2021 - Oryx

Thursday, 30 December 2021

Market Expansion: Turkey Set To Export Patrol Vessels To Indonesia

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

These days Turkish-designed naval vessels ships operate with navies all around the globe as Turkey is rapidly on the way towards attaining near self-sufficiency in the naval sector. As part of this ambitious strive, Turkish shipyards have an ever expanding portfolio of naval ships on offer. When in 2013 Turkey launched a tender for a new class of fast attack craft (FAC) to replace the ones currently in Turkish Navy service, it could make a selection out of close to 30 domestic designs, showing that the scope of the country's naval design craze can hardly be overstated. [1] [2]

Wednesday, 29 December 2021

Death From Above - Azerbaijan’s Killer Drone Arsenal

Oryx Aerostar UAS , Azerbaijan 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

That Turkish-made unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) and Israeli-designed loitering munitions enabled Azerbaijan its striking victory during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War is well established. Less well known is that in addition to Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs and Israeli-designed loitering munitions, Azerbaijan operates a large fleet of Israeli-made surveillance UAVs that by the virtue of their capabilities rank amongst the most advanced in the world. The synergy between this extensive arsenal of UAVs, loitering munitions and UCAVs has meanwhile propelled Azerbaijan to the world's top in terms of unmanned aerial capabilities.

Performance Check: Bayraktar TB2s In Ukraine

Oryx armed drone , Baykar Tech 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Ukraine's acquisition and subsequent use of the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 has been a cause of significant concern for separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine, and for Russia, which has provided the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) with extensive military support. Although separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine operate significant numbers of anti-aircraft (AA) guns and surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems supplied by Russia, including the 9K33 Osa-AKM (NATO designation: SA-8) and the 9K35 Strela-10 (SA-13), these lack the range to target UCAVs like the Bayraktar TB2 flying overhead at some 5000 metres.

Tuesday, 28 December 2021

The Middle East’s Game of Drones: Egypt’s UAV Arsenal

Oryx Adcom Yabhon Flash 20 , ASN-209 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Egypt has a long tradition of acquiring military equipment from a multitude of sources rather than solely relying on one country in case it's suddenly to be sanctioned, potentially cutting off its military from spare parts and munitions. The Egyptian Air Force currently operates jet aircraft sourced from Russia, France, Czechia, the U.S. and China, and the situation is little different within the other branches of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Although greatly complicating the inventory of spare parts and weaponry, this situation ensures that Egypt is never without a source of armament.

Iran Is Still Resupplying The Ethiopian Military

Oryx Addis Ababa , air bridge 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans based on data gathered by Gerjon

Even as Emirati cargo flights carrying arms and equipment to Ethiopia appear to have come to a halt (but not before delivering six Wing Loong I armed drones), Iranian flights believed to be carrying the same type of cargo continue to reach Ethiopia. [1] [2] In the past month, five Boeing 747-200FSCD cargo aircraft belonging to the Fars Air Qeshm have landed at Addis Ababa Bole Airport. The exact contents of the Boeing 747s can currently only be guessed at, yet it doesn't seem implausible that their flights are related to the deployment of two Iranian Mohajer-6 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) to Semera airport since August 2021. [3] [4]

Tuesday, 21 December 2021

An Eagle Takes Shape – Indonesia’s Elang Hitam MALE UCAV

Oryx Black Eagle , Elang Hitam 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The Indonesian National Armed Forces are responsible for patrolling an archipelago of 17,000 islands that extend 5,150 kilometers from east to west. For this purpose, it operates a large number of patrol craft and maritime patrol aircraft to keep tabs on illegal entries and activities occurring within its territorial waters. Nonetheless, the sheer size of the archipelago, not to mention the land mass of the islands as well, makes it difficult to monitor. One other way this can be effectively achieved is through the deployment of large numbers of medium-altitude long-endurance MALE UAVs.

Sunday, 19 December 2021

Overlooked And Underfunded: Armenia’s S-125 SAM Upgrade

Oryx 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War , air defence 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

In the 2010s, Armenia embarked on an expansive modernisation programme of its air defences to keep up with Azerbaijan's expanding drone arsenal and to address the obsolescence of its existing surface-to-air missile (SAM) and radar systems. Although acquisitions like the Tor-M2KM and Buk-M1-2, and Russian jamming equipment such as the Repellent-1 and Avtobaza-M would attract the most attention, overhauls and upgrades performed to its older systems occurred as well. This included SAM systems like the 2K11 Krug, 2K12 Kub and the S-125, all of which dated from the 1960s.

Saturday, 18 December 2021

From Türkiye With Love: Tracking Turkish Military Donations

Oryx Afghanistan , Africa 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Türkiye has made a shift from being partially dependant on donations of military equipment in the 1970s and 1980s to being the party that donates in the 2010s and 2020s, gifting military equipment to allied countries around the globe. Although Türkiye began donating military equipment to neighbouring countries as early as the late 1990s, this policy truly set off in the 2010s as Türkiye began to increase its worldwide influence. This has not only included the donation of military equipment, with ambulances, buses and other items finding their way to nations across the world as well.

Friday, 17 December 2021

New Meets Old: Aselsan’s 30mm SMASH RWS On Azerbaijani Stenka Patrol Boats

Oryx 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster , ASELSAN 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The Azerbaijani Navy is lagging behind in modern developments compared to the rest of the country's military and other nations' navies in the Caspian Sea. Instead, Azerbaijan has diverted considerable funds to modernising its Coast Guard, acquiring six Israeli Sa'ar 62 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and six Shaldag Mk V patrol boats fitted with Spike NLOS (25km range) and Spike-ER (8km range) anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) for its State Border Service. [1] Interestingly, the Azerbaijani Navy does not use anti-ship missiles (AShMs) aboard any of its vessels, operating purely as a patrol force in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Thursday, 16 December 2021

Berdimuhamedow’s Birds Of Prey: The Italian Falco XN UAV In Turkmenistan

Oryx Ashgabat , drone 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Turkmenistan is a major purchaser of Italian goods, armament and (notably) marble. Its capital Ashgabat has been recognised by Guinness World Records as having the world's highest density of buildings made from white marble, earning it the nickname of 'white city'. [1] The country's affection for anything Italian is carried over in the inventory of the Turkmen Armed Forces, with anything from combat aircraft, armoured vehicles and anti-ship missiles having been purchased from Italy in recent years. [2] [3] The Italian ARX-160 is also the armed forces' standard issue service rifle, and this year's independence parade showed that arms purchases from Italy are still very much ongoing. [4]

Wednesday, 15 December 2021

Desert Storm: Listing The Polisario’s Inventory of AFVs

Oryx AA gun , Algeria 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

A number of Moroccan drone strikes on Polisario targets in the Western Sahara has once again brought attention to the long-neglected eponymous dispute. Fears that the fragile peace could soon make way for renewed conflict seem to grow starker by the month, with a lack of any hard response to the drone strikes from the Polisario Front possibly strengthening Morocco's will to use military means to resolve the conflict in its favour once and for all. [1] Although only the United States recognises Morocco's claim over the Western Sahara Region, the Polisario is isolated from any true political and military allies with the exception of Algeria.

Thursday, 9 December 2021

Taliban Air Force Commences (Jet) Operations

Oryx Afghanistan , Afghanistan Air Force 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

A report by Al Jazeera from Kabul International Airport (IAP) shows that the new Afghan Air Force is currently working on introducing a fast jet capability to its air force. [1] The footage shows an L-39 undergoing an engine test after languishing in storage at Kabul IAP since the early 2010s. [2] Even though the United States saw little use in the operation of Mi-24 attack helicopters and L-39C jet trainers by the Afghan Air Force, both types were maintainted in operational condition, even though the L-39s are not believed to have flown in the past several years.

Wednesday, 8 December 2021

Russia, Redux: Turkmenistan Acquires The Typhoon MRAP

Oryx Exotic Armour , KamAZ-63968 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The future prospects of business with Turkmenistan must have looked promising for Russian arms manufacturers in the late 2000s, with a steady stream of orders for armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), helicopters and naval ships pouring in. However, after initially mostly relying on Russia to modernise its armed forces, orders for more Russian armament from Turkmenistan quickly began to dry up. Instead, Turkmenistan diversified its arms acquisitions to include a myriad of other nations' arms suppliers, at the cost of arms manufacturers in Russia and Ukraine.

Tuesday, 7 December 2021

A Titan Among Trucks: Meet Turkey’s M4K ARV

Oryx armoured recovery vehicle , ARV 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Certainly, no equipment of the mechanised forces is as unappreciated as armoured recovery vehicles. Generally operating in the rear of an advance and only seen when something went terribly wrong, they are nonetheless vital for any mechanised campaign to succeed in its aims. This is reflected in the inventories of most modern militaries worldwide, which nowadays often include sizeable numbers of ARVs and other armoured supporting vehicles. Owing to their importance in the field, the concept of the ARV has continuously evolved to keep up with new challenges and security threats.

Monday, 6 December 2021

Turkmenistan’s Freak UCAV: The WJ-600A/D

Oryx CH-3A , China 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Turkmenistan operates a number of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designs acquired from China. Apart from the ubiquitous CH-3A, which has also been exported to Nigeria, Algeria, Myanmar and Pakistan, the Turkmenistan Air Force also acquired a unique drone design that has yet to enter service with any other country in the world: The WJ-600A/D. This unconventional unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) is one of the few armed drones in the world that performs a rocket-assisted take-off (RATO), subsequently landing by parachute after completing its mission.

Saturday, 4 December 2021

Presaging Modernity: Turkey’s MT5200 Trains

Oryx Ankara , Diesel Multiple Unit 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Yurdumuzu dünyanın en mamur ve en medeni memleketleri seviyesine çıkaracağız - We shall raise our country to the level of the most prosperous and civilized nations of the world. (By Mustafa Kemal Atatürk)

In recent years, Turkey has made great strides in modernising its infrastructure through the construction of thousands of kilometres of new roads, bridges, tunnels and high-speed rail. Turkey currently has more high-speed rail than countries like the United States, South Korea and the United Kingdom, and once it completes currently planned projects it is set to have the third largest high-speed rail network in the world. [1] [2] Ambitions hardly stop there, with the country well on track to becoming a high-speed rail superpower: as in addition to building the necessary rail infrastructure Turkey also intends to build the trains that operate on it. These exploits perfectly position the country to one day export its technologies and expertise to the rest of the world.

Israeli Arms In Ethiopia: The TAR-21 Assault Rifle

Oryx ENDF , Ethiopia 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Though mostly operating weaponry purchased from countries like Russia, Ukraine and China, the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) has occassionally looked elsewhere for the acquisition of arms and equipment. This has included defence manufacturers of countries like Germany, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, whose products have been widely introduced with the ENDF. [1] [2] One such product is the 5.56mm IWI Tavor TAR-21 bullpup assault rifle, significant numbers of which would enter service with elite units of Ethiopia's security apparatus during the late 2000s.

Friday, 3 December 2021

Maritime Success: Nigeria Orders Turkish OPV 76s

Oryx ASELSAN , Dearsan Shipyard 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

It's not only Turkish drones that have found export success on the international market. Other segments of Turkey's arms industry are also subject to critical acclaim on the world stage. Sometimes this includes systems that for their less glamorous (but nonetheless highly important) roles receive little attention by international analysts, as is the case with the recent purchase of MEMATT mine-clearance vehicles by Burkina Faso and Togo. [1] [2] Other platforms receive more attention, as was recently the case with Nigeria's acquisition of two 76m offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) from Turkey's Dearsan Shipyard.

Thursday, 2 December 2021

Algiers Calling: Assessing Algeria’s Drone Fleet

Oryx Algeria , Amel 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Algeria is notoriously secretive when it comes to devulging details about its arms acquisitions and current inventory of weapons systems. It is thus all the more surprising that quite a lot of information regarding the types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) purchased and operated by Algeria is publicly available. This reveals a highly diverse inventory of (armed) drones sourced from China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa and a number of other countries. In recent years, Algeria has also designed several types of indigenous drones. While promising, these projects have yet to spawn an operational system. Most of Algeria's UAVs are currently based at Ain Oussera air base located 200 km south of the capital Algiers.

Serbian Lazar 3 IFVs In Service With Turkmenistan

Oryx APC , Exotic Armour 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Turkmenistan has accumulated a highly diverse arsenal of arms and equipment acquired from a plethora of countries worldwide. Intriguingly, many of those acquisitions appear to stem from an intention to increase ties with a particular country rather than actually fulfilling a genuine military requirement. This 'friendship through arms' policy comes at the cost of an increasingly complicated logistic system that by now has to source spare parts from nine countries for Turkmenistan's fleet of infantry mobility vehicles (IMVs) alone!

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Turning The Tables: The UK’s Case For Buying The Bayraktar TB2

Oryx Baykar , Baykar Tech 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Out of all of the countries reportedly interested in acquiring the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the United Kingdom is arguably the most notable. Currently operating a significant fleet of WK450 and MQ-9A Reaper U(C)AVs in service with the Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force, one might argue that another UAV system wouldn't be the first priority on the long wish list of the British Armed Forces. However, when approached from a broader perspective the acquisition of TB2s would fit in the country's recent attempts to meet the challenges of future warfare through the acquisition of flexible and more affordable armament.

Tuesday, 30 November 2021

Commemorative Names On Malian Army Vehicles And Artillery

Oryx BM-21 , BRDM-2 0 Comments

By Thomas Nachtrab in collaboration with Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Many of our readers are certain to be familiar with the French tradition of adorning their armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) with the names and dates of important battles fought by the French Armed Forces. Nowadays, this tradition is mainly showcased during parades, but the markings are often retained even after the conclusion of the parade, sometimes even seen during combat deployments of the vehicles.

Taking Africa By Storm: Niger Acquires The Bayraktar TB2

Oryx Baykar , Baykar Tech 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The commercial success of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) seems to know no bounds, with the number of countries reportedly interested in procuring the system increasing by the month. In late October 2021, thirteen nations were reported to have purchased the TB2, an increase of three countries since August 2021. [1] The significance of this success is hard to overstate, with Baykar Tech successfully concluding more deals in three months than most other UCAV manufacturers ever hope to achieve during the entire production run of their systems.

Monday, 22 November 2021

An Unmanned Interdictor: Bayraktar TB2s Over Libya

Oryx Baykar , Baykar Tech 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The Bayraktar TB2 is well known for its pivotal role in securing Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. While no war in history was ever won by one weapon system alone, there can be no doubt that Azerbaijan's striking victory couldn't have been achieved without it. Less well known is the TB2's role in saving the internationally-recognised government in Libya (GNA) throughout 2019 and 2020, preventing a hostile takeover of the country by warlord Khalifa Haftar, whose Libyan National Army (LNA) received significant backing from the UAE, Egypt and Russia. [1]

Sunday, 21 November 2021

New Imagery Suggests Continued Usage Of Surface-To-Air Missiles By Tigray Forces

Oryx ENDF , Ethiopia 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Satellite imagery from the 19th of October 2021 indicates that the S-125 surface-to-air missile (SAM) site located northeast of Mekelle has returned to active duty. [1] The reactivation of the SAM site comes as the Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) has deployed its newly-acquired Wing Loong unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) over Mekelle to designate targets for Su-27 fighter aircraft, resulting in a number of civilian casualties as the bombs dropped by the Su-27s missed their intended targets and fell on civilian areas instead. [2] [3]

Friday, 19 November 2021

Tracking Worldwide Losses Of Chinese-Made UAVs

Oryx Algeria , CH-4B 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Much has been written and discussed about the quality of Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). While some argue that Chinese drones have proven cost-effective alternatives to American UAVs, others have pointed out the drones' high crash rates and reliability issues when compared to their Israeli, U.S. and Turkish counterparts. Despite these issues, Chinese UAVs remain highly popular on the market today. This is likely not the least due to the fact that there are few strings attached to Chinese arms sales, enabling countries like the United Arab Emirates to deploy its Chinese-made UCAVs over areas where it wouldn't be allowed to operate its U.S.-produced drones.

Thursday, 18 November 2021

Ethiopia’s Troublesome Iranian Mohajer-6 UCAVs

Oryx Addis Ababa , drone 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The Tigray Defence Forces' ambitious counter-offensive on Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa finally appears to have come to a halt. This was not in the least achieved through the extensive deployment of Chinese-made unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) on the side of the Ethiopian government. Types so far confirmed to have been acquired by Ethiopia include Chinese Wing Loong Is, a VTOL type of UCAV supplied by the UAE and Iranian Mohajer-6s. [1] [2] [3] Ethiopia has relied heavily on its newly-acquired UCAVs to make up for years of neglect of its air-to-ground capabilities, forcing its air force to launch a hasty procurement drive for UCAVs in the summer of 2021.

Wednesday, 17 November 2021

Satellite Images Show Ethiopia’s Expanding Drone Buildup

Oryx Bishoftu , Debre Zeit 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

After we first reported on the acquisition of three Wing Loong I unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) by Ethiopia in mid-September, it took until early October before the type was first sighted in the skies over Tigray. [1] [2] While the Ethiopian military attemped to hide the acquisition of the three UCAVs by hastily moving them to a nearby hangar during their delivery to avoid their detection by prying eyes (an effort which nonetheless failed), the presence of Wing Loong Is at Harar Meda air base has now been revealed on satellite imagery as well. [1]

Tuesday, 16 November 2021

Armenia-Azerbaijan November 2021 Border Clash: Losses Documented

Oryx 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War , Armenia 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Armenia and Azerbaijan on Tuesday the 16th of November 2021 clashed along their border a year after the war over Nagorno-Karabakh came to an uneasy peace, trading accusations regarding which side initiating the clashes. Armenia admitted that thirteen of its soldiers had been captured by Azerbaijan, that 18 were still missing and that six Armenian soldiers were killed in action during the latest clashes, adding that its army had also lost control of two military positions. [1] [2] [3] [4] On its part, Armenia claimed the destruction of five Azerbaijani AFVs and five vehicles. [5] According to Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan, Azeri forces succeeded in taking control of a total of 41 square kilometers of Armenian territory since May 2021. [6]

Monday, 15 November 2021

Taliban Army Reinstates Armour Operations In Afghanistan

Oryx Afghan Army , Afghanistan 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Armoured warfare in Afghanistan diminished drastically after the 2001 United States invasion of the country. While past regimes and factions relied heavily on the use of armour as fire-support platforms, the U.S.-led Coalition saw little use for heavy armour by the new Afghan National Army (ANA). Plans to re-equip the only remaining armour unit of the ANA with M60A3 tanks were eventually shelved as a result, and only through sheer dedication did the ANA managed to cling on to a single tank battalion. [1]

Saturday, 13 November 2021

Deadly Ineffective: Chinese-Made Wing Loong UAVs Designate Targets For Ethiopian Su-27 Bombers

Oryx China , Ethiopia 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Ethiopia's use of Su-27 fighter aircraft as bombers against targets in the Tigray Region could count on international condemnation for the numerous civilian casualties caused by the inaccurate strikes. In one instance, the dumb bombs dropped by a Su-27 missed their intended target by a kilometre away. [1] Originally designed as an interceptor and never upgraded to carry guided weaponry in Ethiopian service, the use of Su-27s (which's pilots were never trained to deploy bombs) to strike targets even as large as the Northern Command's headquarters had little chance of success to begin with.

The MRL From Hell: Armenia’s Land Mattress

Oryx 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War , 2K11 Krug 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Relatively little is known about Armenia's weapon industry since its inception in the mid-1990s. Despite the unveiling of several promising projects in the decades since, most of its designs were destined to never leave the drawing board or progress beyond prototype status due to a lack of funding and interest from the Armenian Army. Nonetheless, a number of designs that did ultimately see the light of day serve as a reminder that such an industry survives to some degree.

Thursday, 11 November 2021

An Elusive Tank Hunter: Mali’s 9P133 ATGM Carriers

Oryx 9P133 , anti-tank guided missile 0 Comments

By Thomas Nachtrab in collaboration with Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The Malian Armed Forces used to operate large quantities of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) received from the Soviet Union. In addition to acquiring sizeable numbers of T-54B MBTs, PT-76 light tanks and BTR-60 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), several more types operated in the shadows of their more numerous counterparts. One of these types is the 9P133 Malyutka, an anti-tank variant of the BRDM-2 reconnaissance vehicle. Instead of the original turret, the 9P133 features an elevatable launcher with six 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).

Wednesday, 10 November 2021

Ethiopia Acquires Chinese TL-2 Missiles For Its Wing Loong I UCAVs

Oryx China , Ethiopia 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

This website earlier reported on the acquisition of Chinese-made Wing Loong I unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) by Ethiopia and their subsequent sighting over Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray Region. [1] [2] As the Tigray War appears to be slowly spiralling out of control for the Ethiopian government, the Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) has now acquired weaponry for the three Wing Loong Is it purchased in mid-September 2021. The first batch of 50 TL-2 air-to-ground missiles arrived to Ethiopia on the 3rd of November. [3] [4]

Forgotten Designs: The Turkish Cemal Tural APC

Oryx AFV , APC 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans in collaboration with Alper Akkurt

Turkey's arms industry currently offers a variety of both wheeled and tracked APC designs for sale to clients home and abroad. Many of these incorporate features such as remote weapon stations or even electric drive propulsion. Undoubtedly owing to their advanced capabilities and their proven quality, Turkish APCs have found commercial success in Georgia, Bahrain, the Philippines, Oman, the UAE and Malaysia. We previously reported on Turkey's first (truly indigenous) APC design, the Nurol Ejder 6x6 produced by Nurol Makina, which was later acquired by Georgia. While respectable in its own right, the Ejder 6x6 is actually not the first APC design to have come out of Turkey.

Friday, 5 November 2021

Morocco’s Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs Break Cover

Oryx #Shorts , Bayraktar TB2 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Less than two months after the first Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) arrived to Morroco, one example has already been sighted in the skies over the Kingdom. Morocco is notoriously secretive when it comes to the types of drones it operates and where they're being deployed, and some of its UAV types have managed to evade public attention for years while others have yet to been sighted in Moroccan service. [1] Nonetheless, with thirteen TB2s reported to have been acquired the chance of spotting one increases considerably.

Thursday, 4 November 2021

Su-27 Fighters Deployed As Bombers In Tigray War

Oryx Bahir Dar , bomber 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) has traditionally relied on its fleet of Soviet-era MiG-23BN fighter-bombers to carry out bombing missions and to provide close air support (CAS). These rugged aircraft have seen considerable use during the Tigray War that commenced in November 2020, so far leading to the loss of two airframes in November and December 2020. [1] Although appreciated by the ETAF for their ability to carry a hefty bomb load, the less than a dozen or so remaining MiG-23BNs lack the ability to deploy modern precision-guided munitions (PGMs), severely limiting their options to accurately strike enemy targets.

Pandora Papers: How A U.S. Law Firm Attemped To Sell A Ukrainian Defence Giant To China

Oryx Beijing Skyrizon Aviation , Beijing Skyrizon Aviation Industry Investment Co 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Over the past decades Ukraine has garnered a questionable reputation for supplying just about any interested nation with every type of armament you could possibly imagine. Whether a country was in the market for 2500km-ranged cruise missiles (Iran), S-300 SAM systems (United States), Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers (Russia), or even a complete aircraft carrier and the blueprints to build more of them (China), Ukraine had you covered. In some cases these deals were carried out at government level and according to international law, while others were concluded in nightclubs involving bribery and a lot of alcohol. [1]

Wednesday, 3 November 2021

DIY Warfare: Armenia’s N-2 MRL

Oryx 2K11 Krug , Armenia 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Throughout its modern history Armenia has frequently come up with ingenious weapons designs in an attempt to provide its military with new combat capabilities at relatively little cost. One such project, a remote weapon system designed for use in trenches, has already been covered in an earlier article on this website. Another relatively little-known project entailed the design of a short-range thermobaric multiple rocket launcher (MRL) that utilises twelve RPG-7 launchers installed on a towed-trailer or truck.

Much like the remote weapon station, this contraption too was likely designed with trench warfare against Azerbaijani forces around Nagorno-Karabakh in mind. Known as the N-2, the MRL was designed and produced by the Garni-ler arms company likely somewhere during the 1990s or 2000s. [1] The launcher uses twelve TBG-7V thermobaric rockets (or its Armenian copy the TB-1), although any warhead that can be fired from a regular RPG-7 can be used in theory. The twelve rockets are fired remotely either in single shots or several rockets at a time.

Sunday, 31 October 2021

A Rare Bird: The IAI Heron In Moroccan Service

Oryx Ben Guerir air base , Dakhla 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Some nations eagerly show off their drone arsenal in an effort to display their military might to the rest of the world, other countries are less keen on revealing their inventory and operations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One such country is Morocco, which currently operates a sizeable fleet of Israeli, Chinese and Turkish UAVs and UCAVs. [1] Nonetheless, very little is known regarding their actual operations, with Morocco appearing intend on keeping UAV operations the armed forces' best-kept secret.

Friday, 29 October 2021

Kurdish Armour: Inventorising YPG Equipment In Northern Syria

Oryx Afrin , BMP-1 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

A number of attacks on Turkish patrols in northern Syria have brought Turkey and YPG forces to the brink of war. In response to the latest attack, which saw the death of one Turkish soldier, President Erdogan vowed to clear northern Syria from the YPG. [1] In order to achieve this, YPG (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel – People's Protection Units, itself the primary faction in the Syrian Democratic Forces alliance) forces would either have to leave the border region voluntarily or take up arms and fight the Free Syrian Army and Turkish military. In the latter case, the YPG's armour is undoubtedly set to play a role as the faction's primary fire-support platforms. This article attempts to catalogue the YPG's fleet of AFVs and other heavy weaponry and explain how its armoured force came to be.

Thursday, 28 October 2021

Baptism By Fire - Ukraine’s Bayraktar TB2 See First Use

Oryx Baykar , Baykar Savunma 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

A video uploaded on the 26th of October 2021 depicts a meanwhile all too familiar sight for those following armed conflicts: A Bayraktar TB2 striking an unsuspecting foe on the ground. [1] The difference to past drone strikes carried out by the TB2 is that this one took place in Eastern Ukraine, the first strike to have occurred here since the delivery of TB2s to Ukraine in 2019. Less novel was the target of the drone strike: A 122mm D-30 howitzer operated by separatist forces. The successful destruction of the howitzer marked the 56th D-30 to have been destroyed by TB2s over Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria and now Ukraine. [2]

Friday, 22 October 2021

Sons of Bamako - Malian Armed Forces Fighting Vehicles

Oryx ACMAT Bastion , Bamako 0 Comments

By Thomas Nachtrab in collaboration with Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

The goal of this list is to comprehensively catalogue Mali's current and past inventory of (armoured fighting) vehicles and heavy weaponry. Historically a major recipient of Soviet military aid, frequent arms deliveries in the 1970s and 1980s turned Mali into one of the strongest militaries in western Africa, operating advanced equipment such as dedicated tank destroyers, S-125 SAM systems and MiG-21bis jet fighters. The 1990s and 2000s saw the Malian Army retiring much of this equipment amid a changed security situation and resulting decrease in its defence expenditure.

Like most other African militaries, the Malian Army's combat effectiveness in the late 2000s and early 2010s was extremely low, a fact that prevented it from dealing with the 2012 Tuareg insurgency and the subsequent rise of Al-Qaeda, ultimately forcing France to intervene to prevent a hostile takeover of Mali and throwing the rest of the region into turmoil. In the years since, the Malian military has been rebuild with the help of the European Union (EU), with Soviet heavy weaponry making place for modern MRAPs and infantry mobility vehicles.

Nonetheless, Mali continues to operate equipment like the T-54 and PT-76, albeit in much small numbers than before. Interestingly, the Malian Army appears to have returned several other Soviet-era AFVs back to operational condition in recent years, although these appear to spend most of their time collecting dust in barracks with little training being undertaken as they are of little use in fighting the ongoing insurgency. Nonetheless, the ultimate result is an exotic inventory of equipment that could surprise many seasoned analyst for its sheer diversity.

Thursday, 21 October 2021

From Mohajer-6s To Wing Loong Is - Listing Ethiopia’s Growing Drone Arsenal

Oryx Aerostar , drone 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

In an effort to turn the tide in the ongoing Tigray War, Ethiopia has invested heavily in the acquisition of unmanned (combat) aerial vehicles from a number of countries around the world. After years of disregard of modern developments worldwide, the Ethiopian Air Force found itself caught in a conflict with no aircraft that could deploy precision-guided munitions (save for one Su-25TK), allowing Tigray forces to freely roam the battlefield and operate the large quantities of heavy weaponry it managed to capture from government forces. [1]

How Turkey Is Laying The Ground For The Future Of Unmanned Aerial Warfare

Oryx Akıncı , Baykar 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

''Listen son – you're all great and well-educated kids, but accept the fact that foreign producers are at a level unreachable.'' (Address to Selçuk and Haluk Bayraktar by a bureaucrat at the Presidency of Defense Industries, mid-2000s) [1]

Whenever the future of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is discussed, the ability to engage and shoot down other aircraft is frequently mentioned as a development that could one day make conventional fighter aircraft obsolete. Nonetheless, actual progress towards achieving such a future has been painstakingly slow. In popular discourse, capabilities of combat UAVs are frequently thought to be way ahead of their real-world abilities, with even a global armament powerhouse such as Russia still struggling to produce its own fleet of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), let alone turning these systems into agile unmanned dogfighters in the near future.

Sunday, 17 October 2021

Azerbaijan’s Emerging Arsenal Of Deterrent

Oryx ASELSAN , Azerbaijan 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Tensions have increased between Iran and Azerbaijan over road tax imposed on Iranian truck drivers that want to enter Armenia through Azerbaijan, over Azerbaijani ties to Israel and plans for a corridor linking Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave with mainland Azerbaijan. The latter's occurence could see Tehran lose its connection to Armenia altogether, hindering its access to the regional market. While current tensions between Tehran and Baku have so far been confined to diplomatic tensions and military exercises along their respective borders, some fear that mounting tensions between the two countries could one day escalate into an all-out regional conflict.

Saturday, 16 October 2021

Dreams Can Take Flight - The Alpkuş UAV

Oryx Alper Sarısan , Alpkuş 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

On display alongside a host of well-known UAV designs at Teknofest 2021 there was a UAV that looks as intriguing as it does unconventional. The object that combined these two feats is the Alpkuş, a small UAV that was designed by Turkish engineer Alper Sarısan. The Alpkuş originally started its life as a simple copy of the Colomban Cri-Cri homebuilt recreational aircraft, which has the curious distinction of being the smallest twin-engined manned aircraft in the world. Somewhere during the past several years, Alper Sarısan converted his Cri-Cri for unmanned operations, adding it to a growing list of UAV designs to come from the country.

Friday, 15 October 2021

Operating From The Shadows: Morocco’s UAV Fleet

Oryx Bayraktar TB2 , Harfang 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Morocco's use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been a subject shrouded in secrecy since the country first acquired drones in the late 1980s. Although this secrecy surrounds nearly all of its defence acquisitions, Morocco has taken extra care to reveal as little as possible with regards to what UAV types it purchased and where they're being deployed. But in a time when most people own camera phones and satellite imagery is readily available, an increasing amount of information about Morroco's drone operations is slowly becoming available.

Wednesday, 6 October 2021

Perfect Storm - Pakistan Eyes The Bayraktar TB2

Oryx Babur , Baktar-Shikan 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Having entered service with at least seven countries worldwide, several more nations are currently thought to be negotiating with Turkey for the acquisition of Bayraktar TB2s. [1] One of these nations is reported to be Pakistan, which currently operates a fleet of Chinese unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) backed up by a locally-produced drone known as the Burraq. [2] In addition to these types, Pakistan is currently also developing several more indigenous UCAVs. At least one of these aims to incorporate Turkish technology through a cooperation with Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI), the designer of the TAI Anka U(C)AV. [3]

Sunday, 3 October 2021

Turkmenistan’s Parade Analysis: What’s New?

Oryx Ashgabat , Bayraktar TB2 0 Comments

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

A military parade was held in Ashgabat on September 27, 2021 in celebration of Turkmenistan's 30th anniversary of independence. Rows of Western, Russian and Chinese weapon systems were paraded, once again highlighting the serious investments the country has made into its military over the past decade. Nonetheless, it was relatively conservative in terms of the display of major new systems except for the debut of the newly-acquired Turkish Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) and Israeli Sky Striker loitering munition. Also showcased during the naval section of the parade was the Deniz Han, the Turkmenistan Navy's new corvette and currently the most powerful warship in the Caspian Sea. The parade can be watched in its entirety here.

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