Small Arms Survey transfer data documents M722A1 60 mm white phosphorous smoke cartridges in an Afghan National Army sustainment ammunition line during the 2001 War in Afghanistan. The public record supports supply to Afghan government forces, not a confirmed battlefield firing incident.
| Claim | Sources |
|---|---|
| M722A1 60 mm white phosphorus cartridges were listed in an Afghan National Army sustainment ammunition line during the war. | Sources: Small Arms Survey Afghanistan Arms Transfers Dataset |
| M722A1 (WP) 60 mm mortar rounds were among light-weapons ammunition exported or supplied to Afghanistan in the 2002-2021 dataset. | |
| The M722A1 is a spotting and marking smoke cartridge for the M224/M224A1 60 mm mortar system. | Sources: PEO Ammunition 2017 Portfolio Book |
Timeline
The Army portfolio book dates the M722A1 60 mm white phosphorous smoke cartridge to June 2003 and identifies it as a spotting and marking round for the M224/M224A1 mortar system.
Sources: PEO Ammunition 2017 Portfolio Book
Small Arms Survey transfer data lists 11,536 60 mm white phosphorus M722A1 cartridges under an Afghan National Army sustainment ammunition line.
Sources: Small Arms Survey Afghanistan Arms Transfers Dataset
Small Arms Survey's briefing on arms supplied to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2021 lists M722A1 (WP) 60 mm mortar rounds among exported light-weapons ammunition.
The documented Afghanistan record for the M722A1 is a transfer and sustainment record rather than a firing report. A Small Arms Survey dataset lists an Afghan National Army sustainment ammunition line for 11,536 cartridges described as 60 mm white phosphorus M722A1, implemented on March 8, 2010.
A later Small Arms Survey briefing on weapons supplied to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2021 also lists M722A1 (WP) 60 mm mortar rounds among light-weapons ammunition exported to Afghanistan. Together, these sources support supply to Afghan government forces during the 2001 War in Afghanistan, while leaving actual battlefield expenditure unconfirmed.
Sources: Small Arms Survey Afghanistan Arms Transfers Dataset, Small Arms Survey Calculable Losses Briefing
The Army ammunition portfolio identifies the M722A1 as a 60 mm white phosphorous smoke cartridge for the M224/M224A1 Lightweight Company Mortar System, with production and deployment dated to June 2003.
On March 8, 2010, the Afghan National Army sustainment ammunition record listed 11,536 M722A1 60 mm white phosphorus cartridges. In January 2024, Small Arms Survey summarized the broader 2002-2021 Afghanistan transfer dataset and included M722A1 (WP) 60 mm mortar rounds in its ammunition table.
Sources: PEO Ammunition 2017 Portfolio Book, Small Arms Survey Afghanistan Arms Transfers Dataset, Small Arms Survey Calculable Losses Briefing
The cartridge's role in the Afghanistan record is best described as partner-force sustainment ammunition. The Army describes the M722A1 as a spotting and marking smoke round for the M224/M224A1 60 mm mortar family; the Afghanistan-specific record places that cartridge in Afghan National Army ammunition support during the war.
The available public sources do not identify a named engagement, firing unit, target, or post-strike effect involving the M722A1 in Afghanistan. For this conflict, the source-backed claim is therefore transfer and fielding context for Afghan government forces, not independently verified combat firing.
Sources: PEO Ammunition 2017 Portfolio Book, Small Arms Survey Afghanistan Arms Transfers Dataset, Small Arms Survey Calculable Losses Briefing
