 2[16]
Towed artillery
122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)  Soviet Union Howitzer ?[11]
Rocket artillery
BM-21 Grad  Soviet Union Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher ?[11]
9K52 Luna-M  Soviet Union Rocket artillery [20]
Anti-aircraft
ZU-23-2  Soviet Union Anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon 6[16]

Aircraft

Main article: Afghan Air Force § Current inventory

Bibliography

  • Brayley, Martin J. (22 April 2013). Kalashnikov AK47 Series: The 7.62 x 39mm Assault Rifle in Detail. Crowood. ISBN 978-1-84797-526-3.
  • Foss, Christopher F.; Gander, Terry J., eds. (1999). Jane's Military Vehicles and Logistics, 1999-2000 (20th ed.). Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-1912-9.
  • International Institute for Strategic Studies (2024). "Chapter Five: Asia". The Military Balance. 124 (1). Taylor & Francis: 218–327. doi:10.1080/04597222.2024.2298593. ISSN 0459-7222. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  • Jones, Richard; Ness, Leland S., eds. (14 January 2010). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2010-2011 (36th ed.). Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2908-1.
  • Shankar, Colonel C. P. (2015). Military in Pakistan and Afghanistan A Brief History. Neha Publishers & Distributors. ISBN 978-9380318851.

References

  1. ^ a b Batchelor, Tom (2021). "Afghanistan: What American equipment has been left for the Taliban?". The Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b Toi Staff. "As Taliban parades captured weapons, US still trying to gauge scope of damage". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q F., Mick (14 October 2021). "Arms Captured by the Taliban during their Conquest of Afghanistan". The Hoplite. Armament Research Services (ARES). Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Jones & Ness 2010, p. 903.
  5. ^ Brayley 2013, p. 29.
  6. ^ Ellison, Graham (2012). Globalization, police reform and development : doing it the Western Way?. Nathan Pino. [Basingstoke]: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-58102-9. OCLC 785873574.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Calibre Obscura (15 August 2021). "How the Taliban Captured Billions of Dollars Worth of Weapons". Grey Dynamics. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "How The Taliban Captured Billions Of Dollars Worth Of Weapons". greydynamics. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  9. ^ https://turdef.com/article/taliban-shows-off-scud-b-ballistic-missiles-in-a-military-parade [bare URL]
  10. ^ Cox, Matthew (30 May 2018). "Militants Killed in Kabul Attack Were Wearing US Army Uniforms". Military. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d e f IISS 2024, p. 245.
  12. ^ "Taliban parade captured US military equipment in Kandahar". The Guardian. 1 September 2021. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  13. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (2020). The Military Balance. Vol. 120. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-46639-8.
  14. ^ Polumbo, Brad (1 September 2021). "Here's the list of billions in military equipment the US left behind for the Taliban". The Maine Wire. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  15. ^ "Far From Finished: The Islamic Emirate Air Force". Oryx. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (23 July 2021). "Disaster At Hand: Documenting Afghan Military Equipment Losses Since June 2021 until August 14, 2021". Oryx. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Even Toyota seemed to know that the Taliban would take Kabul". Quartz. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  18. ^ a b Shankar 2015, p. 202.
  19. ^ a b c Foss & Gander 1999, p. 727.
  20. ^ https://turdef.com/article/taliban-shows-off-scud-b-ballistic-missiles-in-a-military-parade [bare URL]