List of military equipment used by mujahideen during Soviet–Afghan War

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This list shows military equipment used by the mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War. The Mujahideen obtained weapons from many sources, mostly supplied by foreign sources, such as the Central Intelligence Agency’s Operation Cyclone, China, Egypt, Iran and the United Kingdom, and channeled through Pakistan. Many weapons were also captured from the Soviet Army or the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan’s Afghan National Army.

Small arms[]

Weapon Type Origin Notes
Webley Revolver Revolver  British Empire
Enfield Revolver  British Empire
TT-33[1] Semi-automatic pistol  Soviet Union Inherited from the Royal Afghan Army or captured from the Afghan National Army.
Makarov PM[2][3] Semi-automatic pistol  Soviet Union Captured from the Soviet Army[2] and ANA.[3]
Stechkin APS Machine pistol  Soviet Union Captured from Soviet army and special forces
Type 54 Semi-automatic pistol  People's Republic of China Obtained from China and Pakistan
PPSh-41[4] Submachine gun  Soviet Union
Sten[5] Submachine gun  British Empire
Heckler & Koch MP5 Submachine gun  West Germany
AK-47 Assault rifle  Soviet Union Captured from the ANA.[6]
AKS-47 Assault rifle  Soviet Union
AKM[7] Assault rifle  Soviet Union
AKMS Assault rifle  Soviet Union
Type 56 Assault rifle  People's Republic of China
AK-74[2][8] Assault rifle  Soviet Union Captured from the Soviet Army.[2][8]
AKS-74U Assault rifle  Soviet Union
Heckler & Koch G3 Battle rifle  West Germany License built version obtained from Iran[9]
Norinco CQ Assault rifle  People's Republic of China
Jezail Musket  Emirate of Afghanistan
Martini–Henry Single-shot rifle  British Empire
Mosin–Nagant[10] Bolt-action rifle  Soviet Union
Lebel[9] Bolt-action rifle  French Third Republic
M1 Garand Semi-automatic rifle  United States
SKS[11] Semi-automatic rifle  Soviet Union
Lee–Enfield[12] Bolt-action rifle  British Empire
Hanyang 88[13] Bolt-action rifle  People's Republic of China
RPD Light machine gun  Soviet Union
RPK[14] Light machine gun  Soviet Union
ZB vz. 26[15] Light machine gun  Czechoslovakia
Degtyaryov Light machine gun  Soviet Union
PKM General-purpose machine gun  Soviet Union
Type 67[16] General-purpose machine gun  China

Heavy weapons[]

This includes anti-air and anti-tank weapons used by the Mujahideen, also artillery.

Weapon Type Origin Notes
DShK[9] Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union
Type 54 HMG Heavy machine gun  People's Republic of China
SG-43 Goryunov[17] Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union
ZU-23-2[18][19] Anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union Some mounted on trucks and armored vehicles.
ZPU Anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union ZPU-1, ZPU-2 and ZPU-4 versions used.
Oerlikon 20mm cannon Anti-aircraft gun   Switzerland 40 delivered in 1984.[20]
RPG-2[9][21] Anti-tank grenade launcher  Soviet Union
RPG-7 Anti-tank grenade launcher  Soviet Union
RPG-18 Anti-tank grenade launcher  Soviet Union Captured from Soviet forces
RPG-22 Anti-tank grenade launcher  Soviet Union Captured from Soviet forces[22]
Type 69 RPG Anti-tank grenade launcher  People's Republic of China
Type 56 Recoilless rifle  People's Republic of China
B-10 recoilless rifle Recoilless rifle  Soviet Union Chinese Type 65 variant also used.
SPG-9 Recoilless rifle  Soviet Union
Type 63 Mortar  China
82-BM-37 Mortar  Soviet Union Most widely used artillery piece[22]
107mm M1938 mortar[23] Mortar  Soviet Union
Saqar Multiple rocket launcher  Egypt Delivered in several variants with varying range and caliber.[23]
76 mm M1942 Field gun  Soviet Union Captured from DRA forces[22]
M-30 Howitzer  Soviet Union Captured from DRA forces[22]
D-30 Howitzer  Soviet Union Captured from DRA forces[22]
Type 63 Multiple rocket launcher  People's Republic of China About 500 launchers supplied.[24]
HN-5 Man-portable air-defense system  People's Republic of China HN-5A and HN-5B versions delivered, about 400 missiles supplied.[24]
Blowpipe Man-portable air-defense system  United Kingdom 50 launchers and 300 missiles delivered.[24]
FIM-43 Redeye Man-portable air-defense system  United States 50 launchers delivered.[24]
FIM-92 Stinger Man-portable air-defense system  United States 800 missiles delivered overall, deliveries began in 1986.[24]
9K32 Strela-2 Man-portable air-defense system  Soviet Union Egyptian Sakr-eye version also used.
9K34 Strela-3[25] Man-portable air-defense system  Soviet Union
BGM-71 TOW Anti-tank guided missile  United States 80 launchers delivered in 1988[24]
MILAN Anti-tank guided missile  France 160 launchers delivered in 1988[22]

Vehicles[]

The Mujahideen acquired substantial amounts of armoured vehicles from the DRA, both captured during combat and brought over by defectors but the lack of trained personnel, spare parts and the prevalence of Soviet airpower meant that they were seldom used.[22]

Weapon Type Origin Notes
T-54/T-55 Main battle tank  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA, limited use[22]
BMP-1 Infantry fighting vehicle  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA, limited use[22]
BTR-60 Armoured personnel carrier  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA, limited use[22]
BTR-152 Armoured personnel carrier  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA, limited use[22]
GAZ-66 Transport truck  Soviet Union Captured from the DRA[26]
ZIL-130[27] Transport truck  Soviet Union
Toyota Land Cruiser Pickup truck  Japan Bought in Pakistan[26]

Gallery[]

  • Jamiat-e-Islami Mujahideen manning a DShK.

  • 9K32 Strela-2 missile.

  • Hezb-i Islami Khalis fighters with a mix of AK-47 and Lee–Enfield rifles

  • Captured field guns

  • Mujahideen weaponry seized by the Soviets: rocket-propelled grenades, light machine guns, submachine guns, shotguns

  • Mujahideen weaponry seized by the Soviets: mortars, recoilless rifles

References[]

  1. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. Malek took his American G3 rifle and his Soviet TT pistol and walked out of the depot cave.
  2. ^ a b c d Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. The Soviet officer dropped his AK-74 and took out his pistol. Doctor Khayat threw a hand grenade at the officer and killed him. Then he crossed the road and took his AK-74 and his Makarov pistol.
  3. ^ a b Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. We captured 16 Kalashnikovs and I got their commander’s Makarov pistol.
  4. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. Dr. Qudus group had one Soviet PPSH submachine gun, some bolt-action rifles and some other weapons.
  5. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad; Grau Lester (1989). Afghan Guerrilla Warfare, in the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters. MBI Publishing. p. 379. ISBN 0-7603-1322-9. The HIH group were armed with AK-47 Kalashnikovs, while the Mohseni group had British Sten guns and other weapons.
  6. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad (2002-01-18). Afghan Guerrilla Warfare: In the Words of the Mjuahideen Fighters. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-1-61060-069-9. The AK-74 Kalashnikov 5.56mm assault rifle was issued only to Soviet troops. DRA troops had the older AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle.
  7. ^ Grau, Lester W. (1998). The bear went over the mountain – Soviet combat tactics in Afghanistan. Frank Cass. pp. 42. ISBN 0-7146-4413-7.
  8. ^ a b Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. The Soviets captured the weapons of the dead Mujahideen including some AK-47s, a Goryunov machine gun, an RPG-7 and a few AK-74s captured from the Soviets in the past.
  9. ^ a b c d Roy, Olivier (1990). Islam and resistance in Afghanistan. Cambridge University Press. p. 185. ISBN 0-521-39700-6.
  10. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. The Model M1891/30 is a Russian/Soviet bolt-action rifle or carbine which fires the 7.62x54 cartridge…The Mujahideen called them five-shooters.
  11. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. Gas-operated semi-automatic Soviet carbine with a folding bayonet…The Mujahideen simply called them carbines.
  12. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. British-manufactured .303 bolt-action rifle which was the standard British infantry weapon from 1895 through the Korean War… It has a 10-round magazine and can carry an additional round in the chamber, so the Mujahideen called them 11-shooters.
  13. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad; Grau Lester (1989). Afghan Guerrilla Warfare, in the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters. MBI Publishing. p. 253. ISBN 0-7603-1322-9.
  14. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War.
  15. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War. Czechoslovak M26 light machine gun which fires from a top-loading 20-round magazine���The Mujahideen called them 20-shooters.
  16. ^ "Type 67 GPMG". Modern Firearms. 2010-11-10. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  17. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad; Grau Lester (1989). Afghan Guerrilla Warfare, in the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters. MBI Publishing. p. 357. ISBN 0-7603-1322-9.
  18. ^ "The Taliban acquisition of anti-aircraft platforms - FDD's Long War Journal". 2 November 2010.
  19. ^ Jalali, Ali Ahmad; Grau Lester (1989). Afghan Guerrilla Warfare, in the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters. MBI Publishing. p. 135. ISBN 0-7603-1322-9.
  20. ^ "Stinger missiles in Afghanistan".
  21. ^ Grau, Lester W. (1996). The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7881-4665-7. This force had 15 men armed with 2 RPG-2 antitank grenade launchers, a DShK heavy machine gun, a sniper rifle and several AKM assault rifles.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Isby, David (1989). War in a distant country, Afghanistan: invasion and resistance. Arms and Armour Press. pp. 42. ISBN 0-85368-769-2.
  23. ^ a b "The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War/Glossary". Wikisource.
  24. ^ a b c d e f "Trade Registers". armstrade.sipri.org.
  25. ^ http://www.acig.info/CMS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=158&Itemid=47
  26. ^ a b Urban, Mark (1990). War in Afghanistan. London: Palgrave MacMillan. p. 96. ISBN 0-333-51477-7.
  27. ^ Grau, Lester W. (1998). The bear went over the mountain - Soviet combat tactics in Afghanistan. Frank Cass. pp. 169. ISBN 0-7146-4413-7.
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