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OSMP898
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine M712 Copperhead
Analyst Note:
The M712 ‘Copperhead’ is a laser-guided 155 mm artillery gun projectile carrying a high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead designed to engage armoured vehicles. The Copperhead was developed in the United States in the 1970s, and saw limited use during Operation Desert Storm. The M712 is is pictured here inside its shipping container, and the slots for the enclosed, deployable (‘pop-out’) wings and fins are visible. The M712 has two operational modes: a ballistic mode that follows a gun’s ballistic trajectory like a traditional artillery projectile, and a glide mode, which follows a longer and flatter trajectory. The preferred mode is set by the artillery crew before firing. (ARES)
OSMP883
Mortar Projectile Ukraine
Analyst Note:
The two North Korean 120 mm high explosive (HE) mortar projectiles in this image are each fitted with five cloth bags affixed above the tailfins. These are incremental propellant charges (sometimes known as augmenting, auxiliary, or supplemental charges), the number of which can be varied along with a mortar’s elevation to adjust the trajectory and range of the munition when fired. (ARES)
OSMP885
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine
Analyst Note:
This image shows two Iranian 130 mm high explosive (HE) artillery gun projectiles. Calibre (“130MM”) and functional type (“HE - TNT”) markings are visible on the right-hand example, whilst a lot marking (“LOT:10/202[…]”) is partially obscured. The “TNT” marking indicates that this munition uses a trinitrotoluene composition as its explosive fill. (ARES)
OSMP884
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine
Analyst Note:
This image shows an Iranian 122 mm high explosive (HE) artillery gun projectile. Like several other munitions, it is described in Iranian sources—and, in this case, on the munition itself—only by reference to the weapon with which it is most often associated: the Soviet-designed 122 mm D-30 howitzer (often rendered ‘D30’, without the hyphen, in Iranian service). This munition is also marked to indicate it was produced in 2023. Interpreting munitions markings in this way, especially where they indicate recent manufacture, may provide evidence of ongoing supply during a conflict. (ARES)
OSMP879
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine
Analyst Note:
The munition indicated in this image as a 152 mm high explosive (HE) artillery gun projectile manufactured in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). (ARES)
OSMP949
Rocket or Missile MGM-140 ATACMS series
Analyst Note:
This U.S. Department of Defense file photo shows an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launching an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) series tactical ballistic missile. (ARES)
OSMP914
Rocket or Missile Myanmar 9M22 Grad series R-122
Analyst Note:
These R-122 ‘Grad’-type 122 mm surface-to-surface rockets were produced in North Korea. The example to the right is fitted with an F-122 impact fuze. Whilst a two-tone colour scheme is more common amongst those North Korean Grad rockets thus far identified in the context of the Ukraine conflict (these typically featuring a black forward section), uniformly coloured examples like this have also been identified previously. (ARES)
OSMP865
Mortar Projectile Palestinian Territories
Analyst Note:
This Iranian 60 mm mortar projectile is of the ‘Long Range’ type described without a specific model name in various Iranian export catalogues and other sources. The designation as marked on projectiles and packaging is variable, with observed formulations including “60mm H.E. L.R.”, “60mm H.E L.R”, and “60mm HE L.R”. Sometimes, as here, “60mm L.R” is followed by “HE / TNT”. (ARES)
OSMP871
Rocket or Missile Israel Blue Sparrow series
Analyst Note:
This Blue Sparrow-series air-launched ballistic missile is being carried by an F-15C fighter aircraft from 106 Squadron Israeli Air Force. The missile is marked with the logos of three organisations involved in its development—the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the Directorate of Defence Research & Development, and the Israel Missile Defense Organization—and the Blue Sparrow programme logo of the manufacturer (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems). The booster section also features bright-orange fins and markings consistent with its use as a target missile, here modified to accept a high explosive warhead. (ARES)
OSMP88
Rocket or Missile Ukraine 9M22S Grad
Analyst Note:
The 9M22S is essentially the ‘full-sized’ version of the shorter 9M28S surface-to-surface rocket previously recorded in the OSMP. Both rockets carry the same 9N510 incendiary warhead, but differ in the length of their rocket motor sections, and thus range. (ARES)
OSMP87
Rocket or Missile Ukraine 9M28S Grad
Analyst Note:
The 9M28S surface-to-surface unguided rocket carries the 9N510 warhead, which disperses burning thermite-type incendiary elements over a wide area upon functioning. This munition is designed to start fires in target areas vulnerable to incendiary attack, including forests, ammunition dumps, and fuel storage sites. (ARES)
OSMP815
Artillery Gun Projectile Israel M107
Analyst Note:
This M107 high explosive (HE) artillery gun projectile is fitted with an RT180 multi-function fuze. The RT180 can be set to operate in point-detonating or proximity modes. The factory setting for the proximity fuze detonates the warheads an average of 9 metres above the target. (ARES)
OSMP818
Air-Delivered Bomb Israel SPICE 1000 MK 83 series
Analyst Note:
The RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems SPICE 1000 guidance kit is fitted to MK 83-series 1,000-pound unguided air-delivered bombs to convert them to precision guided munitions. Like the JDAM-ER, it has a deployable wings to provide a ‘gliding’ attack trajectory. (ARES)
OSMP783
Air-Delivered Bomb Israel BLU-117 GBU-31 JDAM
Analyst Note:
The BLU-117 air-delivered bomb is nearly identical in format to the more common MK 84, but uses the PBXN-109 explosive filler which is more insensitive than the typical explosive compositions found in MK 80-series bombs. The BLU-117 is also coated with a grey, thermally resistant paint, and marked with three yellow bands (as opposed to the green paint with two yellow bands found on standard MK 80-series bombs). These changes were requested by the U.S. Navy for safer storage of these munitions aboard ships. (ARES)
OSMP694
Air-Delivered Bomb Ukraine MK 82 series JDAM-ER kit
2 Analyst Notes:
The JDAM-ER in this photograph is affixed to an unusual pylon thought to be of Ukrainian design, which allows the Western munition to be carried by the Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft in service with the Ukrainian Air Force (a MiG-29 is pictured here). (ARES)
OSMP781
Air-Delivered Bomb Israel BLU-109 GBU-31 JDAM
3 Analyst Notes:
This is an image released by the Israeli Defense Forces that shows an F-15I of 69 Squadron Israeli Air Force preparing to take part in a high-profile airstrike on 27 September 2024, in which the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed.
OSMP585
Air-Delivered Bomb Israel M117 Series
Analyst Note:
The M117 series of air-delivered bombs were historically referred to as ‘demolition bombs’, due to the more substantial blast effect they offer in comparison with so-called ‘general-purpose bombs’. This is achieved through the use of more energetic explosive compositions, such as Tritonal or Minol, which incorporate an oxidiser (typically aluminium powder). Today, munitions using such compositions are sometimes considered in the loose category of ‘enhanced blast munitions’, but the distinction between demolition and general-purpose bombs has largely disappeared. (ARES)
OSMP614
Rocket or Missile Lebanon 9M22 Grad series
Analyst Note:
The crude launch arrangement depicted in this photograph shows the ease with which many simple rocket designs can be launched. Weapons such as this are used where precision fire is not a requirement; i.e., where the target might be a whole compound, neighbourhood, or settlement, rather than a specific building or vehicle. (ARES)
OSMP713
Mortar Projectile Israel
Analyst Note:
This is an Iranian 60 mm mortar projectile, marked to indicate it is of the ‘high explosive, long-range’ type (“H.E L.R”). Both the munition body and fuze are marked to with the year of production (“2008”). Whilst the tan colouring is often indicative of Iranian-made munitions (especially where the fins are also painted), this is not diagnostic, and a combination of physical features and markings should be assessed to reach a positive identification. (ARES)
OSMP710
Recoilless Munitions Israel M344
Analyst Note:
Markings on this 106 mm recoilless gun projectile indicate it is a M344A1 high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round (“CH-106-M344-A1”) produced by Fábrica Nacional de Granada (“FNG”), Spain, in 1984 (“84”). The packing crate identifies the intended weapon as an M40A1 Cañón sin retroceso, or ‘recoilless rifle’ (“C.S.R. 106 M40 A1”). Other markings show that the round is fitted with an M509-type point-impact, base initiating (PIBD) fuze (“Espoleta PIBD M509”), and give additional details such as the expected muzzle velocity (“V₀”) of 503 m/s. (ARES)
OSMP714
Mortar Projectile Israel M91
Analyst Note:
This Iranian M91 81 mm mortar projectile is marked to indicate it was produced in 2009. The AZ111A2 fuze fitted to the projectile is also marked with the same year of manufacture. (ARES)
OSMP722
Rocket or Missile Lebanon 9M14 Malyutka
Analyst Note:
The 9M14 Malyutka anti-tank guided missile was designed and fielded by the Soviet Union in the 1960s. It uses an outdated guidance principle known as manual command to line-of-sight (MCLOS), in which the operator must manually adjust the course of the missile in flight. Nonetheless, this munition has been seen in several 21st-century conflicts. (ARES)
OSMP728
Air-Delivered Bomb Israel MK 84 series GBU-31 JDAM
Analyst Note:
In this image, an F-15C fighter aircraft from 106 Squadron Israeli Air Force is seen carrying two MK 84-series 2,000-pound-class air-delivered bombs fitted with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) ‘bolt-on’ guidance kits. In U.S. service, this combination is known as the GBU-31. (ARES)
OSMP727
Rocket or Missile Israel AGM-114 Hellfire series
Analyst Note:
In this image, four AGM-114 Hellfire-series missiles can be seen fitted to an M299-series missile launcher, itself attached to the stub wings of this Israeli AH-64 Apache helicopter. In theory, the Apache could be armed with up to sixteen Hellfire missiles, but fewer are carried in practice to allow for other weapons and sensor payloads (ARES).
OSMP712
Mortar Projectile Israel M48
Analyst Note:
This Iranian M48 120 mm mortar projectile is marked to indicate it was manufactured in 2008. A plastic bag cable-tied to the tail of the munition protects the auxiliary, or supplemental, propellant charges fitted to the round. (ARES)
OSMP711
Rocket or Missile Israel Fajr 1
Analyst Note:
This Iranian copy of the Chinese Type 63 107 mm rocket is marked with a red stripe and text to indicate it is of the high explosive incendiary (“H.E.I”) type. Markings also show that it was produced in 2007. (ARES)
OSMP716
Artillery Gun Projectile Israel M485 Series
Analyst Note:
These M485 series 155 mm artillery gun projectiles are painted yellow to indicate their functional type: illumination rounds. The M485 series of illumination projectiles are base-eject munitions that expel a parachute-retarded illuminant canister which casts light over the battlefield as it descends. (ARES)
OSMP718
Mortar Projectile Israel M48
Analyst Note:
The physical features, colour scheme, and packaging of these 120 mm mortar projectiles are all consistent with Iranian manufacture, but the markings are mostly obscured in this image. (ARES)
OSMP695
Air-Delivered Bomb Ukraine MK 82 series JDAM-ER kit
Analyst Note:
The Joint Direct Attack Munition – Extended Range (JDAM-ER) marries the JDAM guidance kit to a ‘glide bomb’ wing kit developed by the Australian Defence Force, offering a munition with at least three times the range of a standard GBU-38 500-pound-class guided aerial bomb. (ARES)
OSMP636
Tank Gun Projectile Israel
Analyst Note:
This is an Israeli 120 mm tank gun round, of the ‘armour-piercing, fin-stabilised discarding sabot – tracer’ (APFSDS-T) type. The physical features identify it as either the M322 or M338. The projectile (penetrator) of this round has no explosive content and relies on kinetic energy to penetrate armoured targets. When a projectile is of a smaller calibre than the gun’s bore, a sabot is sometimes used to ensure the projectile is centred in the bore and to trap the gas from the propellant of the cartridge and propel the projectile. In flight, the sabot separates into two or more pieces, sometimes called ‘petals’, often found along the line of fire before the impact point. (ARES)
OSMP640
Tank Gun Projectile Palestinian Territories M329 APAM
Analyst Note:
The M329 is a multi-purpose tank gun projectile designed to engage a range of targets other than tanks. It is one of the few cluster munitions that takes the form of a tank gun projectile, dispensing six explosive submunitions over a relatively small area. It has also been referred to as the ‘APAM 120’, describing its functional role (‘anti-personnel/anti-materiel’) and calibre (120 mm). (ARES)
OSMP507
Artillery Gun Projectile M485 Series
Analyst Note:
Israeli illumination munitions—often finished in a distinctive yellow—are sometimes mistaken for high explosive munitions by observers more familiar with the NATO or U.S. marking systems. This image shows an M485-pattern illumination projectile, a base-eject type that uses a parachute-retarded canister containing a powerful candle to illuminate the battlefield.
OSMP579
Artillery Gun Projectile M825A1
Analyst Note:
The M825A1 155 mm smoke projectile makes use of white phosphorus (WP) to generate a brilliant white smoke. Whilst WP does have incendiary effects, the method of dispersal in the case of the M825A1 is optimised for screening and marking purposes. (ARES)
OSMP513
Artillery Gun Projectile Palestinian Territories M150
Analyst Note:
Some artillery projectiles, such as this M150 type, use a hexachloroethane-based composition (HC) to generate smoke for screening or marking purposes. In many armed forces, HC smoke munitions have partially replaced those relying on white phosphorus for similar effects. (ARES)
OSMP509
Rocket or Missile Palestinian Territories Haseb Fajr-1
Analyst Note:
107mm spin-stabilized rockets of this design are often utilized by non-state actors in an indirect fire role. Like the original Chinese models that they are copied from, they do not require more than a simple electric power source and a rudimentary launch platform to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy. (ARES)
OSMP244
Air-Delivered Bomb Ukraine Qaem-5
Analyst Note:
The various Iranian Qaem-series guided air-delivered bombs can be difficult to differentiate from one another. In this case, the wing (forward fin) assembly distinguishes this Qaem-5 from the visually similar Qaem-1. Note also that the name 'Qaem' has applied by Iran to other, unrelated munitions. (ARES)
OSMP335
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine M982 Excalibur
Analyst Note:
Once fired, four canards will deploy from the forward (ogival) section of these M982 Excalibur guided artillery projectiles. The narrow-shaped ports through which the canards deploy are a good indicator of a guided or extended-range artillery projectile. (ARES)
OSMP339
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine M982 Excalibur
Analyst Note:
In this image, a Ukrainian soldier is using an M1155 Enhanced Portable Inductive Artillery Fuze Setter (EPIAFS) to input the target coordinates and set functioning parameters for an M982 Excalibur guided artillery projectile. (ARES)
OSMP481
Air-Delivered Bomb Syria FAB-500 M54
Analyst Note:
The M-54 ‘high-drag’ series of Soviet/Russian air-delivered bombs can be distinguished by two key identification features: 1.) the ballistic ring located in the forward portion of the bomb (missing in this example); and 2.) the presence of two or four rectangular, longitudinal ‘levelling bars’ (two can be seen in this example). (ARES)
OSMP471
Rocket or Missile Syria 57E6 Series
Analyst Note:
The 57E6 series of missiles fired from the 96K6 Pantsir system use a two-stage design that is unusual for surface-to-air missiles of this type. The remnant seen in this image is part of the missile’s booster section, which accelerates the second stage to a high velocity before separating. The booster section uses a distinctive toffee-brown, filament-wound composite body. (ARES)
OSMP451
Air-Delivered Bomb Syria M49A2
Analyst Note:
Although this munition started out life as a mortar projectile of the M492-pattern, it has been modified to be dropped from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and, in its present state, could not be fired from a conventional mortar. As such, it is correctly classified here as an air-delivered bomb. (ARES)
OSMP302
Rocket or Missile Ukraine 9M28S Grad
Analyst Note:
Like the more common 9M22S rocket, the 9M28S carries the 9N510 warhead, which dispenses 180 individual incendiary elements composed of a magnesium alloy shell filled with a thermite-like incendiary composition. (ARES)
OSMP313
Rocket or Missile Ukraine Brimstone I
Analyst Note:
The Brimstone is a series of British-designed guided missiles that can be launched from air, land, or sea platforms. The United Kingdom first provided Ukraine with the Brimstone I missile in 2022 and exports have continued since, more recently believed to include the Brimstone II model. In Ukraine, Brimstone-series missiles have been exclusively launched from ground-based and sea-based platforms as of May 2024. (ARES)
OSMP314
Rocket or Missile Ukraine 9M22 Grad series
Analyst Note:
122 mm ‘Grad’ rockets can be fired from a variety of launchers and even in improvised ways. The most common is the BM-21 launcher and its later derivatives, but many other portable or vehicle-mounted launchers have been used around the world. Craft-produced examples—ranging from simple rails to more complex designs comparable to factory made launchers—are also common. In some cases, Grad rockets are even fired whilst supported by a crude arrangement of logs, bricks, or rocks. (ARES)
OSMP277
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine A1Zh
Analyst Note:
This artillery projectile is a non-lethal type designed to carry propaganda leaflets. Externally, it strongly resembles other variants carrying lethal payloads, although this particular model has a distinctive all-red colour. The leaflets are expelled from the base of the munition by the action of a small explosive charge, after a set amount of time has elapsed after firing (determined by the fuze). (ARES)
OSMP286
Rocket or Missile Ukraine S-25-O
Analyst Note:
These S-25-O air-to-surface rockets are each loaded into a single-barrelled O-25 rocket launcher (sometimes called a 'launch tube' or 'rocket pod') that is affixed to an aircraft hardpoint. The over-calibre high explosive fragmentation warhead (of 420 mm in diameter) protrudes from the front of the tube. (ARES)
OSMP260
Mortar Projectile Ukraine
Analyst Note:
As a result of the rapid introduction of new models and variants during ongoing conflicts, sometimes a munition is issued with a provisional designation, or with no designation at all. In other cases, the designation is not yet known to researchers. (ARES)
OSMP272
Mortar Projectile Ukraine M1101
Analyst Note:
Whilst most mortars are smoothbore guns, some have a rifled bore. These M1101 120 mm mortar projectiles feature a 'pre-rifled' driving band—that is, a driving band with grooves cut at the factory to fit the mortar's rifling. (ARES)
OSMP276
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine A1Zh
Analyst Note:
Not all munitions have a lethal purpose. This is a type of ‘carrier’ or ‘cargo’ munition designed to carry and dispense a non-lethal payload—in this case, propaganda leaflets. (ARES)
OSMP250
Mortar Projectile HE 60MA
2 Analyst Notes:
The plum-coloured plastic ring at the nose of this mortar projectile (placed over its fuze) and the black plastic propellant cover (placed over its tail) are both fitted for transport and storage, before the projectile is loaded into a cardboard tube, and then packed into an outer crate. The propellant cover obscures the perforated cylindrical tail assembly in this image. (ARES)
OSMP220
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine OF-25T
Analyst Note:
This image depicts a Ukrainian-made version of the Soviet-era OF-25 152 mm artillery projectile, the designation of which is not publicly known at this time (May 2024). The yellow base colour was commonly found in batches produced by Ukroboronprom in late 2022. Later batches returned to a grey base colour. (ARES)
OSMP208
Mortar Projectile Ukraine OF-NMR
Analyst Note:
The OF-NMR is a rocket-assisted mortar projectile, which uses a solid-fuel rocket motor located in the cylindrical portion of the body, below the ogive, to extend its range. Rocket-assisted mortar projectiles are rarely encountered. (ARES)
OSMP216
Mortar Projectile Ukraine 40M11
Analyst Note:
The “+” marking is a weight classification symbol which indicates standard deviation. One “+” sign indicates a deviation from 0.33% to 1.00% of the stated weight. (ARES)
OSMP163
Artillery Gun Projectile Ukraine OF-540
Analyst Note:
Whereas many cartridges are of the 'fixed' type—with the propellant charge contained entirely within the cartridge, and the cartridge case crimped around the projectile—the OF-540 artillery gun projectile is a type of 'semi-fixed' ammunition. A round of semi-fixed ammunition is separated into two groups of components: the projectile and fuze; and the cartridge case, primer, and one or more propellant charges. These two component groups are typically combined at the time of loading the gun, or shortly beforehand. The majority of ammunition fired by artillery systems is either semi-fixed or 'separate loading' (see Glossary). (ARES)
OSMP169
Mortar Projectile Ukraine 3-Z-2
Analyst Note:
The 120 mm 3-Z-2 incendiary mortar projectile contains 6 incendiary elements, four large and two small. These are hollow steel ‘cups’ filled with an incendiary mixture of an unknown type, but understood to be comparable in effect to thermite. (ARES)
OSMP22
Rocket or Missile Ukraine NLAW Missile
Analyst Note:
The Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) uses an uncommon form of guidance known as predicted line-of-sight (PLOS). PLOS guidance calculates the anticipated position of a moving target prior to launch, with the munition using inertial guidance to fly to the projected impact point. This fire-and-forget technique allows the operator to move positions immediately after firing, and is generally cheaper than other fire-and-forget guidance types. (ARES)
OSMP2
Artillery Gun Projectile OF45
Analyst Note:
In the Ukraine conflict, several groups have offered a service whereby financial supporters can have a message of their choice marked on a munition. Such messages are often references to memes or popular media. The middle artillery projectile shown here is marked with “omae wa mou shindeiru”—an English transliteration of the Japanese phrase お前はもう死んでいる (“you are already dead”), which appears in the popular Fist of the North Star manga and anime series. (ARES)