List of equipment of the Afghan Armed Forces

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

Infantry weapons

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Name Image Origin Type Information
Rifles
M4     United States Carbine Over 10,000 captured from the former Afghan National Army.[1][2]
M16     United States Assault rifle 104,000 M16A2 and M16A4 variants used.[3] Captured from the former Afghan National Army.[1]
Colt Canada C7     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

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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

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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

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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

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Name Image Origin Type Number Notes
Tanks
T-62     Soviet Union Main battle tank ? Possibly unserviceable.[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

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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

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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

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Bibliography

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  • 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

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  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. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/01/taliban-parade-captured-us-military-equipment-in-kandahar
  13. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (2020). The Military Balance. Vol. 120. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-367-46639-8.
  14. ^ "Here's the List of Billions in Military Equipment the US Left Behind for the Taliban." *The Maine Wire*, 5. september 2021, https://www.themainewire.com/2021/09/heres-the-list-of-billions-in-military-equipment-the-us-left-behind-for-the-taliban/. Accessed 13. October 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]