The UK began a training initiative with Ukraine in early 2015 with the launch of Operation Orbital. Orbital provided training in Ukraine to more than 20,000 Ukrainian personnel over eight years. Op Orbital ended in February 2022 with Russia s full-scale invasion. In July 2022 a successor programme, Operation Interflex was launched. Interflex involves a larger, British-led Continue reading Every AK…
Historian, researcher and armourer Vlad Onokoy joins me to talk about his exciting new book about Zastava AK-pattern rifles! Vlad explains how he came to write his new book and talks us through the process, combining in-depth research, first hand accounts and hands on experience. The new book sheds new light on Zastava s history, busts Continue reading Digging into the History of Zastava Iraqi…
A myriad of 40mm grenade launchers are in use in Ukraine, we ve already covered some but today we re going to touch on another that is rarely seen. The Colt Canada Eagle (Enhanced Ambidextrous Grenade LaunchEr) is a low velocity 40mm grenade launcher which can be used as a standalone or mounted as an under-barrel launcher. Continue reading Colt Canada Eagle Grenade Launchers in Ukraine
A few weeks ago I visited my friends at the Vickers Machine Gun Collection Research Association and had a look at a variety of items you might not immediately expect to be part of their collection. The VMGCRA, however, has an extensive collection of all sorts of items and an incredible archive which they re Continue reading British Army Training Grenades
While officially China has no involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine a substantial number of their weapon systems have been seen in theatre. Setting aside the tens of thousands of Chinese manufacturer commercial drones which have been used during the conflict we ve also seen Chinese RPGs, rifles and heavy machine guns. In the past Continue reading Chinese MANPADS In Ukraine
Kalashnikov Concern s press office announced that specialists from the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (JSC TsNIITochMash) Research Center for Small Arms Systems and Combat Equipment were awarded gold medals at the 2026 N. G. Slavyanov International Exhibition of Inventions and Innovations for a number of counter-drone designs. JSC TsNIITochMash is a part of Russia s Continue…
By early 1945 Nazi Germany’s situation was desperate, with no real hope of victory left desperate holding actions became the order of the day. In order to try and stem the advance of the Red Army in the East and the Allies in the West (and south), the German government raised a new militia, the Volkssturm (or Continue reading Examining a Gustloff Volkssturmgewehr
We recently looked at a pair of extremely rare hand grenades which have been seen in use in Ukraine the Nammo Scalable Offensive Hand Grenade and Mk 14 Mod 0 Anti-Structural Munition Hand Grenade. Today, we ll take a look at another rare grenade that has been seen in the Ukrainian armed forces the Continue reading Australian F1 Grenades in Ukraine
We ve seen a number of submachine guns appear in Ukraine over the last 3 years, MP5s, B T APC-9s, Ukraine s own Fort 320 and classics like the Carl Gustaf M/45 but one of the rarer to appear is Heckler Koch s MP7. Sightings of these began in early 2025. In this article/video we ll survey some of Continue reading HK MP7s in Ukraine
One of the rarer hand grenades to surface in Ukraine is the US Mk14 Anti-Structure grenade. These were developed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center s Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, back in the 2000s. The Mk 14 Mod 0 Anti-Structural Munition Hand Grenade has been primarily used by USSOCOM. It is reportedly a Continue reading Rare Mk14 Anti-Structure Grenades Scalable…