Conflict catalog

1991 Sierra Leone Civil War: Weapons and Equipment

The 1991 Sierra Leone Civil War was a conflict between the Sierra Leone government and rebel forces led by the Revolutionary United Front, with regional, UN, and British intervention shaping the later war.

The 1991 Sierra Leone Civil War began with Revolutionary United Front attacks in eastern Sierra Leone and ended after disarmament and the formal end of the war in January 2002. The later conflict included regional and UN intervention and a British military operation in 2000.

This catalog tracks weapon systems directly documented in 1991 Sierra Leone Civil War use.

Entries should be limited to systems with direct conflict-use sourcing.

5 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

Sierra Leone government, UN, ECOWAS, and British forces / Revolutionary United Front and allied rebel forces

Sierra Leone government, UN, ECOWAS, and British forces

4 weapon systems in this catalog
  • Sierra Leone government, UN, ECOWAS, and British forces

Revolutionary United Front and allied rebel forces

1 weapon system in this catalog
  • Revolutionary United Front and allied rebel forces

Context

Status
Published catalog
Domains
land, air, maritime

External Support

Regional forces, the United Nations, and the United Kingdom intervened during the conflict's later phases, including British operations in 2000.

Weapons

1991 Sierra Leone Civil War Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

2/2
Sea King, Multi-role maritime helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSea KingMulti-role maritime helicopterSide: Sierra Leone government, UN, ECOWAS, and British forcesRole: British-led troop lift and supportBuilt: Westland Helicopters / United KingdomThe Sea King is the British-built Westland WS-61, a licensed version of the Sikorsky S-61/SH-3 Sea King that first flew in 1969 and saw more than 340 aircraft delivered. Westland marks covered anti-submarine, airborne surveillance, commando transport, utility, and search-and-rescue work, with documented service from the Falklands War and Gulf War through Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, and Ukraine.
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: Sierra Leone government, UN, ECOWAS, and British forcesRole: ECOMOG strike aircraftBuilt: 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.

Category

Infantry Weapons

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

1/1
RPG Launcher, Shoulder-fired anti-armor rocket-propelled grenade launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG LauncherShoulder-fired anti-armor rocket-propelled grenade launcherSide: Revolutionary United Front and allied rebel forcesRole: Rebel assault weapon during the Freetown offensiveBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple, including Soviet Union/Russia, China, Bulgaria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Romania, and EgyptRPG launchers are portable infantry anti-armor and direct-fire weapons used to fire explosive grenades against vehicles, buildings, helicopters, and fortified positions. This generic record covers conflict sources that identify RPG use without enough detail to assign a narrower model, from Mogadishu and Freetown to Darfur and Marawi.

Category

Munitions

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

1/1
BLG 66 Belouga, Air-dropped cluster bomb and submunition dispenser, MunitionsMunitionsBLG 66 BelougaAir-dropped cluster bomb and submunition dispenserSide: Sierra Leone government, UN, ECOWAS, and British forcesRole: Reported cluster-bomb air attackBuilt: Matra / GIAT Industries / Thomson-DASA Armements / FranceThe BLG 66 Belouga is a French low-drag air-dropped cluster bomb that dispenses 151 EG, IZ, or AC 66 mm submunitions from a standard NATO 14-inch attachment. The record covers French Jaguar carriage in the 1990 Gulf War, a disputed Nigerian ECOWAS use allegation from Sierra Leone, and later Boko Haram evidence limited to recovered submunitions reused in improvised explosives.

Category

Naval Systems

Warships, submarines, unmanned surface vessels, naval craft, and maritime combat systems.

1/1
HMS Illustrious (R06), Invincible-class light aircraft carrier and helicopter carrier, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsHMS Illustrious (R06)Invincible-class light aircraft carrier and helicopter carrierSide: Sierra Leone government, UN, ECOWAS, and British forcesRole: UnknownBuilt: Swan Hunter / United KingdomHMS Illustrious (R06) was a Swan Hunter-built Invincible-class light aircraft carrier that entered Royal Navy service in 1982 and later served as a helicopter and commando carrier. Public military records tie her to Operation Southern Watch, Operation Palliser, Afghanistan-era tasking, and later evacuation/support operations, while UK disposal records trace her 2014 decommissioning and 2017 recycling.

Conflict Sources

  • Operation in Sierra Leone 1991-2002Publisher: U.S. Army Center of Military History | Note: Supports conflict dates, main belligerents, and the role of international and British intervention during the Sierra Leone Civil War. | Accessed: 2026-06-30
  • 846 Naval Air SquadronPublisher: Royal Navy | Note: Supports the specific Sea King conflict-use connection that makes this catalog relevant to the catalog. | Accessed: 2026-06-30