COMBAT CHALLENGE WEAPONS IDENTIFICATION

The following weapons may be seen on the field.


       M-4/M-16 Variants

The M4 Carbine is part of the family of firearms with lineage back to the earlier versions of the M16, based on the original Armilite AR-15. As a shorter and lighter version of the M16A2 assault rifle, it is used by the U.S. Military as well as many pro-western governments around the world.

       AK-47 Variants

Officially accepted by the Soviet Military in 1949, the AK-47 is also used by many of the former Warsaw Pact States. The AK-47 has been used as the foundation for many other types of firearms. However, due to the AK-47's durability and ease of maintenance, it remains the most widely used assault rifle in the world. More versions of the AK-47 rifles have been produced than any other assault rifle.

       M-14 Variants

As the last of the so-called "Battle Rifle", the M-14 WAS issued in large quantities to U.S. troops. However, it is also the shortest-lived service rifle in U.S. history. The M-14 has made a come back in recent years as a long range marksman rifle. The M-14 is primarily used by the U.S. Military.

       PSG-1 Sniper Rifle

The PSG-1was reported to have been developed in response to the 1972 Munich Massacre. The West German police were not able to engage the terrorists fast enough to keep them from killing hostages. H&K was commissioned to design a semi-automatic rifle with a high accuracy and a large magazine capacity. The result has a an outstanding reputation as a highly reliable precision rifle, associated with elite units around the world.

       SVD Dragunov

The SVD is a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle utilizing a short-stroke gas piston. The SVD entered into service in 1963. Since then, the SVD has become the standard squad support weapon of several former Warsaw Pact countries, including Poland. The SVDS was developed in the early 1990s as compact variant of the SVD designed for airborne infantry.

       AWM

The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a family of bolt-action sniper rifles designed by Accuracy International. Since its introduction in the 1980s, it has become popular as a civilian, police and military rifle. The AW system is almost unique in being a purpose-designed sniper rifle. The AW is based on an aluminum chassis which extends the entire length of the stock. All other components, including the receiver, are bolted directly to this chassis. Although known throughout the world, the AWM is commonly used by the United Kingdom, and other European countries.

       P90

The Belgian designed P90 submachine gun was developed between 1986-1987 by Stephan Ferrard. The P90 ’s name is an abbreviation of the word Project, and the number 90, which identifies a weapon system of the 1990s. The P90 uses a 5.7x28mm cartridge, which has a greater penetrating capability, lethal range and flatter trajectory. The P90 is normally seen among NATO forces operating in close quarters and vehicle protection.

       SA80

The L85 ’s history dates back to the late 1940s, during a program to develop a new class of rifle was launched in the United Kingdom.The modern version of the SA80 is part of a family of 5.56 mm small arms designed and produced in the 1980s. The SA80 is primarily used by British forces.

       M-249

The M249 is the U.S. designation for a sub-family of the FN Minimi squad automatic weapon. The Minimi is Produced by FN in Belgium, while the M249 is made by FNH USA. The M249 won the competition carried out by the U.S. military in the late 1970s. However, the Minimi has been adopted by many other countries since that time, especially among NATO members.

       RPK

The RPK is a Soviet light machine gun. It was developed as part of a program to standardize the inventory of the Soviet Military, where it replaced the RPD light machine gun. Currently, the RPK is used by the armed forces of countries of the former Soviet Union and certain African and Asian nations.

       M-240

The M240 has been used by the U. S. Military since the 1990s and is used primarily by mechanized infantry. Despite the heavy weight of this medium machine gun, the M240 is highly regarded for reliability, and its standardization among NATO.

       PKM

The PKM is a general purpose machine gun developed by the Soviet Military and is currently in production. The PKM machine gun was first produced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns. The PKM is primarily used by the Soviet Military and former Warsaw Pact Countries.

       AT-4

The AT4 is one of the most common light anti-tank weapons in the world. It is designed to give infantry units the capability to destroy or disable armored vehicles. The launcher and projectile are produced as a prepackaged single unit of ammunition, rather than as a weapon system.

       RPG

The RPG has been used very effectively against lightly-armoured vehicles as well as against buildings and bunkers. However, they can still be a threat to a Main Battle Tank under certain conditions. One exception is the RPG-29, which uses a tandem-charge high explosive anti-tank warhead to penetrate explosive reactive armor.