List of army equipment of Afghanistan explained

This page shows a list of military weapons and vehicles used by the Afghan National Army up until December 2016.

Infantry weapons and equipment

Handguns and submachine guns

!Model!Image!Origin!Type!Quantity!Notes

Beretta M9			Semi-automatic pistol		Provided by the United States Armed Forces.
Makarov			Semi-automatic pistol		Inherited from the Soviet–Afghan War and Afghan Civil War.
TT			Semi-automatic pistol		Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War and Afghan Civil War.
Stechkin			Machine pistol		Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War and Afghan Civil War.
FB PM-63			Submachine gun

Assault and ceremonial rifles

!Model!Image!Origin!Type!Quantity!Notes

M16A2 rifle			Assault rifle	104,000	The United States military provided the ANA with M16 rifles as part of a modernization effort.
M4 carbine			Carbine	10,000	Only used by Afghan National Army Commandos and Special Forces. M4s sold as part of a 2006 Foreign Military Sales package. Additional M4s sold as a 2008 Foreign Military Sales package.
FB Beryl			Assault rifle		Used by regular units.
Colt Canada C7			Assault rifle	2,500	On December 23, 2007, Canadian media reported that the Canadian Forces would supply the Afghan National Army with 2,500 surplus Colt Canada C7 rifles (a Canadian variant of the M16), along with training and ammunition in order to Westernise Afghan equipment. In June 2011, the Afghan National Army returned the loaned C7 rifles as the ANA preferred the American M16 rifle.
AK-47			Assault rifle		Phased out of the service since 2008. Used by Afghan Special Forces and some regular units.
AKM			Assault rifle		In storage.
AK-74			Assault rifle		In storage.
Type 56			Assault rifle		In storage.
Zastava M70			Assault rifle		In storage.
ASh78	200x200px		Assault rifle	30,000 ^[1]	In storage.
Mosin–Nagant			Bolt-action rifle		Reserved for ceremonial use only.

Sniper rifles

!Model!Image!Origin!Type!Quantity!Notes

DPMS Panther LRT-SASS			Designated marksman rifle
Dragunov sniper rifle			Designated marksman rifle		Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War and Afghan Civil War.
PSL			Designated marksman rifle
M24 Sniper Weapon System			Sniper rifle		Provided by the United States.

Machine guns

!Model!Image!Type!Origin!Quantity!Notes

M249 SAW		Light machine gun			Provided by the United States.
RPK		Light machine gun			Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War.
SG-43 Goryunov		Medium machine gun			Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War.
M240		General-purpose machine gun			Provided by the United States.
FN MAG		General-purpose machine gun
PK machine gun		General-purpose machine gun			Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War.
RPD		Light machine gun			Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War and Afghan Civil War.
M2 Browning		Heavy machine gun			Provided by the United States.
M134 Minigun		Rotary medium machine gun			Provided by the United States.
DShK		12.7x99mm heavy machine gun			Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War.
KPV heavy machine gun		14.5x114mm heavy machine gun			Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War.

Grenade-based weapons

!Model!Image!Origin!Type!Number!Details

GP-25			Underbarrel grenade launcher		Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War and Afghan Civil War.
AGS-17			Automatic grenade launcher		Inherited from the Soviet-Afghan War and Afghan Civil War.
M203			Underbarrel grenade launcher		Foreign Military Sales package

Rocket-based weapons

!Model!Image!Origin!Type!Number!Details

RPG-7			Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
RPG-16			Rocket-propelled grenade launcher
RPG-18			Disposable rocket-propelled grenade launcher
SPG-9			73mm recoilless rifle
B-10			82mm recoilless rifle
9K111 Fagot (AT-4 Spigot)			Anti-tank guided missile	100
9K32 Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail)			Man-portable air-defense system
9K34 Strela-3 (SA-14 Gremlin)			Man-portable air-defense system
RPO-A Shmel			Disposable rocket-assisted flamethrower

Armoured vehicles

!Model!Image!Origin!Type!Number

Humvee			Military light utility vehicle	6000
M1117			Internal security vehicle	400
International MaxxPro			MRAP	155

Model	Image	Origin	Type	Caliber (mm)	Number
Mortars
82-BM-37			Infantry mortar	82mm	1,000+
ZU-23-2			Anti-aircraft gun	23mm	Unknown

Unarmoured vehicles

Vehicle	Photo	Origin	Type
Navistar 7000			Military truck
Ford Ranger			Technical/Pickup truck

Other vehicles

• International 7000-MV^[2]
• Tata Motors SK1613/SE1615/SE1615TC 4½ ton trucks (50+)^[3]
• Mercedes-Benz Actros
• Volvo FMX
• 2½ ton trucks
• Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles
• Ambulances
  • various platforms including Humvee, Unimog, Ford Ranger and other pickups
• Other Technicals of various origins:
  • Ford Ranger LTV pickups
  • Toyota Hilux
• BTS-4 Armoured Recovery Vehicle
• Bridge Laying Vehicles:
  • MTU-20
  • MTU-72
• BTM-3 Mine Clearing Vehicle
• ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle^[4]

See also

• List of equipment of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

Notes and References

1. Web site: Albania Donates 30,000 Kalashnikovs to Afghanistan . balkaninsight.com . 2 December 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312085142/https://balkaninsight.com/2010/12/02/albania-donates-30-000-kalashnikovs-to-afghanistan/. March 12, 2023.
2. http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=14658 Afghan Soldiers Learn to Maintain Medium Tactical Vehicles
3. Web site: D. Keith . Johnson . India Delivers 50 New Trucks to Afghan National Army . US DoD. . 9 March 2005.
4. http://armyrecognition.com/april_2016_global_defense_security_news_industry/afghan_army_s_scaneagle_uav_made_inaugural_flight_22004164.html Afghan Army's ScanEagle UAV made inaugural flight