Conflict catalog

2009 Boko Haram Insurgency: Weapons and Equipment

Insurgency centered in northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin, pitting Nigerian and allied regional forces against Boko Haram factions and Islamic State West Africa Province.

The 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency is a long-running jihadist conflict that began in northeast Nigeria in 2009 and expanded across the Lake Chad basin. Since 2015, the catalog context is shaped by Nigerian and regional counter-insurgency operations, the rise of ISWAP as a distinct faction, insurgent raids on military positions, captured state equipment, improvised explosive devices, and air and ground operations by Nigerian and allied forces.

This catalog tracks weapon systems directly documented in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency since 2015.

Entries focus on sourced battlefield use, captured equipment, and improvised systems connected to Boko Haram and ISWAP operations.

102 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

Nigerian government and allied forces / Boko Haram and ISWAP

Context

Status
Published catalog
Location
Northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin
Countries
Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger
Regions
Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Far North Cameroon, Diffa, Lake Chad
Domains
land, air, UAV, mine warfare, counter-insurgency, border clashes, improvised weapons

The equipment catalog should prioritize directly sourced post-2015 use because the conflict involves both formal state inventories and insurgent capture, diversion, and improvisation. Government and allied forces use aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, small arms, and protected mobility in counter-insurgency operations. Boko Haram and ISWAP equipment evidence often appears through captured materiel, weapons recovered after raids, improvised explosive devices, technicals, small arms, heavy machine guns, mortars, rockets, and adapted artillery or armored systems.

Map

Northeast Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin

Open map

Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Timeline

Key Events

  1. Insurgency begins after the July 2009 uprising

    The conflict began after Nigerian security forces confronted Boko Haram and the group's founder, Mohammed Yusuf, was killed in custody, turning the movement into an armed insurgency.

    Sources: UNIDIR armed constellation report

  2. Chibok schoolgirls abducted

    Boko Haram's abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State became an international marker of the group's mass-kidnapping campaign and its reach beyond direct attacks on security forces.

    Sources: ICRC Lake Chad basin case study

  3. African Union authorizes a regional force

    The African Union Peace and Security Council authorized deployment of the Multinational Joint Task Force, built around Lake Chad Basin Commission states and Benin, to counter Boko Haram.

    Sources: African Union MNJTF operational documents, EPON MNJTF report

  4. Boko Haram pledges allegiance to the Islamic State

    Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in March 2015, after which the movement became linked to the Islamic State's West Africa Province label.

    Sources: UNIDIR armed constellation report

  5. ISWAP split hardens the factional conflict

    Islamic State recognition of Abu Musab al-Barnawi and Shekau's refusal to accept replacement produced a durable split between ISWAP and Shekau-aligned Boko Haram factions.

    Sources: UNIDIR armed constellation report, International Crisis Group JAS-ISWAP briefing

  6. Shekau dies during ISWAP offensive in Sambisa

    ISWAP attacked Shekau-aligned forces in the Sambisa Forest area in 2021; Shekau's death changed factional alignments but did not end the insurgency.

    Sources: International Crisis Group JAS-ISWAP briefing, UNIDIR armed constellation report

  7. MNJTF mandate renewed amid persistent threats

    The African Union renewed the MNJTF mandate as regional forces continued operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP while facing capability, coordination, and resourcing constraints.

    Sources: EPON MNJTF report

Phases

Jul 26, 2009 - Dec 31, 2014

Uprising and regionalization

Boko Haram shifted from a Nigerian insurgency into a regional threat affecting northeastern Nigeria and border areas around Lake Chad.

Jan 1, 2015 - Jul 31, 2016

Regional counter-offensive and Islamic State alignment

Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin moved toward a coordinated MNJTF framework while Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and faced pressure from regional operations.

Aug 1, 2016 - May 19, 2021

Boko Haram-ISWAP split

The insurgent side fractured between ISWAP and Shekau-aligned Boko Haram, with both factions conducting attacks, using improvised explosives, and exploiting difficult terrain around Lake Chad and Sambisa.

May 20, 2021 - present

Post-Shekau factional insurgency

After Shekau's death, ISWAP and remaining Boko Haram factions continued to challenge Nigerian and regional forces through raids, ambushes, taxation networks, improvised explosives, and attacks on military positions.

External Support

Regional military cooperation is central to the conflict. The Multinational Joint Task Force brings together Lake Chad Basin Commission states and Benin under an African Union-authorized framework, with Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger as core operational actors. Outside support and supplier context should be treated case by case in weapon entries, because equipment can enter the conflict through official procurement, regional force contributions, battlefield capture, illicit trafficking, or diversion from state stockpiles.

Images

Destroyed Nigerian Army MT-LB after operations against Boko Haram in Adamawa State
A destroyed Nigerian Army MT-LB described by the uploader as having been captured by Boko Haram and destroyed during 2015 military operations near Marrabara, Adamawa State.Jambanja2009 / Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0Source: Jambanja2009 / Wikimedia Commons
Map of the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria and nearby Lake Chad basin areas
Open-license map depicting the geography of the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria and surrounding areas.M.Bitton / Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0Source: M.Bitton / Wikimedia Commons

Weapons

2009 Boko Haram Insurgency Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

8/10
Mi-24/Mi-35, Attack helicopter and armed assault transport, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMi-24/Mi-35Attack helicopter and armed assault transportSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Close air support and air interdictionBuilt: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant / Rostvertol / Soviet Union / RussiaThe Mi-24/Mi-35 Hind family combines an armored attack helicopter with a small troop compartment, letting operators use one airframe for close air support, anti-armor fires, armed escort, and limited assault transport. The Mi-35M branch is a Rostvertol-built modern combat-transport line, while older and upgraded Mi-24/Mi-35 aircraft remain documented in Ukraine, Syria, Mali, Iraq, Myanmar, and other conflicts.
FPV drones, First-person-view small UAV / one-way attack drone, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsFPV dronesFirst-person-view small UAV / one-way attack droneSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Armed COTS drone attacks on military positionsBuilt: Various manufacturers / VariousFPV drones are small first-person-view UAVs adapted from racing-drone and commercial quadcopter technology into tactical reconnaissance and one-way attack systems. Russia and Ukraine turned them into mass battlefield consumables, while later reporting from Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Syria, Sudan, and Mexico shows the same control-link, payload, and low-cost adaptation pattern spreading to state forces, insurgents, and organized armed groups.
CH-3A unmanned combat aerial vehicle, Fixed-wing unmanned combat aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsCH-3A unmanned combat aerial vehicleFixed-wing unmanned combat aerial vehicleSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Armed reconnaissance and precision strikeBuilt: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation / China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics / ChinaThe CH-3A is a Chinese fixed-wing armed UAV in the CASC Rainbow family, combining electro-optical reconnaissance with small precision munitions. Nigerian Air Force CH-3A aircraft are directly documented in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency as part of Operation Lafiya Dole, where they supported surveillance and strike missions against Boko Haram and ISWAP targets in the northeast.
Aero L-39 Albatros, Jet trainer and light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAero L-39 AlbatrosJet trainer and light attack aircraftSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Counter-insurgency air support and interdictionBuilt: Aero Vodochody / Czechoslovakia / Czech RepublicThe Aero L-39 Albatros is a Czechoslovak two-seat subsonic jet trainer built by Aero Vodochody as the successor to the L-29 Delfin. The family became a Warsaw Pact and export training aircraft, while armed L-39ZO and L-39ZA variants added reinforced stores stations, cannon or missile options, and light-attack capability.
AW-109, Light twin-engine attack and utility helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAW-109Light twin-engine attack and utility helicopterSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Combat support and air mobilityBuilt: AgustaWestland / Leonardo / ItalyThe AW-109 is a three-tonne light twin-engine helicopter family built by AgustaWestland and Leonardo. Armed and utility AW109 variants are documented in Philippine close-support and reconnaissance missions at Marawi and in Nigerian Air Force Operation Lafiya Dole mobility, patrol, evacuation, and support missions during the Boko Haram insurgency.
F-7NI fighter aircraft, Single-engine fighter and light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsF-7NI fighter aircraftSingle-engine fighter and light attack aircraftSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Fast-jet strike against insurgent positions and logistics sitesBuilt: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group / ChinaThe F-7NI Airguard is Nigeria's export variant of the Chinese Chengdu F-7/J-7, a MiG-21-derived single-engine fighter adapted for air-defense alert and light strike duties. Nigerian and defense reporting document F-7NI aircraft in post-2015 counter-insurgency strikes against Boko Haram logistics hubs, bunkers, camps, and artillery positions in Borno and the Sambisa Forest area.
A-29 Super Tucano, Turboprop light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsA-29 Super TucanoTurboprop light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraftSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Close air support and precision strikesBuilt: Embraer Defense & Security / Sierra Nevada Corporation / Brazil / United StatesThe A-29 Super Tucano is an Embraer-designed turboprop light attack, armed reconnaissance, and advanced-training aircraft built for counter-insurgency and austere-base operations. Documented combat use includes Afghan laser-guided bomb strikes against Taliban targets, Colombian counter-FARC precision strikes, Burkinabe counter-terror air operations in the Sahel, and Nigerian close air support against Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Alpha Jet attack aircraft, Twin-engine advanced trainer and light attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAlpha Jet attack aircraftTwin-engine advanced trainer and light attack aircraftSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Counter-insurgency air interdiction and close air supportBuilt: Dassault-Breguet / Dornier / France and GermanyThe Alpha Jet is a Franco-German twin-engine trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Dassault-Breguet and Dornier around a French training version and a German close-support and reconnaissance version. Nigeria used Alpha Jets with ECOMOG in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and Nigerian and Cameroonian aircraft later appear in sourced Boko Haram Insurgency strike and interdiction reporting.
2 remaining

Category

Air Defense

Systems that contest aircraft, missiles, helicopters, and drones.

1/1
ZSU-23-4 Shilka, Tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air DefenseAir DefenseZSU-23-4 ShilkaTracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gunSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Refurbished anti-insurgency fire support and base defenseBuilt: Mytishchi Machine-Building Plant / Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant / Soviet UnionThe ZSU-23-4 Shilka is a Soviet tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun built around a radar-directed turret with four 23 mm autocannons. Designed to accompany maneuver forces against low-flying aircraft and helicopters, it became a widely exported low-altitude air-defense system and remains visible in modern wars as both a short-range air-defense and direct-fire platform.

Category

Armored Vehicles

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

8/19
Phantom II infantry mobility vehicle, 4x4 armored personnel carrier / infantry mobility vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesPhantom II infantry mobility vehicle4x4 armored personnel carrier / infantry mobility vehicleSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Protected troop mobility for counter-insurgency operationsBuilt: Isotrex Manufacturing FZE / United Arab EmiratesThe Phantom II, also reported as the Isotrex Phantom 2, is a UAE-built 4x4 armored personnel carrier used for protected troop movement. Nigerian Army vehicles were documented during Operation Tura Takaibango in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, while Rwandan police Phantom 2 APCs were reported with the 2021 deployment to Mozambique's Cabo Delgado theater.
Spartan Mk III infantry mobility vehicle, 4x4 infantry mobility vehicle / light armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesSpartan Mk III infantry mobility vehicle4x4 infantry mobility vehicle / light armored personnel carrierSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesBoko Haram and ISWAPRole: Protected troop mobility for counter-insurgency operationsBuilt: STREIT Group / AvtoKrAZ / Canada / United Arab Emirates / UkraineThe Spartan Mk III is a STREIT Group 4x4 infantry mobility vehicle built around a Ford F-550-based armored hull for protected troop movement, convoy security, and counter-terrorism work. The family includes the Ukrainian AvtoKrAZ-built KrAZ Spartan licensed derivative, with documented conflict evidence spanning Nigerian Army use and insurgent possession caveats, Libyan battlefield capture context, and Ukrainian KrAZ-Spartan service.
Panhard VBL M11 light armored vehicle, 4x4 light armored reconnaissance and liaison vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesPanhard VBL M11 light armored vehicle4x4 light armored reconnaissance and liaison vehicleSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured armored mobilityBuilt: Panhard / FranceThe Panhard VBL M11 is a French 4x4 light armored vehicle family developed for reconnaissance, liaison, infiltration, and protected movement with a compact amphibious baseline hull. The catalog record distinguishes normal French operational use, including Operation Serval in Mali, from Lake Chad basin evidence where sources document VBL M11/Panhard VBL materiel captured by, in service with, or recovered from Boko Haram and ISWAP rather than proving sustained insurgent operation.
KLTV infantry mobility vehicle, 4x4 light tactical / infantry mobility vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesKLTV infantry mobility vehicle4x4 light tactical / infantry mobility vehicleSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Protected troop mobility and patrol supportBuilt: Kia Corporation / South KoreaThe Kia KLTV is a South Korean 4x4 light tactical vehicle family built around a modular chassis for protected mobility, command, reconnaissance, cargo, ambulance, and weapon-carrier roles. Nigeria received KLTV/K152 armored personnel carrier variants during its post-2015 re-equipment drive, with direct reporting placing a KLTV-181 in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency after an ISWAP ambush in northeast Nigeria.
CS/VP3 MRAP, 4x4 mine-resistant ambush-protected armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesCS/VP3 MRAP4x4 mine-resistant ambush-protected armored personnel carrierSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Protected troop mobility in counter-insurgencyBuilt: Poly Technologies / Changan Automobile / ChinaThe CS/VP3, also known as Bigfoot, is a Chinese 4x4 MRAP derived from the South African CAPRIVI-Mk1 concept and exported by Poly Technologies and Changan. Nigerian Army vehicles are documented in counter-insurgency service, while open reporting also places the type with police forces in Uganda and Kenya.
IVM G12 gun truck, 4x4 tactical utility vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesIVM G12 gun truck4x4 tactical utility vehicleSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesRole: Counter-insurgency patrol and tactical transportBuilt: Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd. / NigeriaThe IVM G12 is a Nigerian-built 4x4 special-purpose utility vehicle from Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing. Public reporting places it with Nigerian Army forces during Operation Lafiya Dole in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency and links the family to the BAIC BJ2022 Brave Warrior, while describing the baseline vehicle as a rough-terrain patrol and transport platform without mine protection.
ERC 90 Sagaie, 6x6 armored reconnaissance and fire-support vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesERC 90 Sagaie6x6 armored reconnaissance and fire-support vehicleSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured armored reconnaissance and fire-support vehicleBuilt: Panhard / FranceThe ERC 90 Sagaie is a French Panhard 6x6 armored reconnaissance and fire-support vehicle built around a 90 mm gun. Arquus traces the design to 1975 and French Army adoption to 1981; later sources place the type with French forces in Desert Storm and Operation Serval, and in Boko Haram heavy-weapon reporting where evidence is strongest for captured possession.
BTR-4, 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBTR-48x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicleSide: Nigerian government and allied forcesBoko Haram and ISWAPRole: Protected mobility and captured armored fire supportBuilt: Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau / Malyshev Plant / UkraineThe BTR-4 Bucephalus is a Ukrainian 8x8 armored personnel carrier and infantry fighting vehicle built around a rear troop compartment, amphibious mobility, and remote weapon stations such as the BM-7 Parus. It provides protected movement and direct fire support with a 30 mm cannon, machine gun, grenade launcher, and anti-tank missile capability, and export BTR-4EN vehicles have been documented in Nigerian counter-insurgency service.
11 remaining

Category

Artillery

Tube artillery, rocket artillery, and long-range ground fires.

8/11
Mortar launcher, 60mm, 60 mm light mortar launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryMortar launcher, 60mm60 mm light mortar launcherSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Short-range indirect fire and captured heavy weaponsBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countries; not identified for the recovered Boko Haram/ISWAP tubesA 60 mm mortar launcher is a light infantry indirect-fire system built around a smoothbore, muzzle-loaded tube that can be used in conventional bipod-and-baseplate form or, on some modern systems, in reduced handheld or commando configurations. In the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, Nigerian reporting has documented 60 mm mortar tubes recovered from ISWAP fighters around Marte, Gajiram, Mandara Mountain, and the Timbuktu Triangle, while Conflict Armament Research has separately documented mortar materiel and captured 60 mm rounds among JAS/Boko Haram and ISWAP-linked seizures around Lake Chad. The recovered launcher models are not publicly identified, so this entry treats the item as a caliber-class system rather than a specific national model.
Mortar launcher, 81mm, 81 mm crew-served medium mortar, ArtilleryArtilleryMortar launcher, 81mm81 mm crew-served medium mortarSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent recovered 81 mm mortar capabilityBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesThe 81 mm mortar launcher is a crew-served medium-mortar class for high-angle indirect fire with high-explosive, smoke, illumination, and training ammunition. This entry treats the L16/M252/M252A1 line as representative of modern 81 mm launchers while keeping conflict-use claims model-specific where sources allow: Boko Haram/ISWAP reporting identifies recovered 81 mm mortar equipment without a model, CJTF-OIR imagery identifies Iraqi M252 training at Camp Taji, and Task Force Southwest imagery identifies U.S. Marine M252 use at Camp Shorab in Afghanistan.
81/82 mm mortar, 81/82 mm crew-served medium mortar, ArtilleryArtillery81/82 mm mortar81/82 mm crew-served medium mortarSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent recovered 81 mm mortar capabilityBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesThe 81/82 mm mortar family covers the modern crew-served, muzzle-loaded, smoothbore indirect-fire class descended from the Stokes mortar lineage and still fielded worldwide in variant-specific forms. This is a family-level page: 81 mm L16/M252/M252A1/F2-type systems and 82 mm Soviet/Russian-pattern systems such as 2B14 and 2B24 share a medium-mortar battlefield role but are not interchangeable hardware. Conflict rows stay at the caliber or named-system level supported by the source, including Boko Haram/ISWAP recovered 81 mm equipment, Iraqi M252 training under Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Marine M252 use and Afghan Border Police 82 mm sustainment in Afghanistan, PKK 81/82 mm mortar use where no single model is identified, and Chadian 82 mm mortar training before operations in Mali.
OTO Melara Mod 56, 105 mm towed pack howitzer, ArtilleryArtilleryOTO Melara Mod 56105 mm towed pack howitzerSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Improvised mobile artilleryBuilt: OTO Melara / ItalyThe OTO Melara Mod 56 is an Italian 105 mm pack howitzer built for light, mountain, and airborne artillery. It breaks down into packable loads, fires standard 105 mm ammunition, and became widely exported under designations including the British/Commonwealth L5; documented conflict use ranges from Vietnam, Borneo, and the Falklands to Spanish-supplied guns in Ukraine and captured or improvised Boko Haram systems in Nigeria.
BM-21 Grad, 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryBM-21 Grad122 mm multiple rocket launcherSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured rocket artillery and improvised Grad rocket attacksBuilt: Motovilikha Plants / Soviet defense industry / Soviet Union / RussiaThe BM-21 Grad is a Soviet 122 mm multiple rocket launcher built around a 40-tube launcher on a wheeled truck chassis. In the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War it remains a common area-fire system on both sides, valued for rapid salvos and mobility but dependent on shoot-and-scoot tactics because the launcher is carried on an unarmored truck.
D-30 122 mm howitzer, 122 mm towed howitzer, ArtilleryArtilleryD-30 122 mm howitzer122 mm towed howitzerSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured or recovered towed artilleryBuilt: Artillery Plant No. 9 / Soviet Union / RussiaThe D-30, also known as the 2A18, M1963, or Frog, is a Soviet 122 mm towed howitzer designed by OKB-9 under F. F. Petrov and built at Plant No. 9 in Yekaterinburg. Its three-trail carriage gives 360-degree traverse, and official U.S. Army support material describes the gun as still manufactured internationally and fielded by more than 60 countries' armed forces.
120 mm mortar launcher, Heavy mortar launcher, ArtilleryArtillery120 mm mortar launcherHeavy mortar launcherSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured heavy indirect-fire mortarBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesA 120 mm mortar launcher is a heavy indirect-fire weapon class used to fire high-angle mortar bombs from a tube, baseplate, and bipod, a towed mount, or a vehicle system. This generic entry is for source-backed cases where public evidence identifies the caliber and mortar role but not a precise national model, including Ukrainian 120-mm mortar fire near Chasiv Yar, probable 120 mm mortar shelling in Yemen, Gaddafi-era use around Misratah, and a Nigerien seizure from Boko Haram fighters.
Improvised launcher for 122mm rockets, Improvised multiple rocket launcher, ArtilleryArtilleryImprovised launcher for 122mm rocketsImprovised multiple rocket launcherSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Improvised long-range area rocket fireBuilt: Unknown local fabricators / Boko Haram-side fabricators / Libya / Nigeria / Lake Chad basinThe improvised launcher for 122mm rockets is a non-standard artillery system assembled from Grad-family rockets, tubes, or captured launch components. Public reporting documents pickup-mounted rebel launchers in the 2011 First Libyan Civil War and a four-tube ISWAP/Boko Haram-side pickup launcher in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, giving irregular forces a mobile but inaccurate area-fire capability from standoff range.
3 remaining

Category

Infantry Weapons

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

8/38
K2 assault rifle, 5.56 mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsK2 assault rifle5.56 mm assault rifleSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent small armsBuilt: Daewoo Precision Industries / SNT Motiv / South KoreaThe K2 is South Korea's 5.56 mm service rifle, developed by Daewoo and later carried into SNT Motiv's small-arms line. Adopted in 1984, it became the standard rifle for nearly all Republic of Korea troops and later spawned K2A, K2C, and K2C1 upgrades. ARS also documents export to Nigeria, and Jamestown shows the rifle in ISWAP media from the Lake Chad conflict.
Zastava M21 assault rifle, 5.56x45 mm NATO assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsZastava M21 assault rifle5.56x45 mm NATO assault rifleSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent small-arms combat and trainingBuilt: Zastava Arms / SerbiaThe Zastava M21 is a Serbian 5.56x45 mm NATO assault rifle derived from the Kalashnikov operating system and produced by Zastava Arms. In this catalog, its strongest conflict evidence is Cameroon-linked: Boko Haram and ISWAP material showed M21s in Lake Chad basin insurgent hands, while Amnesty International documented M21s with armed separatist groups during the 2016 Anglophone Crisis.
FN FAL, 7.62 mm battle rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsFN FAL7.62 mm battle rifleSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent small-arms fire and looted rifle stocksBuilt: FN Herstal / Various manufacturers / Belgium; licensed production in multiple countriesThe FN FAL is a Belgian 7.62 x 51 mm NATO battle rifle designed at Fabrique Nationale after World War II and adopted or license-produced across many Cold War armies. The cataloged record spans state service, licensed Commonwealth and Argentine derivatives, and later illicit or captured rifles documented in conflicts from the Falklands to Marawi, Boko Haram operations, Haiti, and the Islamic State fight.
M14, 7.62 mm battle rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsM147.62 mm battle rifleSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Recovered insurgent sniper rifleBuilt: Springfield Armory / Winchester / Harrington & Richardson / Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge / United StatesThe M14 is a U.S.-origin 7.62x51 mm NATO battle rifle developed from the M1 Garand lineage and fielded by U.S. and Marine Corps forces in Vietnam before later marksman variants kept the family in service. Direct conflict evidence in this entry ranges from Vietnam-era Marine small-unit use to M21 and M14 EBR employment in Iraq and Afghanistan and recovered insurgent rifles in Nigeria and Marawi.
HK21 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsHK21 general-purpose machine gun7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent possession and recovered materielBuilt: Heckler & Koch / West Germany / GermanyThe HK21 is a Heckler & Koch belt-fed 7.62x51 mm NATO general-purpose machine gun derived from the G3 rifle family. In the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, Nigerian military reporting and ISWAP media analysis document HK21-pattern guns among weapons recovered from, or displayed by, Boko Haram and ISWAP forces, making it a small-unit fire-support weapon in Lake Chad conflict coverage.
M60 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsM60 general-purpose machine gun7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured infantry machine-gun fire supportBuilt: Saco Defense / Maremont / U.S. Ordnance / United StatesThe M60 is a U.S.-origin 7.62x51 mm NATO belt-fed general-purpose machine gun built for ground, tripod, vehicle, and aircraft-mounted fire support. U.S. records document M60 use from Vietnam through Iraq and Afghanistan, while later conflict reporting shows legacy guns turning up with non-state armed groups in Nigeria, Colombia, and Haiti.
PKM/PK, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsPKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Small-unit infantry fire supportBuilt: Kovrov Mechanical Plant / Various manufacturers / Soviet Union, Russia, and licensed-production countriesThe PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, remote weapon stations, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide licensed-production base make the family a recurring infantry fire-support weapon in recent conflicts, with documented rows here covering Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Mali, Lake Chad, Gaza, Afghanistan, and Turkey's conflict with the PKK.
Heckler & Koch G3, 7.62 mm select-fire battle rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsHeckler & Koch G37.62 mm select-fire battle rifleSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent battle rifle and recovered small armBuilt: Heckler & Koch / Various manufacturers / Germany; licensed production in multiple countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Greece, Mexico, Brazil, and MyanmarThe Heckler & Koch G3 is a roller-delayed 7.62 x 51 mm NATO battle rifle developed in West Germany from the CETME rifle family. Its long service life and licensed production have left G3-pattern rifles in multiple conflict arsenals, including documented Boko Haram small-arms holdings in the Lake Chad basin, RSF-linked evidence in Sudan, Saudi-linked G3 rifles reported in Yemen, and G3/BA64 rifles still circulating in Myanmar's post-2021 war.
30 remaining

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

8/20
North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile, 40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round, MunitionsMunitionsNorth Korean F-7 rocket-propelled-grenade projectile40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG roundSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: High-explosive fragmentation RPG roundBuilt: North Korean state arms industry / North KoreaThe North Korean F-7 is a 40 mm HE-fragmentation RPG round for RPG-7-pattern launchers. Small Arms Survey identifies it by its gray warhead, sustainer motor, and Korean markings, while conflict reporting has tied it to Boko Haram-linked materiel and to Hamas use in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, including reuse of its motor section in improvised anti-tank rockets.
OGi-7MA RPG round, 40 mm high-explosive fragmentation RPG round, MunitionsMunitionsOGi-7MA RPG round40 mm high-explosive fragmentation RPG roundSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Close-range fragmentation firesBuilt: Arsenal JSCo / BulgariaThe OGi-7MA is a Bulgarian 40 mm high-explosive fragmentation round for RPG-7V-family launchers and Arsenal's ATGL-L recoilless guns. Arsenal describes it as an improved, pre-fragmented anti-personnel round with more than 1,250 fragments and AF76 or AF72 point-detonating fuzes, while conflict reporting places it with Boko Haram factions in the Lake Chad basin, Islamic State forces in north-east Syria, and Ukrainian forces around Bakhmut.
RTB-7MA RPG round, 40 mm thermobaric RPG round for RPG-7-family launchers, MunitionsMunitionsRTB-7MA RPG round40 mm thermobaric RPG round for RPG-7-family launchersSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Thermobaric RPG fire support roundBuilt: Arsenal JSCo / BulgariaThe RTB-7MA is a Bulgarian 40/106 mm thermobaric round for RPG-7-family launchers, built around a GTB-7MA warhead, CP-73 booster, SM-71 sustainer motor, and AF-76 point-detonating fuze. Product data frames it as an anti-personnel and anti-materiel round for shelters, fortifications, buildings, light armored vehicles, and automobiles, while open-source reporting places it with Boko Haram- and ISWAP-linked materiel in Nigeria and Ukrainian forces around Bakhmut.
Mortar bombs, 60mm, 60 mm mortar ammunition, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 60mm60 mm mortar ammunitionSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Recovered insurgent mortar ammunition and IED componentsBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countries60 mm mortar bombs are fin-stabilized light mortar rounds made in high-explosive, smoke, illumination, infrared-illumination, and training variants for portable 60 mm mortar tubes. This entry treats the caliber as a family rather than a single national model: Boko Haram/ISWAP evidence is based on recovered rounds and IED adaptation, Myanmar evidence includes both fired and air-dropped mortar rounds, and Ukrainian evidence covers 60 mm mortar shells integrated into FPV strike drones.
Mortar bombs, 81mm, 81 mm mortar bomb, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 81mm81 mm mortar bombSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: IED explosive payloads from captured mortar ammunitionBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countries81 mm mortar bombs are fin-stabilized ammunition families made by many arsenals and defense manufacturers for medium mortars, with high-explosive, smoke, illumination, infrared-illumination, and training variants. Documented conflict use in this catalog includes Boko Haram improvised explosive devices made from captured mortar bombs, U.S. transfers of 81 mm mortar rounds to Ukraine, and Myanmar Civil War reporting of both SAC mortar fire and resistance drone drops.
Mortar bombs, 82 mm, 82 mm high-explosive mortar bomb, MunitionsMunitionsMortar bombs, 82 mm82 mm high-explosive mortar bombSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent indirect-fire ammunitionBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesThis entry covers the 82 mm mortar-bomb caliber class rather than a single factory model. Sources document the class in insurgent and paramilitary materiel from Boko Haram-linked forces in the Lake Chad Basin, Islamic State stocks in Syria and Iraq, and RSF-associated PP87 mortar ammunition in Sudan, while manufacturer and ordnance references show that model-specific weight, filling, fuze, and range figures vary across O-832, PP87, HE, smoke, illumination, and extended-range families.
9M22U / M-21OF Grad rocket, 122 mm high-explosive fragmentation rocket, MunitionsMunitions9M22U / M-21OF Grad rocket122 mm high-explosive fragmentation rocketSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent indirect-fire rocket attacksBuilt: State Research and Production Association Splav / licensed producers / Soviet Union / Russia / Bulgaria / Romania / CzechoslovakiaThe 9M22U / M-21OF is the standard Soviet 122 mm high-explosive fragmentation rocket associated with the BM-21 Grad family. Missilery identifies it as the M-21OF unguided rocket and traces licensed production to Bulgaria, Romania, and Czechoslovakia, while direct conflict sources document 9M22U use in Libya, Mali, and northeast Nigeria.
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Category

Support Equipment

Transport, logistics, recovery, command, engineering, and other enabling equipment.

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G3 20-round detachable box magazine, 20-round detachable box magazine, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentG3 20-round detachable box magazine20-round detachable box magazineSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Insurgent small-arms feed componentBuilt: Heckler & Koch / GermanyThe G3 20-round detachable box magazine is the standard 7.62x51 mm NATO feed component for G3-family rifles and compatible HK91/PTR-pattern rifles. Specialist and commercial sources document alloy and steel 20-round variants, while Boko Haram arms-cache reporting names a recovered G3 magazine directly enough to support conflict indexing for the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency.

Category

Tanks

Heavy armor built around direct fire, protection, and battlefield shock.

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T-54/T-55, Main battle tank / medium tank family, TanksTanksT-54/T-55Main battle tank / medium tank familySide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured heavy armor and propaganda displayBuilt: Uralvagonzavod / Kharkiv Locomotive Factory / Various manufacturers / Soviet Union / Poland / CzechoslovakiaThe T-54/T-55 is a Soviet tank family built around a low-profile tracked hull, four-person crew, and 100 mm D-10-series gun. It became one of the most widely produced tank families of the Cold War, with Soviet and licensed production spreading across Warsaw Pact and partner states. Direct conflict sourcing traces the family from North Vietnamese T-54 use in the 1975 fall of Saigon and Iraqi T-55s in the Gulf War to recent secondary fire-support, capture, and loss contexts in Ukraine, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, Nigeria, and Sudan.
FV101 Scorpion light tank, Tracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicle, TanksTanksFV101 Scorpion light tankTracked light tank / reconnaissance vehicleSide: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Captured insurgent materielBuilt: Alvis / United KingdomThe FV101 Scorpion is a British CVR(T) light tank and reconnaissance vehicle built by Alvis around a 76 mm gun, high road speed, and a light aluminum hull. The catalog record covers Iranian Scorpion-family use in the Iran-Iraq War, British FV101 Scorpion use in the 1982 Falklands War and 1990 Gulf War, and later Boko Haram possession in the Lake Chad basin.

News

Latest 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency News

All news

Conflict Sources

The conflict remains active and factional. Weapon entries should attach only directly sourced, post-2015 conflict-use claims and should distinguish Nigerian or allied force use from Boko Haram, JAS, or ISWAP use when sources make that distinction.

  • Boko Haram: Mapping an Evolving Armed ConstellationPublisher: UNIDIR | Note: Supports conflict background, the 2015 Islamic State pledge, factional evolution, and post-2016 Boko Haram/ISWAP structure. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • The Multinational Joint Task Force and the fight against Boko HaramPublisher: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs / EPON | Note: Supports MNJTF mandate, AU authorization, regional force configuration, and continuing regional counter-insurgency context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Experts Meeting on MNJTF operational documentsPublisher: African Union Peace and Security Department | Note: Supports the February 2015 operational planning for the MNJTF, its Lake Chad Basin Commission participants, Benin, and regional command arrangements. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Weapon Supplies Fueling Terrorism in the Lake Chad CrisisPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports weapon-context claims about documented weapons and ammunition seized from Boko Haram and ISWAP-linked groups around Lake Chad. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Weapons and Ammunition Dynamics in the Lake Chad BasinPublisher: United Nations Department of Peace Operations and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs via ReliefWeb | Note: Supports Lake Chad basin weapons-and-ammunition dynamics and the need to distinguish state, regional, diverted, and illicit sources. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • JAS vs. ISWAP: The War of the Boko Haram SplintersPublisher: International Crisis Group | Note: Supports source-backed caveats about insurgent factional rivalry after the Boko Haram-ISWAP split and after Shekau's death. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Destroyed MT-LB of Nigerian ArmyPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the destroyed Nigerian Army MT-LB image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Islamist insurgency in Nigeria.svgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the open-license insurgency map. | Accessed: 2026-06-21