Conflict side

Opposition and anti-government forces Weapons and Military Equipment

Opposition and anti-government forces is a canonical side grouping for conflict-local armed actors fighting recognized governments or incumbent state forces, with current coverage centered on Syrian anti-Assad formations and separate Kachin and Kokang armed opposition records in Myanmar.

42 weapon systems
Overview

Opposition and anti-government forces is an umbrella catalog identity, not a single organization. In the mapped records it covers selected Syrian rebel and anti-Assad formations in the 2011 Syrian Civil War, plus Kachin and Kokang armed opposition actors in northern Myanmar conflict records. The shared feature is conflict-local opposition to an incumbent state force; command structure, ideology, foreign sponsorship, equipment access, and battlefield role differ sharply by theater.

The linked weapon set is currently dominated by Syria. It reflects a rebel equipment ecosystem built from captured Syrian state stocks, foreign-supplied anti-armor weapons, portable air-defense threats, pickup-truck adaptation, infantry weapons, and late-war drone use. The Myanmar mappings are important for side taxonomy, but they do not yet carry the same depth through linked weapon records.

Syrian opposition coverage spans a fragmented armed environment that began with anti-government protests in 2011 and developed into a multi-sided war involving the Syrian government and allies, anti-government rebels, jihadist forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces, Turkey, the U.S.-led coalition, Russia, Iran-backed forces, and other external actors. This side should therefore be read alongside separately modeled Syrian sides rather than as a catch-all for every non-government force in Syria.

The Syrian opposition label includes different political and military strands over time. Early Free Syrian Army-aligned factions, Turkey-backed Syrian National Army components, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied formations in the northwest, and southern or local opposition rooms did not share one stable command chain. Several sources describe repeated mergers, factional autonomy, external patronage, and competition between HTS, Turkey-backed factions, and other armed groups.

Equipment patterns are similarly uneven. Some opposition weapons came from captured Syrian army depots or battlefield seizures; others entered through foreign support networks, covert or overt anti-armor supply, cross-border logistics, or local workshops. Anti-tank guided missiles, recoilless guns, heavy machine guns, MANPADS, mortars, armed pickups, and small drones fit this profile better than assumptions about a conventional national inventory.

The Myanmar side mappings should be interpreted independently. In Kachin records the relevant actors are Kachin Independence Organisation / Kachin Independence Army structures after the 2011 ceasefire collapse. In Kokang records the relevant actor is the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and associated political structures in the 2015 offensive. These actors are not part of the Syrian opposition; the common side label links comparable anti-government conflict roles.

umbrella side boundariesSyrian rebel equipmentcaptured and foreign-supplied weaponsimprovised mobility and dronesKachin and Kokang caveats
Featured Weapons
BGM-71 TOW, Heavy anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons

BGM-71 TOW

Highlights the externally supplied anti-armor layer associated with Syrian opposition forces and visually documented rebel ATGM use.

Infantry Weapons / Heavy anti-tank guided missile
Technical, Improvised armed pickup truck, Armored Vehicles

Technical

Represents the improvised mobility and fire-support pattern common to irregular formations using pickup-truck weapon mounts.

Armored Vehicles / Improvised armed pickup truck
FPV drones, First-person-view small UAV / one-way attack drone, Aircraft & UAVs

FPV drones

Captures the late-war adaptation of small FPV and consumer-drone systems by HTS-linked and opposition-aligned forces in Syria.

Aircraft & UAVs / First-person-view small UAV / one-way attack drone
MANPADS, Man-portable air-defense system, Air Defense

MANPADS

Useful for model-limited portable air-defense evidence where sources document armed-group MANPADS use without confident missile identification.

Air Defense / Man-portable air-defense system
SPG-9, 73 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gun, Infantry Weapons

SPG-9

Shows the crew-served direct-fire weapons layer used by opposition units alongside anti-tank missiles and recoilless systems.

Infantry Weapons / 73 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gun
Umbrella Side, Not Unified Command

The canonical side groups conflict-local opposition actors under one reusable catalog identity. It does not imply shared command, shared ideology, or shared supply. Syria alone contains multiple opposition strands: political bodies such as the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Turkey-backed Syrian National Army formations, HTS and allied groups in the northwest, and local operations rooms that appeared or disappeared as fronts shifted.

The Syrian National Army is described in research literature as formally tied to the Syrian Interim Government and Ministry of Defense, but organized through factions and commanders with meaningful autonomy. HTS followed a different trajectory, emerging from Jabhat al-Nusra / Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and other Islamist factions in 2017, building dominance in Idlib, and leading the late-2024 offensive that helped end Assad family rule. These strands overlap in opposition to the Assad government, but they are not interchangeable.

Myanmar mappings are narrower and separate. The Kachin record points to the KIO/KIA, which resisted conversion into a military-controlled border guard force before renewed conflict in June 2011. The Kokang record points to the MNDAA, a former Communist Party of Burma splinter and ceasefire group associated with the 2015 fighting in northern Shan State. These actors belong in the same catalog only as anti-government conflict-side mappings.

Syrian Equipment Ecosystem

Syrian opposition equipment came from multiple channels. Captured government depots and battlefield seizures supplied small arms, ammunition, anti-tank weapons, vehicles, and heavier systems when rebels overran army positions. External support added another layer, including anti-armor weapons and regional supply flows that changed the tactical balance without creating a single standardized arsenal.

Anti-tank guided missiles became one of the most visible opposition capabilities. Bellingcat's survey of Syrian rebel ATGM use documents the breadth of rebel missile employment and identifies the BGM-71 TOW family among the systems used against Syrian government armor. The same pattern also includes Soviet-origin systems such as Fagot, Konkurs, and Metis in catalog records, reflecting both legacy stock capture and wider regional circulation.

Portable air-defense evidence requires more caution. Small Arms Survey assessed that Syrian armed groups acquired and used MANPADS, including several Soviet, Russian, or Chinese-origin designs, while also warning that public model identification was often uncertain and that some Stinger claims lacked public support. For this side, the generic MANPADS entry is useful where the source proves armed-group portable air-defense use but not a precise missile model.

Improvisation, Mobility, and Drones

Armed pickups and workshop adaptation are central to the side's public equipment profile. Technicals gave opposition units mobile fire support without the maintenance burden of armored fleets, while crew-served weapons such as the SPG-9, DShK, KPV, PKM/PK, and mortars filled direct-fire, suppressive, and local defense roles. The pattern fits a force ecosystem where local mechanics, captured mounts, donor ammunition, and battlefield availability often mattered more than formal procurement.

Drone use adds a later adaptation layer. Syria saw non-state use of commercial and improvised drones for reconnaissance, propaganda, grenade drops, and one-way attack roles, and later reporting describes HTS-linked use of FPV, fixed-wing, and reconnaissance drones during the 2024 offensive. The same broader non-state trend appears in Myanmar after 2021, but Kachin and Kokang weapon claims should remain tied to their own conflict-specific sources before being generalized into these mapped records.

Myanmar Kachin and Kokang Boundaries

The Kachin mapping centers on the KIO/KIA rather than a generic rebel label. CSIS describes the KIA as the armed wing associated with the Kachin Independence Organization, with long-running territorial and political disputes in northern Myanmar. The renewed Kachin conflict began after the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire in 2011, and subsequent fighting intersected with broader ethnic armed organization politics after the 2021 coup.

The Kokang mapping centers on the MNDAA and associated political leadership in the Kokang region. Transnational Institute reporting on the 2015 crisis describes Pheung Kya-shin's MNDAA returning to the Kokang region and attacking government and army positions after earlier displacement from the area and after the border-guard-force dispute. The fighting produced cross-border effects into Yunnan and complicated nationwide ceasefire efforts.

Myanmar supply and logistics claims are more opaque than the Syrian catalog. Research on illicit economies and resistance procurement points to local manufacture, captured Tatmadaw stocks, ethnic armed organization networks, cross-border smuggling, and China-border political economy, but official state-supply claims are often disputed. Side-profile copy should name Kachin or Kokang actors directly whenever evidence allows.

Selected Timeline
  1. Syrian protests grow into armed conflict

    Anti-government protests and state repression in Syria escalated into an armed conflict involving government forces, defectors, rebel groups, jihadist organizations, Kurdish-led forces, and outside militaries.

  2. Kachin ceasefire breaks down

    Fighting resumed between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Army after the collapse of a 17-year ceasefire.

  3. U.S.-made TOW missiles appear with Syrian opposition fighters

    Reporting and later visual surveys documented BGM-71 TOW missiles in Syrian rebel hands, making anti-armor guided missiles one of the most visible externally supplied opposition capabilities.

  4. Kokang offensive begins

    MNDAA forces returned to the Kokang region and attacked Myanmar government and army positions, triggering months of fighting in northern Shan State.

  5. HTS emerges in northwest Syria

    Hayat Tahrir al-Sham formed from Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and other Islamist factions, later becoming the dominant force in parts of the Syrian northwest.

  6. Assad rule ends after rebel offensive

    A rapid offensive led by HTS and other armed groups forced Bashar al-Assad from power, changing the political and security context for Syrian opposition factions.

Sources

Faction labels are especially sensitive for this side. Syrian records should distinguish opposition and rebel formations from separately modeled Syrian Democratic Forces and Islamic State or jihadist sides, and should separate captured equipment from confirmed operational use. Myanmar records should name Kachin or Kokang actors directly where possible; the canonical label links conflict records, not one organization, ideology, or supply chain.

  • CFR Conflict in SyriaPublisher: Council on Foreign Relations | Note: Supports Syrian conflict structure, anti-government rebel groups, external support, and late-2024 transition context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • CRS Syria Regime Change and TransitionPublisher: Congressional Research Service | Note: Supports the December 2024 rebel offensive and Assad resignation context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • ICRC Armed Conflict in Syria CasebookPublisher: International Committee of the Red Cross | Note: Supports the 2011 protest, repression, and armed-conflict background. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • The Armed Opposition in Northwest SyriaPublisher: The Carter Center | Note: Supports HTS, Turkish-backed armed opposition groups, opposition faction structure, and balance-of-power caveats in northwest Syria. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • The State of the Syrian National ArmyPublisher: The Carter Center | Note: Supports Syrian National Army structure, Turkish support, factional autonomy, and northern Syria control caveats. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Turkey and the Armed Syrian OppositionPublisher: Clingendael Institute | Note: Supports Free Syrian Army to Syrian National Army evolution and Turkish alignment. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • CSIS Hayat Tahrir al-Sham BackgrounderPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports HTS origin, ideology, leadership, and relationship to earlier al-Nusra / Jabhat Fatah al-Sham structures. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Soufan Center HTS SnapshotPublisher: The Soufan Center | Note: Supports HTS formation, northwestern Syria role, and 2024 offensive context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • State Department Al-Nusrah / HTS Designation AmendmentPublisher: U.S. Department of State | Note: Supports U.S. designation treatment of HTS as an alias or successor context for al-Nusrah Front. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Syrian Coalition Official SitePublisher: National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces | Note: Supports the formal Syrian opposition political-body name and associated institutional context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Syria's Rebels Gain Heavy WeaponsPublisher: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy | Note: Supports rebel capture or acquisition of heavier weapons from Syrian government stocks and battlefields. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Syrian Opposition Fighters Obtain U.S.-Made TOW MissilesPublisher: The Washington Post | Note: Supports early public reporting that Syrian opposition fighters obtained U.S.-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Seven Years of War: Syrian Rebel ATGM UsePublisher: Bellingcat | Note: Supports Syrian rebel ATGM use patterns, including TOW-family systems and Soviet-origin anti-tank guided missiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Fire and Forget MANPADS in SyriaPublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports Syrian armed-group MANPADS acquisition and use, model-identification caveats, and Stinger-claim caution. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • The Pickup Truck Era of WarfarePublisher: War on the Rocks | Note: Supports technicals as an irregular mobility and fire-support adaptation, including Syrian opposition examples. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • The Drones of Hayat Tahrir al-ShamPublisher: Global Network on Extremism and Technology | Note: Supports HTS-linked development and use of unmanned aerial systems in Syria. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • The Ukraine War and the Evolving Threat of Drone TerrorismPublisher: Combating Terrorism Center at West Point | Note: Supports non-state drone adaptation trends and Syrian armed-group drone-use context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • CSIS Update on Armed Resistance in Myanmar's Kachin StatePublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports KIO/KIA history, the border guard force dispute, June 2011 ceasefire breakdown, and post-2021 armed-resistance context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Amnesty Myanmar's Borderlands on FirePublisher: Amnesty International | Note: Supports the renewed Kachin fighting after the 2011 ceasefire collapse and northern Myanmar conflict context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • HRW Internally Displaced Kachin Battle to Return HomePublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports the continuing Kachin conflict and displacement context after the ceasefire breakdown. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • KIO/KIA ProfilePublisher: Myanmar Peace Monitor | Note: Supports Kachin Independence Organisation / Kachin Independence Army naming, leadership, and organizational profile. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Military Confrontation or Political DialoguePublisher: Transnational Institute | Note: Supports 2015 Kokang fighting, MNDAA history, Pheung Kya-shin context, border-guard-force dispute, and China-border spillover. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • MNTJP/MNDAA ProfilePublisher: Myanmar Peace Monitor | Note: Supports Myanmar National Truth and Justice Party / Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army naming and leadership context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Kokang Rebels Declare Unilateral CeasefirePublisher: Voice of America | Note: Supports the June 2015 Kokang ceasefire context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Cashing in on ConflictPublisher: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime | Note: Supports Myanmar opposition procurement patterns, local manufacture, captured stocks, ethnic armed organization supply networks, and smuggling caveats. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
  • Conflict and Development in the Myanmar-China Border RegionPublisher: XCEPT / Kachinland Research Centre | Note: Supports China-border political economy and logistics caveats in Kachin and northern Shan conflict zones. | Accessed: 2026-07-02
Aircraft & UAVs

Category

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

3/3
FPV drones, First-person-view small UAV / one-way attack drone, Aircraft & UAVs2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict +6 moreFPV dronesFirst-person-view small UAV / one-way attack droneBuilt: 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.
Improvised drones, Improvised military drone class, Aircraft & UAVs2021 Myanmar Civil War, 2014 Russia-Ukraine War +3 moreImprovised dronesImprovised military drone classBuilt: Various state and non-state manufacturers / Various manufacturers / Unknown local fabricators / VariousImprovised drones are locally modified or field-assembled uncrewed aerial systems built from commercial quadcopters, FPV airframes, agricultural-drone parts, and workshop-made payload fittings. The record tracks a distributed weapon class rather than one factory model: Islamic State, Ukrainian and Russian forces, Hamas, Israeli units in Gaza, and Myanmar armed actors all adapted small UAVs for reconnaissance, bomb drops, assault support, and low-cost strike roles.
Air Defense

Category

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

10/10
MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun, Improvised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense2003 Iraq War, 2014 Russia-Ukraine War +2 moreMT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gunImprovised tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gunBuilt: Kharkov Tractor Plant / Soviet state arsenals / Unknown / Soviet Union / ArmeniaThe MT-LB with ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun is an improvised tracked fire-support and short-range air-defense vehicle that combines the Soviet MT-LB multipurpose armored tractor with a twin 23 mm ZU-23 gun mount. Public records show the configuration in Iraqi, Russian, Ukrainian, Syrian, and Armenian or Artsakh service contexts, with documented examples ranging from an Iraqi wreck in Baghdad to vehicles destroyed, damaged, or captured in later wars.
MANPADS, Man-portable air-defense system, Air Defense2011 Sinai Insurgency, 2011 Syrian Civil War +4 moreMANPADSMan-portable air-defense systemBuilt: Various manufacturers / Multiple countriesMANPADS are shoulder-fired or small-team portable surface-to-air missile systems used for very-short-range defense against low-flying aircraft and helicopters. This generic entry is reserved for directly sourced MANPADS, shoulder-fired SAM, or pattern-level conflict use where the public evidence does not identify a specific Strela, Igla, Stinger, or other missile model with enough confidence.
Igla, Man-portable infrared-homing surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict +6 moreIglaMan-portable infrared-homing surface-to-air missile systemBuilt: KB Mashinostroyeniya / Soviet Union / RussiaThe Igla family is a Soviet/Russian shoulder-fired MANPADS built to give small air-defense teams a mobile, infrared-guided weapon against low-flying aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles. Documented conflict use and fielding spans Ukrainian mobile air-defense teams, PKK use against a Turkish AH-1W helicopter, Syrian armed-group inventories, RSF fielding in Sudan, and Indian Army Igla-S teams reported in Operation Sindoor coverage.
9M32 Strela-2 / SA-7 MANPADS, Man-portable surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense2023 Israel-Hamas War, 2014 Second Libyan Civil War +5 more9M32 Strela-2 / SA-7 MANPADSMan-portable surface-to-air missile systemBuilt: 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.
48Ya6-K1 Podlet-K1, Mobile three-coordinate low-altitude air-surveillance radar, Air Defense2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War48Ya6-K1 Podlet-K1Mobile three-coordinate low-altitude air-surveillance radarBuilt: Almaz-Antey / RussiaThe 48Ya6-K1 Podlet-K1 is a Russian mobile three-coordinate radar complex built to detect and track low-altitude air targets for air-defense units. Public reporting describes the system as a multi-vehicle package with a radar/antenna vehicle, command or operator-control vehicle, and power-support vehicle on KamAZ chassis, while Rosoboronexport markets the export Podlet-K1KE for automated detection, tracking, identification, and flight-information tasks in air-defense and air-force radio-engineering units. Ukraine-war reporting documents Russian Podlet-K1 losses and strikes tied to the S-300 and S-400 air-defense network.
9K33 Osa, Short-range self-propelled surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +7 more9K33 OsaShort-range self-propelled surface-to-air missile systemBuilt: Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant (IEMZ) / Soviet UnionThe 9K33 Osa, NATO reporting name SA-8 Gecko, is a Soviet short-range self-propelled surface-to-air missile system that combines search radar, tracking radar, command guidance, and ready-to-fire missiles on a single amphibious 6x6 TELAR. Cataloged conflict records show the system across several generations of air-defense use: Syrian Osa-AK vehicles in Lebanon in 1982, Iraqi SA-8s in the Gulf War air-defense network, captured Georgian systems in 2008, rebel-held examples in Syria, Armenian and Ukrainian battlefield use, and Indian OSA-AK service during Operation Sindoor.
S-60, Towed 57 mm anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, 2014 Russia-Ukraine War +2 moreS-60Towed 57 mm anti-aircraft gunBuilt: Plant No. 4 named after Voroshilov, Krasnoyarsk / Soviet UnionThe S-60 is a Soviet 57 mm towed anti-aircraft gun adopted in 1950 for low- and medium-altitude air defense. North Vietnamese crews used S-60 guns as part of radar-controlled anti-aircraft defenses in the Vietnam War, and later Armenian/Artsakh, Ukrainian, and Syrian examples show the same gun family repurposed on MT-LB or truck mounts for mobile direct fire and counter-UAV work.
ZSU-23-4 Shilka, Tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense1973 Yom Kippur War, 1990 Gulf War +5 moreZSU-23-4 ShilkaTracked self-propelled anti-aircraft gunBuilt: 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.
9K35 Strela-10, Tracked short-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense2011 Syrian Civil War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict +1 more9K35 Strela-10Tracked short-range surface-to-air missile systemBuilt: Saratov Aggregate Plant / Kovrov Mechanical Plant / Soviet Union / RussiaThe 9K35 Strela-10, NATO reporting name SA-13 Gopher, is a Soviet tracked short-range air defense system mounted on an MT-LB chassis. Built to protect maneuver forces from low-flying aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and UAVs, it remains visible in modern conflicts through Syrian battlefield captures, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh losses, and Russian and Ukrainian counter-UAV use.
Armored Vehicles

Category

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

2/2
BTR-80, 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles1994 First Chechen War, 1999 Second Chechen War +7 moreBTR-808x8 amphibious armored personnel carrierBuilt: Arzamas Machine-Building Plant / RussiaThe BTR-80 is a Soviet-designed 8x8 amphibious armored personnel carrier built to move motor rifle troops under armor while giving them heavy machine-gun fire support. Rosoboronexport describes it as a combat wheeled vehicle for transporting motor rifle units, and the type remains widespread across former Soviet and export operators more than four decades after introduction.
Artillery

Category

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

5/5
82 mm 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar, 82 mm automatic gun-mortar, Artillery1979 Soviet-Afghan War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +2 more82 mm 2B9 Vasilek automatic mortar82 mm automatic gun-mortarBuilt: 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.
82 mm M69 mortar, 82 mm smoothbore infantry mortar, Artillery2001 War in Afghanistan, 2011 Syrian Civil War +2 more82 mm M69 mortar82 mm smoothbore infantry mortarBuilt: Yugoslav state arsenals / PPT Namenska / BNT Novi Travnik / Yugoslavia / Serbia / Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe 82 mm M69 is a Yugoslav-designed smoothbore infantry mortar family that remains in Serbian and former Yugoslav production and service channels, with the M69A variant using a four-person crew, NSB-3 sight, and high-angle fire out to roughly 4.9-6.25 km depending on ammunition. Direct open-source documentation links the family to Afghan government losses in 2021, Syrian opposition use near Aleppo, Armenian and Artsakh losses in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukrainian wartime receipt of BNT-marked M69A mortars.
10.5cm leFH 18, 105 mm towed light field howitzer, Artillery2011 Syrian Civil War10.5cm leFH 18105 mm towed light field howitzerBuilt: Rheinmetall / GermanyThe 10.5cm leFH 18 was Germany's standard Second World War light field howitzer, a Rheinmetall-designed 105 mm split-trail gun that replaced the leFH 16 and then branched into the muzzle-braked leFH 18M and lighter leFH 18/40. The cataloged conflict row focuses on its unusual survival into the Syrian Civil War, where opposition footage and specialist reporting documented leFH 18-family guns being fired after capture or transfer through Syrian stocks.
D-30 122 mm howitzer, 122 mm towed howitzer, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2001 War in Afghanistan +9 moreD-30 122 mm howitzer122 mm towed howitzerBuilt: 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.
180 mm gun S-23, 180 mm towed heavy gun, Artillery1973 Yom Kippur War, 2011 Syrian Civil War180 mm gun S-23180 mm towed heavy gunBuilt: Barrikady / Soviet UnionThe S-23 is a Soviet 180 mm towed heavy gun built for long-range corps or army-level fire rather than close tactical support. Its unusual caliber, heavy split-trail carriage, and rocket-assisted ammunition gave Syrian and Egyptian forces a long-reach artillery option in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, while later Syrian Civil War evidence shows the type still present in Syrian Army artillery stocks decades after production ended.
Infantry Weapons

Category

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

18/18
Steyr AUG rifle, 5.56 mm bullpup assault rifle family, Infantry WeaponsEast Timor, 1999-2013, 2001 War in Afghanistan +2 moreSteyr AUG rifle5.56 mm bullpup assault rifle familyBuilt: Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG / Steyr Arms GmbH / Thales Australia / Austria / AustraliaThe Steyr AUG is an Austrian-origin bullpup assault-rifle family built around a compact layout, quick-change barrels, rotary-bolt gas operation, and transparent synthetic magazines. Catalog evidence now follows both the Austrian AUG/StG 77 line and Australian F88/EF88 derivatives, with direct conflict documentation from East Timor peacekeeping, Afghanistan, Syrian opposition supply channels, and coalition-linked flows in Yemen.
PKM/PK, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +8 morePKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunBuilt: 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.
DShK, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2023 Israel-Hamas War +11 moreDShK12.7 mm heavy machine gunBuilt: 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.
Zastava M02 Coyote, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2011 Syrian Civil War +2 moreZastava M02 Coyote12.7 mm heavy machine gunBuilt: Zastava Arms / SerbiaThe Zastava M02 Coyote is a Serbian 12.7 mm heavy machine gun that adapts Zastava's licensed M87/NSV-pattern gun to a cradle and tripod for infantry fire support. Official Zastava material lists both 12.7x108 mm and 12.7x99 mm offerings, while conflict documentation places M02 Coyotes with Syrian opposition fighters, armed groups in the Sahel, seizure reporting linked to Boko Haram, and UAE-allied militias in Yemen.
QLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher, 35 mm automatic grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons2001 War in Afghanistan, 1991 Somali Civil War +5 moreQLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher35 mm automatic grenade launcherBuilt: Norinco / ChinaThe QLZ-87 is a Chinese 35x32 mm automatic grenade launcher built for portable infantry fire support, with light bipod and heavier tripod configurations fed by drum magazines. Its cataloged conflict record is strongest where photographs or arms-monitoring reports identify specific examples: AMISOM weapons in Somalia, SPLM-N captures in Sudan, opposition and Islamic State appearances in Syria, Séléka stocks in CAR, Kurdish weapons in Iraq, a Boko Haram capture in Niger, and a Taliban capture in Afghanistan.
RBG-6, 40x46 mm six-shot revolving grenade launcher, Infantry Weapons2011 Syrian Civil WarRBG-640x46 mm six-shot revolving grenade launcherBuilt: M Adler D / CroatiaThe RBG-6 is a Croatian 40x46 mm shoulder-fired revolving grenade launcher from M Adler D, built around a semi-automatic gas-operated action, a six-round cylinder, and low-velocity grenade ammunition for infantry fire support. Direct Syria reporting documented RBG-6 launchers among opposition weapons flows, while official Croatian export and manufacturer pages describe the weapon's squad-firepower role, sighting arrangement, barrel versions, and ammunition family.
SPG-9, 73 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gun, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +3 moreSPG-973 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gunBuilt: Soviet state arsenals / Arsenal JSCo / Romarm / Soviet Union / Bulgaria / RomaniaThe SPG-9 is a Soviet 73 mm tripod-mounted recoilless gun, known in some references as Kopye, that fires rocket-assisted HEAT and HE-fragmentation projectiles from a crew-served launcher. Accepted into Soviet service in 1962 and exported widely, it was designed as an anti-armor weapon but still appears in conflicts as a flexible direct- and indirect-fire support system.
M40 106 mm recoilless rifle, 106 mm crew-served recoilless rifle, Infantry Weapons1955 Vietnam War, 2001 War in Afghanistan +4 moreM40 106 mm recoilless rifle106 mm crew-served recoilless rifleBuilt: Watervliet Arsenal / United StatesThe M40 106 mm recoilless rifle is a U.S.-origin crew-served direct-fire weapon built around a 105 mm-class round but commonly identified by its 106 mm designation. It served on ground carriages and vehicle mounts such as the M50 Ontos, remained useful for anti-armor and bunker work after newer missiles appeared, and is documented in conflicts from Vietnam to Libya, Mali, Syria, and Afghanistan.
Type 86P hand grenade, All-plastic defensive fragmentation hand grenade, Infantry Weapons2003 Iraq War, 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency +1 moreType 86P hand grenadeAll-plastic defensive fragmentation hand grenadeBuilt: Chinese state ordnance industry / ChinaThe Type 86P, also described in Chinese as the 86式全塑无柄手榴弹, is a Chinese all-plastic fragmentation hand grenade standardized in 1986 with an ovoid body, striker-release delay fuze, and about 1,600 embedded steel balls. Technical references disagree on the explosive fill, while conflict reporting documents the type in Iraq weapons caches, Boko Haram-captured materiel in northeast Nigeria, and opposition-area Syrian arms-market listings.
RPO-A Shmel, Disposable shoulder-fired thermobaric rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons1979 Soviet-Afghan War, 1994 First Chechen War +4 moreRPO-A ShmelDisposable shoulder-fired thermobaric rocket launcherBuilt: 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.
BGM-71 TOW, Heavy anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons1955 Vietnam War, 1990 Gulf War +7 moreBGM-71 TOWHeavy anti-tank guided missileBuilt: Hughes Aircraft Company / Raytheon / United StatesThe BGM-71 TOW is a U.S. heavy anti-tank guided missile built around tube launch, optical tracking, and command guidance through a wire or later radio-frequency link. Developed by Hughes and now produced and upgraded by Raytheon, the family spans dismounted launchers, HMMWVs, Bradley and Stryker vehicles, light armored vehicles, and helicopters. Its record runs from helicopter launches in the Vietnam War through Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Ukrainian service or transfer evidence.
9M133 Kornet, Laser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +7 more9M133 KornetLaser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile systemBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / RussiaThe 9M133 Kornet is a Russian heavy anti-tank guided missile system using laser beam-riding guidance and tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads. Developed by KBP as a portable, vehicle-integrated, and self-propelled ATGM family, it appears in recent conflicts as a Russian-origin anti-armor weapon documented with state forces and non-state armed groups, including captured launchers and destroyed 9P163M-1 Kornet-T vehicles in Ukraine.
9K111 Fagot, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons2023 Israel-Hamas War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict +2 more9K111 FagotMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / Soviet UnionThe 9K111 Fagot, known to NATO as the AT-4 Spigot, is a Soviet man-portable SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system built around the 9P135 tripod launcher and 9M111 missile family. Its reusable launcher, later 9P135M compatibility with the 9M113 Konkurs, and 2 to 2.5 km range kept it relevant for legacy users, with documented appearances from Ukraine to Gaza and Karabakh.
9K115 Metis, Man-portable anti-tank guided missile system, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2014 Yemen Civil War +2 more9K115 MetisMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / Soviet Union / RussiaThe 9K115 Metis is a Soviet/Russian man-portable, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family developed for company-level infantry anti-armor fire. The original AT-7 Saxhorn used a lightweight launcher and 94 mm missile for short-range engagements, while the Metis-M and Metis-M1 upgrades moved to larger 130 mm missiles with tandem HEAT and thermobaric options. Its documented conflict use spans Russian and Ukrainian Metis-M fielding in Ukraine, Houthi use in Yemen, Syrian rebel use, and Hezbollah's anti-tank missile threat in the 2006 Lebanon War.
M79 Osa, Reusable 90 mm anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons1991 Somali Civil War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +2 moreM79 OsaReusable 90 mm anti-tank rocket launcherBuilt: Sloboda Cacak / Yugoslavia / SerbiaThe M79 Osa is a Yugoslav-designed, reusable 90 mm shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher built around unguided HEAT rockets, a detachable rocket container, and optical sighting. Direct conflict-use evidence includes Free Syrian Army firing in Damascus, Islamic State-associated M79 Osa rockets and launchers in Syria and Iraq, and a Somali security-force seizure in Puntland; source-backed family context also covers the RL90 M95, OSA 2, and thermobaric rocket payload.
RPG-29, Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons2003 Iraq War, 2006 Lebanon War +5 moreRPG-29Reusable shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcherBuilt: Bazalt / Soviet Union / RussiaThe RPG-29 Vampir is a Soviet-designed, reusable 105 mm anti-tank rocket launcher built by Bazalt for tandem HEAT and thermobaric rockets. Rosoboronexport describes it as a multiple-shot launcher with a 500 m sighting range and a 300-round lifespan, while reference sources place it in Soviet-era development and 1989 service entry. Its conflict record is strongest in close-range anti-armor and fortification attack reporting, including Hezbollah use in Lebanon, insurgent attacks on coalition armor in Iraq, Free Syrian Army imagery in Syria, Hamas anti-armor forces in Gaza, Houthi fielding in Yemen, and documented appearances in Ukraine.
9M113 Konkurs, SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missile, Infantry Weapons2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +4 more9M113 KonkursSACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missileBuilt: KBP Instrument Design Bureau / Tula Arms Plant / Bharat Dynamics Limited / Soviet Union / Russia / IndiaThe 9M113 Konkurs, NATO reporting name AT-5 Spandrel, is a Soviet wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family built for infantry launchers, BMP-series vehicle mounts, and the BRDM-2-based 9P148 carrier. Its SACLOS guidance, 135 mm missile body, and 4 km class engagement range kept the family useful after the Cold War, while the Konkurs-M modernization added tandem-HEAT and thermobaric options and remains in Russian export and Indian BDL production context.
SVD, Semi-automatic designated marksman rifle, Infantry Weapons2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, 2014 Russia-Ukraine War +2 moreSVDSemi-automatic designated marksman rifleBuilt: Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant / Kalashnikov Concern / Soviet Union / RussiaThe SVD, commonly known as the Dragunov, is a Soviet 7.62x54R semi-automatic designated marksman rifle designed to give infantry units longer-range precision fire without the weight and slower rate of a bolt-action sniper rifle. Its fixed-stock, folding-stock, modernized, and heavy-caliber variants remain visible across state forces and non-state armed groups, including documented use in Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and the Lake Chad Basin.
Munitions

Category

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

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9M33 Osa, Command-guided short-range surface-to-air missile family, Munitions2011 Syrian Civil War9M33 OsaCommand-guided short-range surface-to-air missile familyBuilt: Kirov Machine-Building Plant / Soviet UnionThe 9M33 Osa is the Soviet command-guided missile family fired by land-based 9K33 Osa vehicles and naval M-4 Osa-M point-defense launchers. The family spans exposed-rail early rounds, naval 9M33M/9M33M1 missiles, canistered 9M33M2 rounds for Osa-AK vehicles, and the later 9M33M3 missile associated with Osa-AKM. Direct conflict evidence is narrow but present: Bellingcat documented Jaish al-Islam launches of 9M33 missiles from captured Osa systems during the Syrian Civil War.
BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, Munitions2011 First Libyan Civil War, 2011 Syrian Civil War +5 moreBGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack MissileShip- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missileBuilt: Raytheon / United StatesThe BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, often abbreviated TLAM, is a U.S. long-range subsonic cruise missile used for deep precision strikes from naval surface ships and submarines, with newer variants also adding maritime-strike and warhead modernization paths. Documented combat use spans the 1991 Gulf War through Libya, Syria, Yemen, the Red Sea Crisis, Operation Inherent Resolve, and U.S. strikes on Iranian targets during the 2020 United States-Iran Conflict and 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict.
Support Equipment

Category

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

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BTS-4, Tracked armored recovery vehicle, Support Equipment2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil WarBTS-4Tracked armored recovery vehicleBuilt: Soviet defense industry / Soviet UnionThe BTS-4 is a Soviet tracked armored recovery vehicle family built around tank-hull recovery work: towing disabled armor, winching stuck vehicles, lifting heavy components, and supporting field repair teams. Ukrainian and Western reporting describes upgraded BTS-4 vehicles with T-54/T-55 hull lineage, a front crane, dozer blade, and heavy winch package, while visual-loss records document BTS-4-family vehicles on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine War and one BTS-4 captured from Syrian regime forces in 2024.
Tanks

Category

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

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T-90, Main battle tank, Tanks2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Syrian Civil WarT-90Main battle tankBuilt: Uralvagonzavod / RussiaThe T-90 is a Russian main battle tank family developed from the late Soviet T-72B line and built by Uralvagonzavod. This baseline page covers the original T-90 and Russian-service T-90A/T-90AK branch, separating it from the catalog's export T-90S/T-90SA and modernized T-90M records. Direct conflict evidence places T-90A-family tanks with Russian forces in eastern Ukraine and in the full-scale Russia-Ukraine War, and with Syrian government forces and later captured users during the Syrian Civil War.