Infantry Weapons

Galil assault rifle

The Galil is an Israeli Kalashnikov-derived assault rifle family originally produced by Israel Military Industries and later modernized by Israel Weapon Industries as the Galil ACE line. Recent conflict reporting places Galil or Galil ACE rifles in irregular small-arms stocks from the Lake Chad Basin to FARC dissident operations in Colombia and trafficked gang arsenals in Haiti, where they appear as portable infantry weapons rather than heavy support systems.

Boko Haram InsurgencyBoko Haram and ISWAPColombian FARC Dissident ConflictFARC dissident groupsHaitian Gang ConflictArmed gangs
Conflict side
Boko Haram and ISWAPFARC dissident groupsArmed gangs
Built by
Israel Military IndustriesIsrael Weapon Industries
Built in
Israel
Galil assault rifle, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons
Image source: Galil ARM 5.56 mm.jpg

Service History

In service
1970s to present in original, licensed, and ACE-family variants
Used by
Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, FARC dissident groups, Armed gangs in Haiti
Wars
Boko Haram Insurgency, Colombian FARC Dissident Conflict, Haitian Gang Conflict

Specifications

Caliber
Original Galil variants: 5.56x45 mm NATO or 7.62x51 mm NATO; Galil ACE line also includes 7.62x39 mm
Operating system
Gas-operated, selective-fire action with Kalashnikov-pattern lineage
Unloaded weight
About 3.67-4.35 kg across original Galil and close-derivative variants
Barrel length
About 280-535 mm across original Galil and close-derivative variants; ACE 21 uses a 216 mm barrel and ACE 32 uses a 409 mm barrel
Feed system
Detachable box magazines; Small Arms Survey lists 25-, 35-, or 50-round magazines for original Galil variants
Sights
Post front sight and flip-aperture rear sight on original variants; ACE variants add modern rails and tritium night sights

Conflict Usage

Boko Haram Insurgency
Side: Boko Haram and ISWAPRole: Small-unit infantry firepowerstrike

Lake Chad Basin weapons reporting identifies Galil rifles among assault rifles used by Boko Haram, while later reporting documented IWI Galil ACE 21 and ACE 32 rifles in ISWAP propaganda material, likely captured from regional security forces.

Colombian FARC Dissident Conflict
Side: FARC dissident groupsRole: Small-unit infantry firepowerstrike

Colombian Army reporting documented a 7.62 mm Galil rifle, magazines, and ammunition seized during a 2026 operation against a Structure 36 FARC dissident commander in Antioquia, showing the rifle in dissident small-arms stocks.

Haitian Gang Conflict
Side: Armed gangsRole: Trafficked small-arms firepowerstrike

UNODC reporting on Haiti's current gang violence identifies Israeli Galil assault rifles among sophisticated weapons trafficked into Haiti since 2021, within a broader pattern of gang arsenals outgunning police forces.

Galil assault rifle Images

Galil assault rifle, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: Galil ARM 5.56 mm.jpg
Galil assault rifle, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: Galil ARM 5.56 mm.jpg
Galil assault rifle, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons - view 3
Source: Galil.jpg
Galil assault rifle, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons - view 4
Source: IWI ACE 52.jpg

Related Weapon Systems

AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAK-47/AKM rifle familySelective-fire assault rifle familyAK-47/AKM-family rifles are Kalashnikov-pattern small arms derived from the Soviet AK-47 and 1959 AKM modernization, usually chambered in 7.62 x 39 mm. In the post-2015 archive they appear with FARC dissidents in Colombia, gangs in Haiti, PKK fighters, GNA scouts in Libya, insurgents in Mali, Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, militants in Sinai, RSF units in Sudan, Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, and Houthi-linked supply chains in Yemen.
AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAK-103-2 assault rifle7.62x39mm assault rifle variantThe AK-103-2 is the three-round-burst export variant of the Russian AK-103, a 7.62x39mm AK-100-series rifle derived from the AK-74M layout but chambered for the older AKM cartridge. In the Boko Haram Insurgency context, available open-source evidence is limited: the specific AK-103-2 identification comes from visual reporting of Boko Haram militants around Lake Chad, while separate Nigerian court reporting documents alleged AK-103 rifle trafficking from Diffa toward a Boko Haram recipient.
AKM, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAKM7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKM is the stamped-receiver modernization of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x39mm and built around a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. Its lower production burden, broad Warsaw Pact and licensed manufacture, and large legacy stocks keep it visible in modern conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas War, where AP reported Hamas fighters using AK-47 assault rifles in Gaza after the Oct. 7 attack and in the wider Kalashnikov rifle family.

Sources

Galil (& close derivatives) Weapons Identification SheetPublisher: Small Arms Survey | Note: Supports Galil background, assault-rifle classification, variants, operating system, caliber, weight, barrel-length, magazine, and sight specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-21GALIL ACEPublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Supports manufacturer background and Galil ACE variant specifications, including ACE 21 and ACE 32 caliber and barrel-length details. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Weapons and Ammunition Dynamics in the Lake Chad BasinPublisher: United Nations Department of Peace Operations and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs / Lake Chad Basin Commission | Note: Supports Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use context: Galil rifles are listed among assault rifles used by Boko Haram, with weapons typically acquired by battlefield capture or illicit-market diversion. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Propaganda Material Shows Continued Threat From ISIS Franchise In Nigeria, Lake ChadPublisher: HumAngle | Note: Supports Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use context: IWI Galil ACE 32 and 21 rifles were used by ISWAP militants in propaganda footage and assessed as likely seized from Chadian forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Lake Chad: A Large Part Of Insurgents' Weaponry Are From Regional State ArsenalsPublisher: HumAngle | Note: Supports Boko Haram Insurgency direct-use context: an ISWAP commander is described holding an ex-Chadian Galil ACE 32, and the article frames insurgent weapons as captured or diverted from regional arsenals. | Accessed: 2026-06-21En Antioquia, Ejercito neutraliza importante cabecilla de las disidencias de las FARCPublisher: Ejercito Nacional de Colombia | Note: Supports Colombian FARC Dissident Conflict direct-use context: a 7.62 mm Galil rifle was fielded by a FARC dissident Structure 36 commander and seized by Colombian Army troops in Antioquia. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Haiti: Gangs have more firepower than the policePublisher: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime | Note: Supports Haitian Gang Conflict direct-use context: Israeli Galil assault rifles were used by armed gangs as part of trafficked arsenals that UN reporting says outgun Haitian police forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Galil ARM 5.56 mm.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the primary Galil ARM image; the file page identifies an IMI Galil ARM in 5.56 mm and lists a CC0 public-domain dedication. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Galil.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a Galil-type assault rifle image; the file page lists GFDL and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Galil ACE 32.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a Galil ACE 32 image; the file page identifies a Galil ACE 32 assault rifle and lists CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing. | Accessed: 2026-06-21IWI ACE 52.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for an IWI Galil ACE image sourced to Israel Weapon Industries public relations and listed under CC BY 4.0 licensing. | Accessed: 2026-06-21