Conflict catalog

1979 Soviet-Afghan War: Weapons and Equipment

Soviet intervention in Afghanistan against mujahideen and other anti-government fighters.

The 1979 Soviet-Afghan War was the Soviet Union's intervention in Afghanistan against mujahideen resistance forces and their supporters.

This catalog tracks weapon systems documented in the 1979 Soviet-Afghan War.

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

42 weapon systems

Conflict Actors

Soviet Union and Afghan government forces / Afghan resistance forces

Soviet Union and Afghan government forces

36 weapon systems in this catalog
  • Soviet Union and Afghan government forces

Context

Status
Published catalog

Weapons

1979 Soviet-Afghan War Weapon Systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

7/7
Mi-24/Mi-35, Attack helicopter and armed assault transport, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMi-24/Mi-35Attack helicopter and armed assault transportSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Gunship and armed escort operationsBuilt: 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.
Su-25, Ground-attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSu-25Ground-attack aircraftSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Close air support and battlefield strikeBuilt: Sukhoi / Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant / United Aircraft Corporation / Soviet Union / Russia / GeorgiaThe Su-25 is a Soviet-designed armored close air support aircraft built for low-level battlefield strike, rough-field operation, and heavy stores carriage. Developed by Sukhoi and produced in Soviet, Russian, and Georgian factories, the twin-engine subsonic jet combines a protected cockpit, internal 30 mm cannon, and multiple pylons for rockets, bombs, missiles, and adapted guided weapons, with documented use from Afghanistan and Iraq to Darfur, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine.
Mi-2, Light twin-turbine utility and training helicopter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMi-2Light twin-turbine utility and training helicopterSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Light helicopter inventory in theaterBuilt: WSK PZL-Swidnik / PolandThe Mi-2, NATO reporting name Hoplite, is a Soviet-designed light utility helicopter produced in Poland by PZL-Swidnik. It moved the Mi-1 light-helicopter concept to twin turboshaft power, giving operators a compact transport, training, rescue, reconnaissance, and limited armed-support platform. Cataloged conflict evidence ranges from Soviet and Nagorno-Karabakh inventory context to Ukrainian loss and transfer records and Myanmar reporting on junta air attacks.
Tu-22M, Long-range supersonic bomber and missile carrier, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsTu-22MLong-range supersonic bomber and missile carrierSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Long-range strikeBuilt: Tupolev / Kazan Aircraft Production Association / Soviet Union / RussiaThe Tupolev Tu-22M Backfire family is a variable-sweep, long-range supersonic bomber and missile carrier built for maritime strike and deep land attack. The Tu-22M3 Backfire-C is the principal operational version: UAC says it entered service in 1989, while Rosoboronexport and later reporting tie the type to Kh-22 and Kh-32 standoff missile carriage as well as large conventional bomb loads.
Su-24, Variable-geometry tactical bomber and strike aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSu-24Variable-geometry tactical bomber and strike aircraftSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Soviet strike aircraftBuilt: Sukhoi / Soviet Union / RussiaThe Su-24, NATO reporting name Fencer, is a Soviet-designed twin-engine variable-geometry tactical bomber built by Sukhoi for long-range all-weather strike and reconnaissance missions. The type has appeared across Soviet, Russian, Ukrainian, Syrian, Libyan, Iranian, and Sudanese service, with Ukrainian Su-24M/MR aircraft adapted to launch Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
MiG-23, Variable-sweep fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsMiG-23Variable-sweep fighter and fighter-bomber aircraftSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Fighter-bomber and escort aircraftBuilt: Mikoyan-Gurevich / Soviet UnionThe MiG-23, NATO reporting name Flogger, is a Soviet variable-sweep fighter and fighter-bomber family built around high speed, radar-guided interception, and exportable strike variants. More than 5,000 were produced, and documented combat use ranges from Iraqi Floggers in the 1980 Iran-Iraq War and 1990 Gulf War to Indian MiG-23BN strike missions in Kargil and late Libyan and Syrian civil-war sorties.
Su-17, Variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber / ground-attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSu-17Variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber / ground-attack aircraftSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Fixed-wing fighter-bomber supportBuilt: Sukhoi / Soviet Union / RussiaThe Su-17 Fitter is a Soviet variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed from the fixed-wing Su-7B and exported through the Su-20 and Su-22 lines. Designed for ground attack and bombing with rockets, bombs, missiles, gun pods, and 30 mm cannon armament, the family is documented in Soviet, Iraqi, and Syrian conflict use from Afghanistan to Syria.

Category

Air Defense

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

2/2
9M32 Strela-2 / SA-7 MANPADS, Man-portable surface-to-air missile system, Air DefenseAir Defense9M32 Strela-2 / SA-7 MANPADSMan-portable surface-to-air missile systemSide: Afghan resistance forcesRole: Resistance MANPADS threat to Soviet aircraftBuilt: KBM Kolomna / Soviet UnionThe 9M32 Strela-2, NATO SA-7 Grail, is a Soviet infrared-guided MANPADS whose compact shoulder-fired design spread widely through state arsenals, proxy forces, and armed groups. Its conflict record ranges from confirmed launch reports to delivery, capture, or displayed-materiel evidence in the Soviet-Afghan War, Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Sinai, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Gaza.

Category

Armored Vehicles

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

6/6
BTR-60, 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBTR-608x8 amphibious armored personnel carrierSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Motorized rifle troop carrier and convoy escort vehicleBuilt: Gorky Automobile Plant / Soviet UnionThe BTR-60 is a Soviet eight-wheeled amphibious armored personnel carrier that introduced the long-running BTR 8x8 layout later followed by the BTR-70 and BTR-80. Its BTR-60PB turreted model gave motorized troops a 14.5 mm KPVT/7.62 mm PKT armament fit, but retained thin armor and top-hatch dismounting that drove later redesigns and modernization programs.
BMD-1, Airborne amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBMD-1Airborne amphibious infantry fighting vehicleSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Airborne armored mobilityBuilt: Volgograd Tractor Plant / Soviet UnionThe BMD-1 is a Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle built for paratroop units, combining a very light amphibious tracked chassis with the BMP-1-style 73 mm 2A28 Grom gun and anti-tank missile armament. Its hydropneumatic suspension and low combat weight supported airborne deployment, while the same design priorities left the aluminum hull protected mainly against small-arms fire and fragments. Cataloged conflict evidence spans Soviet use in Afghanistan, Russian and Iraqi wartime fielding, Russian airborne use in Georgia and Ukraine, and Ukrainian 25th Airborne Brigade service in Donbas.
BTR-D, Airborne amphibious tracked armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBTR-DAirborne amphibious tracked armored personnel carrierSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Airborne troop carrierBuilt: Volgograd Tractor Plant / Soviet Union / RussiaThe BTR-D is a Soviet airborne tracked armored personnel carrier derived from the BMD-1 chassis for VDV units, trading the BMD turret for a longer troop compartment while retaining amphibious, air-droppable mobility and a family role as the base for airborne anti-tank, air-defense, recovery, command, and mortar-support vehicles.
BMD-2, Airborne infantry fighting vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBMD-2Airborne infantry fighting vehicleSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Airborne troop carrier and direct-fire support vehicleBuilt: Volgograd Tractor Plant / Soviet UnionThe BMD-2 is a Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle built for paratrooper units, combining a very light amphibious tracked chassis with a 30 mm 2A42 cannon and an anti-tank missile launcher. Soviet airborne and air-assault forces used the family in Afghanistan, Russia lost at least one BMD-2 in the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, and both Russian and Ukrainian forces have operated BMD-2s during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
BMP-2, Tracked amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBMP-2Tracked amphibious infantry fighting vehicleSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Mechanized infantry carrier and mountain fire-support vehicleBuilt: Kurganmashzavod / Soviet Union / RussiaThe BMP-2 is a Soviet tracked infantry fighting vehicle that replaced the BMP-1's low-velocity gun with a stabilized 30 mm 2A42 autocannon while retaining an anti-tank missile launcher and amphibious mobility. Its troop carriage, direct-fire, and ATGM roles were documented in Afghanistan and remain visible in post-Soviet and export armored units, with later documented use in Ukraine, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Yemen.
BTR-70, Wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesBTR-70Wheeled armored personnel carrierSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Motorized rifle troop carrier and fire-support APCBuilt: Gorky Automobile Plant / Arzamas Machine-Building Plant / Soviet Union / RussiaThe BTR-70 is a Soviet 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier developed from the BTR-60PB family to move motor-rifle troops under armor while retaining the KPVT/PKT turret armament. Afghan-war experience exposed both its practical value and its limits, including side-exit and protection improvements over the BTR-60PB, before later Soviet production shifted toward the diesel-powered BTR-80.

Category

Artillery

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

7/7
2A28 Grom, 73 mm low-pressure smoothbore cannon, ArtilleryArtillery2A28 Grom73 mm low-pressure smoothbore cannonSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Tracked infantry fire supportBuilt: KBP / Soviet UnionThe 2A28 Grom is a Soviet 73 mm low-pressure smoothbore cannon designed by KBP in Tula and used as the main gun on BMP-1, BMD-1, and related light armored vehicles. Its compact semi-automatic loading system, short recoil, and PG-15V/OG-15V ammunition gave early Soviet infantry fighting vehicles a short-range direct-fire weapon, while the Russia-Ukraine War has also produced improvised dismounted 2A28 support-gun adaptations.
82 mm 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar, 82 mm automatic gun-mortar, ArtilleryArtillery82 mm 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar82 mm automatic gun-mortarSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Soviet and Afghan-government mortar fire supportBuilt: Bolshevik Plant / Diósgyőri Gépgyár / Norinco / Soviet Union; Hungary; ChinaThe 82 mm 2B9 Vasilek is a Soviet automatic gun-mortar that combines mortar trajectories with clip-fed rapid fire from a wheeled carriage. Source-backed conflict records place the family in Soviet-Afghan fire-support accounts, Syrian government and opposition use, Russian-side use in Ukraine, and captured Armenian equipment in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting.
PM-43, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, ArtilleryArtilleryPM-43120 mm towed heavy mortarSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Heavy mortar fire supportBuilt: Soviet state arsenals / Soviet UnionThe PM-43 is a Soviet 120 mm smoothbore heavy mortar, introduced in 1943 as a wartime development of the PM-38 and kept in service through exports, local copies, and legacy stocks. Direct conflict references place the M-43/PM-43 family with North Vietnamese forces in Vietnam, in Syrian Civil War mortar inventories, with Haftar-aligned forces in Libya, and in a Russian-controlled area of Luhansk during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
2S1 Gvozdika, 122 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S1 Gvozdika122 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Tracked indirect fire supportBuilt: Kharkiv Tractor Plant / Plant No. 9 / Soviet UnionThe 2S1 Gvozdika is a Soviet 122 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer built around the 2A31 gun on an amphibious armored chassis derived from the MT-LB family. In the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War it remains a common short-to-medium-range artillery system for both Russian and Ukrainian forces, combining mobility, indirect fire, and widespread 122 mm ammunition compatibility.
2S5 Giatsint-S, 152 mm tracked self-propelled gun, ArtilleryArtillery2S5 Giatsint-S152 mm tracked self-propelled gunSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Long-range artillery fire supportBuilt: Uraltransmash / Perm Machine-Building Plant / Soviet UnionThe 2S5 Giatsint-S is a Soviet 152 mm tracked self-propelled gun built for long-range corps- and army-level fire support. Its open rear-mounted 2A37 gun gives it greater reach than many older Soviet 152 mm systems, while its tracked chassis and stabilizing rear spade support shoot-and-move artillery work. Sources document 2S5 use or fielding context from Afghanistan and Chechnya through the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, with additional wartime transfer evidence for Ethiopia during the Eritrean-Ethiopian War.
2S4 Tyulpan, 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2S4 Tyulpan240 mm self-propelled heavy mortarSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Heavy mortar fire supportBuilt: Uraltransmash / Soviet Union / RussiaThe 2S4 Tyulpan is a Soviet 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar built around a large breech-loaded 2B8 mortar on a tracked chassis. Its unusually heavy bombs, guided and special-purpose ammunition options, and low rate of fire make it a siege and bunker-attack weapon rather than a conventional rapid-fire howitzer. Soviet and Russian forces used it in Afghanistan and Chechnya, and Russian forces have fielded or lost examples in Ukraine, where its size and firing signature make it a high-value counter-battery target.
2S9 Nona, Air-droppable 120 mm self-propelled mortar, ArtilleryArtillery2S9 NonaAir-droppable 120 mm self-propelled mortarSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Airborne mortar and artillery supportBuilt: Motovilikha Plants / Soviet Union / RussiaThe 2S9 Nona is a Soviet airborne self-propelled mortar built around a 120 mm gun-mortar on a tracked amphibious BTR-D-derived chassis. Designed to give airborne and other high-mobility units organic indirect fire, it combines mortar-style high-angle fire, direct-fire HEAT use, and compatibility with several Nona-family rounds. Its conflict record spans Soviet use in Afghanistan, Russian delivery to Syrian government forces, and 2014 Russia-Ukraine War service with both Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Category

Electronic Warfare

Systems built to sense, relay, jam, deceive, or attack electromagnetic networks.

1/1
1RL239/1RL239M ARK-1/ARK-1M Rys counter-battery radar, Tracked artillery-locating counter-battery radar, Electronic WarfareElectronic Warfare1RL239/1RL239M ARK-1/ARK-1M Rys counter-battery radarTracked artillery-locating counter-battery radarSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Artillery reconnaissance and fire-adjustment radarBuilt: Arsenal / Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant (IEMZ) / Soviet UnionThe 1RL239/1RL239M ARK-1/ARK-1M Rys is a Soviet tracked artillery-locating radar family on the MT-LBu chassis, built to detect mortar, artillery, rocket-artillery, and tactical-missile firing positions for counter-battery work. The baseline ARK-1 entered Soviet service as the 1RL239, while the ARK-1M modernization added independent power and updated command equipment before late-Soviet production ended.

Category

Infantry Weapons

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

8/11
DShK, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsDShK12.7 mm heavy machine gunSide: Afghan resistance forcesRole: Ambush and anti-aircraft heavy machine-gun fireBuilt: Tula Ordnance Factory / Soviet state arsenals / Soviet UnionThe DShK is a Soviet 12.7 mm heavy machine gun designed by Vasily Degtyaryov and refined with Georgy Shpagin's belt-feed system. Built for anti-aircraft, anti-vehicle, and infantry support roles, the DShK/DShKM family spans Vietnam War helicopter defense, Soviet-Afghan War ambushes, modern technicals, and Ukrainian mobile counter-UAV teams using vintage heavy machine guns against slow Russian drones.
DShKM heavy machine gun, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsDShKM heavy machine gun12.7 mm heavy machine gunSide: Afghan resistance forcesRole: Captured anti-aircraft and ambush heavy machine gunBuilt: Tula Ordnance Factory / Soviet state arsenals / Soviet UnionThe DShKM is the Soviet postwar Model 38/46 modernization of the DShK 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, retaining the DShK family's anti-aircraft, infantry-support, and vehicle-mount roles while replacing the earlier feed system. Sources document the DShK-1938/46 in Vietnam War anti-aircraft use, DShK-M capture and employment in the Soviet-Afghan War, DShK-M use by Ukrainian defenders, and DShK/DShKM variants in Islamic State's Iraq-and-Syria arsenal.
TC/6 anti-tank mine, Anti-tank blast mine, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsTC/6 anti-tank mineAnti-tank blast mineSide: Afghan resistance forcesRole: Insurgent anti-vehicle mine warfareBuilt: Tecnovar Italiana SpA / ItalyThe TC/6 is Tecnovar Italiana's Italian plastic-bodied, minimum-metal anti-tank blast mine. It uses a pressure-fired air-pressure fuze designed to resist shock and overpressure clearance techniques, can be laid manually or mechanically, and sourced conflict records place it with Afghan resistance forces during the Soviet-Afghan War and in Hamas weapons-cache reporting during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
AK-74, Assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAK-74Assault rifleSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Soviet infantry service rifleBuilt: Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant / Kalashnikov Concern / Soviet Union / RussiaThe AK-74 is a Soviet 5.45x39 mm assault rifle family built around a lighter small-caliber cartridge, 30-round magazines, and the familiar Kalashnikov operating pattern. Public conflict evidence spans its Soviet-Afghan combat debut, continuing 2014 Russia-Ukraine War service on both sides, Syrian Civil War AK-74M and AKS-74U use, Islamic State possession, ISWAP imagery, PKK raid footage, and Azerbaijani AK-74M fielding around Hadrut.
RPG-18, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG-18Disposable anti-tank rocket launcherSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Disposable anti-armor launcherBuilt: Bazalt / Soviet UnionThe RPG-18 Mukha is a Soviet disposable, shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher built around a telescoping launch tube and a 64 mm PG-18 HEAT rocket. It gave infantry a light short-range anti-armor weapon before later RPG-22 and RPG-26 successors, and conflict sources document the type from Afghanistan and Grozny to Ukrainian use as a carried launcher and improvised FPV-drone payload.
RPG-22, Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPG-22Disposable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesAfghan resistance forcesRole: Disposable assault and anti-armor launcherBuilt: Bazalt / VMZ Sopot / Soviet Union / Russia / BulgariaThe RPG-22 Netto is a Soviet disposable anti-tank rocket launcher developed as a larger-caliber successor to the RPG-18, firing a 72.5 mm HEAT rocket from a telescoping aluminum-and-fiberglass tube. Open-source documentation places it in Soviet-Afghan War service, Islamic State inventories in Syria and Iraq, and both Ukrainian and Russian-linked hands during the Russia-Ukraine War.
RPO-A Shmel, Disposable shoulder-fired thermobaric rocket launcher, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPO-A ShmelDisposable shoulder-fired thermobaric rocket launcherSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Cave and bunker assault weaponBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / RussiaThe RPO-A Shmel is a Soviet-designed, Russian-produced 93 mm disposable rocket flamethrower built around a thermobaric fuel-air explosive round. Adopted in 1988 after mid-1980s development, it became a close-assault weapon for caves, bunkers, buildings, and fortified urban positions, with documented appearances from Afghanistan and Chechnya through Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza.
TS-50 anti-personnel mine, Minimum-metal blast anti-personnel mine, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsTS-50 anti-personnel mineMinimum-metal blast anti-personnel mineSide: Afghan resistance forcesRole: Mujahideen anti-personnel mine inventoryBuilt: Tecnovar Italiana SpA / ItalyThe TS-50 is an Italian minimum-metal blast anti-personnel mine built around a small pressure-actuated plastic body and pneumatic fuze. The record covers the Italian TS/50 baseline and closely documented T/79 and YM-1 copy designations, with conflict-use evidence from Afghanistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, and the Russia-Ukraine War's Donbas supply trail.
3 remaining

Category

Munitions

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

1/1
3F5 Smelchak, Laser-guided 240 mm mortar round, MunitionsMunitions3F5 SmelchakLaser-guided 240 mm mortar roundSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Precision heavy mortar fire against fortified positionsBuilt: Soviet defense industry / Soviet UnionThe 3F5 Smelchak is the guided 240 mm projectile in the Soviet 1K113 Smelchak artillery-weapon complex, pairing a heavy high-explosive mortar round with a laser designator and shot-synchronization equipment. Built for the M-240 and 2S4 Tyulpan heavy mortar family, it gives a siege-style 240 mm mortar a short-range precision-fire option documented in Afghanistan and in Russian use during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

Category

Support Equipment

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

6/6
BMR-1, Armored mine-clearing vehicle, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentBMR-1Armored mine-clearing vehicleSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Armored mine-clearing and route-opening supportBuilt: Soviet tank plants / Soviet UnionThe BMR-1 was a Soviet armored mine-clearing vehicle developed from the SU-122-54 self-propelled gun chassis for route opening in Afghanistan. Sources describe it as a wartime engineering response to mine threats against Soviet columns, replacing ad hoc trawl carriers with a purpose-built armored vehicle carrying KMT-series mine rollers and a protected machine-gun station; OSCE monitors later observed Ukrainian BMR-1 demining vehicles in the Donbas conflict zone.
BMR-2, Armored mine-clearing vehicle, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentBMR-2Armored mine-clearing vehicleSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Armored route-opening and mine-clearing supportBuilt: Soviet tank plants / Soviet UnionThe BMR-2 is a Soviet armored mine-clearing vehicle developed after the Afghanistan experience showed the need for protected route-opening vehicles in armored and engineering units. It replaced the BMR-1's rarer SU-122-54 base with a T-54B/T-55-family tank chassis, carrying KMT-7 Parnas mine trawls, an electromagnetic attachment, a protected sapper compartment, and a closed 12.7 mm NSV self-defense station.
BRDM-2-based ZS-82 PsyOps vehicle, Armored psychological-operations sound-broadcasting vehicle, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentBRDM-2-based ZS-82 PsyOps vehicleArmored psychological-operations sound-broadcasting vehicleSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Mobile special-propaganda loudspeaker vehicleBuilt: Not publicly identified / Soviet Union / RussiaThe BRDM-2-based ZS-82 PsyOps vehicle is a Soviet/Russian medium-power sound-broadcasting station built around a BRDM-2-derived GAZ-41-14 armored chassis for psychological-operations messaging. Veteran-history sources place the ZS-82 in Soviet special-propaganda service in Afghanistan, while Ukrainian and loss-documentation sources record Russian ZS-82 vehicles destroyed or captured during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
Il-76, Heavy military transport aircraft, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentIl-76Heavy military transport aircraftSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Strategic airlift and airborne transportBuilt: Ilyushin / Tashkent Aviation Production Association / Aviastar-SP / Soviet Union / Uzbekistan / RussiaThe Il-76 is a Soviet-designed heavy transport aircraft known by NATO as Candid, built for cargo, troop movement, and rough-field operations. First flown in 1971 and still in service through modernized variants, it appears in wartime airlift, embargo-era resupply, and theater logistics roles from Afghanistan and Libya to Ukraine, Syria, and Sudan.
An-22, Heavy turboprop military transport aircraft, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentAn-22Heavy turboprop military transport aircraftSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Strategic airlift and wartime transport logisticsBuilt: Antonov Design Bureau / Tashkent Aviation Production Association / Soviet Union / UzbekistanThe An-22 is an Antonov-designed Soviet heavy military transport aircraft built around four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprops and rough-field heavy-lift operations. Antonov records its first flight on 27 February 1965, serial production at Tashkent from 1965 to 1976, and later use as an outsized component carrier for the An-124 and An-225 programs.
An-30, Twin-engine aerial survey and reconnaissance aircraft, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentAn-30Twin-engine aerial survey and reconnaissance aircraftSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Reconnaissance mission aircraftBuilt: Antonov Design Bureau / Soviet UnionThe An-30 is an Antonov An-24-derived aerial survey aircraft built around a glazed navigator's nose, raised cockpit, and camera hatches for mapping and reconnaissance. Antonov records Kyiv production in the 1970s, while direct conflict evidence places An-30B aircraft in Ukrainian reconnaissance flights over Donbas in 2014 and Soviet reconnaissance missions in Afghanistan in 1985.

Category

Tanks

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

1/1
T-62, Main battle tank, TanksTanksT-62Main battle tankSide: Soviet Union and Afghan government forcesRole: Soviet armored direct fire supportBuilt: Uralvagonzavod / Soviet UnionThe T-62 is a Soviet main battle tank built around a 115 mm U-5TS/2A20 smoothbore gun, a four-person crew, and a conventional tracked armor layout inherited from the T-54/T-55 design line. Produced in large numbers by Uralvagonzavod, it moved from Cold War export and Soviet service into long-tail combat use: Egyptian and Iraqi T-62s appear in 1970s and 1991 conflict records, while upgraded or inherited T-62M/T-62MV stocks reappeared in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, Tigray, and Yemen.