Military History

List of military equipment used by Syrian opposition forces

List of military equipment used by Syrian opposition forces in the Syrian Civil War. This list does not include equipment used by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Sources

Large equipment like tanks and vehicles are generally captured from Syrian Army supplies, but small arms are likely a mixture of captured Syrian Army weapons, weapons imported by foreign combatants joining the opposition forces, or other sources. These include funding by private donors (notably from the Gulf region) and equipment supplied by friendly nations.

The U.S. supplied a considerable amount of weapons and ammunition, generally of Soviet-type from Easter Europe, to Syrian rebel groups under operation Timber Sycamore. For example Jane’s Defence Weeklyreported that in December 2015 the U.S. shipped 994 tonnes of weapons and ammunition (including packaging and container weight).

Small arms

Model Image Caliber Type Origin Details
Pistols
TT-33 7.62×25mm Tokarev Pistol  Soviet Union
Makarov PM 9×18mm Makarov Pistol  Soviet Union
M1911 .45 ACP Pistol  United States
TİSAŞ Zigana C45 .45 ACP Pistol  Turkey
Glock 17 9×19mm Parabellum Pistol  Austria
Browning Hi-Power 9×19mm Parabellum Pistol  Belgium
Kral Arms Canas 9 mm Blank pistol  Turkey Blank pistol, possibly converted to fire live rounds.
Rifles
Mosin–Nagant 7.62×54mmR Bolt-action rifle  Soviet Union Limited usage.
MAS-36 7.5×54mm French Bolt-action rifle  France Limited usage.
SKS

Type 56 carbine

7.62×39mm Semi-automatic rifle  Soviet Union

 People’s Republic of China

Limited usage.

Chinese copy of SKS. Limited usage.

Heckler & Koch G3 7.62×51mm NATO Battle rifle  Germany
FN FAL 7.62×51mm NATO Battle rifle  Belgium
M14 rifle 7.62×51mm NATO Battle rifle  United States Rare.
Assault rifles
StG 44 7.92×33mm Kurz Assault rifle Nazi Germany Around 5,000 captured from the Syrian Army. Very limited usage.
AK-47 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Soviet Union
AKM 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Soviet Union
Type 56 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  People’s Republic of China Chinese variant of the Russian AK-47 and AKM.
Zastava M70 7.62×39mm Assault rifle  Yugoslavia Yugoslavian variant of the Russian AK-47 and AKM.
PM md. 63 7.62×39mm Assault rifle Socialist Republic of Romania
AMD 65 7.62×39mm Assault rifle Hungarian People’s Republic
vz. 58[15] 7.62×39mm Assault Rifle Czechoslovakia
AK-74 5.45×39mm Assault rifle  Soviet Union
M16 5.56×45mm NATO Assault rifle  United States Used by Division 30, the New Syrian Army,Al-Moutasem Brigade and Euphrates Shield rebels
M4 5.56×45mm NATO Assault rifle  United States
Norinco CQ 5.56×45mm NATO Assault rifle  People’s Republic of China
FAMAS 5.56×45mm NATO Assault rifle  France Limited usage.
Steyr AUG 5.56×45mm NATO Assault rifle  Austria Origin unclear; serial numbers removed.
Sniper rifles
Steyr SSG 69[18] 7.62×51mm NATO Sniper rifle  Austria
Dragunov SVD 7.62×54mmR Sniper rifle  Soviet Union
Zastava M91 7.62×54mmR Sniper rifle  Yugoslavia
PSL 7.62×54mmR
7.62×51mm NATO
Designated marksman rifle Socialist Republic of Romania
OSV-96 12.7×108mm Anti-materiel rifle  Russia
M99 12.7×108mm Anti-materiel rifle  People’s Republic of China Supplied by Qatar.
Sayad-2 .50 BMG Anti-materiel rifle  Iran Unlicensed Iranian produced copy of the Steyr HS .50.
Captured from the Syrian Army.
PTRS-41 14.5×114mm Anti-tank rifle  Soviet Union
Submachine guns
Sa vz. 23 7.62×25mm Tokarev Submachine gun Czechoslovakia
Uzi 9×19mm Parabellum Submachine Gun  Israel Rare.
Machine guns
RPD 7.62×39mm Light machine gun  Soviet Union
RPK 5.45×39mm Light machine gun  Soviet Union
PK 7.62×54mmR General-purpose machine gun  Soviet Union
Zastava M84 7.62×54mmR General-purpose machine gun  Yugoslavia Yugoslavian copy of the PK.
MG-34 7.92×57mm Mauser General-purpose machine gun Nazi Germany Rare.
M240B 7.62×51mm NATO General-purpose machine gun Belgium Used by the NSA and al-Moutasem Brigade and Euphrates Shield forces
DShK

Type 54 HMG

12.7×108mm Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union

 People’s Republic of China

Often mounted on technicals.

Chinese copy of DShK.

NSV 12.7×108mm Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union
W85 12.7×108mm Heavy machine gun  People’s Republic of China
KPV 14.5×114mm Heavy machine gun  Soviet Union Often mounted on technicals.
M2 Browning 12.7 x 99mm NATO  United States Used by al-Moutasem Brigade and Euphrates Shield rebels

Grenades and explosives

Model Image Diameter Type Origin Details
F1 55 mm Hand grenade  Soviet Union
Mk 2 grenade 59 mm Hand grenade  United States
RGD-5 58 mm Hand grenade  Soviet Union
OHG-92[30] 65mm[31] Hand grenade   Switzerland Grenades originally delivered to the United Arab Emirates in 2003–2004 and then given to Jordan in 2004. Unclear how the hand grenades reached the Syrian rebels.[32]
AGS-17 30×29mm grenade Automatic grenade launcher  Soviet Union
Type 87 35×32mm grenade Automatic grenade launcher  People’s Republic of China
RBG-6 40×46mm grenade Automatic grenade launcher  Croatia Croatian-produced copy of South African Milkor MGL. Supplied by Saudi Arabia.
IED Improvised explosive device / Syria
Molotov cocktail Incendiary device / Syria

Anti-tank weapons

Model Image Diameter Type Origin Details
Shoulder-fired missiles
RPG-2 82 mm Recoilless rifle  Soviet Union
RPG-7 40 mm (launcher only, warhead diameter varies) Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
RPG-18 64 mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
RPG-22 72.5 mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union Supplied by Saudi Arabia.
RPG-26 72.5 mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
RPG-29 105 mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Soviet Union
RPG-75 68 mm Rocket-propelled grenade  Czechoslovakia
M72 LAW 66 mm Anti-tank rocket launcher  United States Turkish HAR-66 (LAW copy) supllied by turkey
M79 Osa 90 mm Anti-tank rocket launcher  Yugoslavia Supplied by Saudi Arabia.[36]
RBR-120 mm M90 120 mm Anti-tank rocket launcher  Serbia
Anti-tank guided weapons
9M14 Malyutka 125 mm Wire-guided anti-tank missile  Soviet Union Designated AT-3 Sagger by NATO.
9K111 Fagot 120 mm Wire-guided anti-tank missile  Soviet Union Designated AT-4 Spigot by NATO.
9M113 Konkurs 135 mm Wire-guided anti-tank missile  Soviet Union Captured from the Syrian Army and supplied by Saudi Arabia. Designated AT-5 Spandrel by NATO.
9K115-2 Metis-M 130 mm Wire-guided anti-tank missile  Russia Designated AT-13 Saxhorn-2 by NATO.
9M133 Kornet 152 mm Wire-guided anti-tank missile  Russia Designated AT-14 Spriggan by NATO.
HJ-8 120 mm Wire-guided anti-tank missile  People’s Republic of China Supplied by Qatar.
MILAN 115 mm Wire-guided anti-tank missile  France
 Germany
Captured from the Syrian Army. Some supplied by Qatar or Libya.
BGM-71 TOW 152 mm Wire-guided anti-tank missile  United States Allegedly supplied by the U.S., but origin remains unclear; serial numbers removed.

Anti-aircraft weapons

Model Image Diameter Type Origin Details
Towed anti-aircraft guns
ZU-23-2 23 mm Autocannon  Soviet Union Often mounted on technicals.
37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K) 37 mm Autocannon  Soviet Union Mounted on technicals.
57 mm AZP S-60 57 mm Autocannon  Soviet Union
ZPU 14.5×114mm Anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union Based on the Soviet 14.5 mm KPV heavy machine gun.
Self-propelled air defense
ZSU-23-4 “Shilka” 23 mm Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun  Soviet Union Often used against ground targets in urban environments.
9K33 Osa 209.6 mm 9M33 missile Amphibious SAM system  Soviet Union Two captured from the Syrian Armed Forces and used by Jaysh al-Islam.
Man-portable air-defense systems
FN-6 72 mm  People’s Republic of China Supplied by Qatar.
9K32 Strela-2 72 mm Man-portable air-defense system  Soviet Union Designated SA-7 Grail by NATO.
9K310 Igla-1 72 mm Man-portable air-defense system  Soviet Union Designated SA-16 Gimlet by NATO.
9K338 Igla-S 72 mm Man-portable air-defense system  Soviet Union Designated SA-24 Grinch by NATO.

Artillery[edit]

Model Image Caliber Type Origin Details
Mortars
82-BM-37[citation needed] 82 mm Infantry mortar  Soviet Union
2B9M Vasilek 82 mm Gun-mortar  Soviet Union Possible Chinese copy (W99).
At least one in use by Ansar al-Sham. Unclear origin.
Improvised mortars Various Improvised mortar / Syria
Field artillery
10.5 cm leFH 18M 105 mm Howitzer Nazi Germany
122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) 122mm Howitzer  Soviet Union Captured during Ramouseh Artillery Base assault by Jaish al Fateh
D-30 122 mm Howitzer  Soviet Union
“Hell Cannon” Various Improvised howitzer Syria Improvised howitzer that fires propane gas cylinders.
Originated with the Ahrar al-Shamal Brigades, now used widely.
M-46 130 mm Field gun  Soviet Union
180 mm gun S-23 180mm Heavy Gun  Soviet Union Captured during Ramouseh Artillery Base assault by Jaish al Fateh
Self-propelled artillery
2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm Self propelled howitzer  Soviet Union Armed with D-30 howitzer.
2S3 Akatsiya 152.4 mm Self propelled howitzer  Soviet Union Armed with D-22 howitzer.
Recoilless rifles
B-10

Type 65

82 mm Recoilless rifle  Soviet Union

 People’s Republic of China

Chinese copy of B-10.

M60 Recoilless rifle  Yugoslavia Supplied by Saudi Arabia.
M40 105 mm Recoilless rifle  United States Possible Iranian copy.
Carl Gustav 84mm 84 mm Recoilless rifle  Sweden
SPG-9 73 mm Recoilless rifle  Soviet Union
Rocket artillery
Type 63 106.7 mm Multiple rocket launcher  People’s Republic of China Possible Iranian copy.
RAK-12 128 mm Multiple rocket launcher  Croatia Croatian built version of Yugoslavian M-63 Plamen with 12
rocket tubes instead of the original 32. Supplied by Saudi Arabia.
BM-21 Grad 122 mm Multiple rocket launcher  Soviet Union Captured from the Syrian Army. Supllied by gulf states 
Grad-P 122 mm Light portable rocket system  Soviet Union
Improvised rocket launchers Various Rocket launcher / Syria

Tanks and armoured vehicles

Model Image Type Origin Details
T-55 Medium tank
Main battle tank
 Soviet Union Captured from the Syrian Army.
T-62 Main battle tank  Soviet Union Captured from the Syrian Army.
T-72 Main battle tank  Soviet Union Captured from the Syrian Army. At least 8 operated by Jaysh al-Islam.
Liwa Dawood had another 6, now owned by ISIL.
T-90 Main battle tank  Russia 1 operated by Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki, captured from the Syrian Army.
BMP-1 Infantry fighting vehicle  Soviet Union Captured from the Syrian Army.
BVP-1 AMB-S Field ambulance  Czechoslovakia Captured from the Syrian Army.
BMP-2 Infantry fighting vehicle  Soviet Union Two BMP-2s were captured from Syrian Army when FSA overran Aleppo’s Infantry School and another was destroyed in the fight for Aleppo’s Central Prison.
BTR-60 Wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier  Soviet Union Captured from the Syrian Army.
BRDM-2 Amphibious armoured scout car  Soviet Union Captured from the Syrian Army.
Improvised fighting vehicles Improvised fighting vehicle Syria Examples are the Sham 1 armored pickup truck and the Sham 2 armored car
used by the Al-Ansar Brigade.

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