101–200 of 516
Current Filter
Unguided Munition
Munitions incapable of altering their flight path once fired, instead following a relatively predictable trajectory (typically a ballistic trajectory). Unguided munitions are generally less precise, and cheaper, than guided alternatives.
Analyst Note:
The JROF and JROF-K are Czech derivatives of the Soviet 122 mm ‘Grad’ series of surface-to-surface rockets. The JROF-K is the shorter, reduced-range variant, broadly analogous to the Soviet 9M22M. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows a MXU-735 solid nose plug that can be installed in the nose fuze well of a MK 80-series aerial bomb in place of a fuze. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows a fragment of an Israeli 120 mm tank gun projectile, with its distinctive obturating band configuration. The additional remnants shown in the related OSMP entry permit distinguishing this projectile from other potential Israeli models, identifying it as the M339 tank gun projectile. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows an Iranian M344 106 mm recoilless gun projectile. The M344 is a high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) munition, containing a shaped charge that is designed to penetrate armour. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows the functioned rocket motor of an Israeli Carpet rocket. The Carpet uses a fuel-air explosive (FAE) warhead which is designed to function mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), clearing a target area for the advance of friendly forces. These rockets are fired from the Carpet rocket launcher, which is loaded with up to 20 rockets and can be fitted to a variety of vehicles. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows a MK 84 2,000-pound bomb that has had its fuze and baseplate removed in order to access the explosive filler. The fuze, fuze retaining ring, and baseplate can be seen on the white sheet.
The explosive material used to fill the bomb has been removed, possibly to be repurposed in improvised explosive devices or craft-produced munitions. Unexploded ordnance is often ‘harvested’ for these purposes. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows a 9M22S rocket with some of its unfunctioned payload of 180 ML-5 incendiary elements. Each ML-5 is a hexagonal prism formed from a hollow shell of magnesium that is filled with an incendiary composition. These elements are ignited by the ejection charge of the rocket’s warhead upon functioning. Two fuzes are also visible at the bottom of the image, immediately above and below the ruler. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
This image shows three North Korean 120 mm high explosive (HE) mortar projectiles. (ARES).
Analyst Note:
This image shows a North Korean 120 mm high explosive (HE) mortar projectile next to an Iranian 120 mm HE mortar projectile. Despite both being the same calibre, the overall shapes and dimensions of the two projectiles are noticeably different. Factors such as payload weight and range can be affected significantly by projectile shape. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The ZAB-250-200 (ЗАБ-250-200) unguided air-delivered bomb is loaded with 48 kg of a napalm-like thickened incendiary mixture, 8 kg of cotton scraps soaked in kerosene (paraffin), and 4 kg of pyrotechnic composition to aid with ignition. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
Whilst there are no visible markings explicitly identifying the model of the 122 mm rockets in this image, they are sitting atop a box marked “R-122” and exhibit physical features consistent with North Korean R-122 rockets. It should be noted that rockets marked with the generic “R-122” model name have been observed in both ‘long’ and ‘short’ overall lengths and painted in different colours. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
Whilst relatively little is known about Burmese air-delivered bombs from publicly available sources, researchers (including those at ARES and Myanmar Witness) have been collecting evidence based on munitions’ physical features and markings. Combined with information from confidential sources, this has allowed for the tentative identification of several models. (ARES)
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)
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)
Analyst Note:
This 9M27K-series surface-to-surface cargo rocket is loaded with either 9N210 or 9N235 high explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) submunitions. These models are nearly identical in construction, differing primarily in the nature of the pre-formed fragments they carry. (ARES)
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)
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)
Analyst Note:
This image shows an SUU-30H/B, an air-delivered dispenser which can be configured to carry different submunition payloads. These can include 217 BLU-61 A/B, 650 BLU-63/B, or 650 BLU-86/B or BLU-86 A/B. The munition can also carry inert payloads. The specific combination of payload and dispenser determines the ‘Cluster Bomb Unit’ (CBU) designation, with SUU-30H/B dispensers being paired with different payloads to form the CBU-58 and CBU-71 series. Contextual information suggests that this dispenser was part of a CBU-58/B cluster munition, but this cannot be established from an assessment of this image alone. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
MK 84 unguided air-delivered bombs can be fitted with a variety of tail kits, or with guidance kits which convert them into precision guided munitions (PGMs). When an air-delivered bomb impacts a building or the ground without functioning, the tail or guidance kit may be sheared off. With these separated from the munition—and in the absence of other identifying features, such as a seeker fitted to the nose of the weapon—it becomes very difficult to determine whether the bomb was guided or unguided. (ARES)
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)
Analyst Note:
Two of the distinctive, black tailfins used on S8-series air-to-surface rockets are visible to front and left of the remnant material. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
Almost all cluster munitions, including this example, expel their submunitions during flight. The submunitions are often held in an internal frame, such as that visible here, prior to being expelled. Depending on the munition, these internal frames may be diagnostic for identification. They usually do not carry a significant explosive payload in their own right, and therefore often withstand the functioning of the munition relatively intact. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The 9M27K3 surface-to-surface rocket is fitted with the 9N128K3 cargo warhead (seen here). This warhead carries a payload of 312 PFM-1 or PFM-1S scatterable anti-personnel landmines. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The markings on this 9N128K3 cargo warhead indicate that it was produced in 1989 and fitted to a 9M27K3 rocket in 1990. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The arming vane for a nose fuze (painted red) is visible on each of the two leftmost MAB-10B6 air-delivered bombs in this image. As the bomb falls, air passing over the arming vane causes it to spin, arming the fuze. (ARES)
Analyst Note:
The circles in this image indicate where the fixed fin assembly is connected to the bomb body. Fin assemblies such as this help stabilise the bomb as it falls, improving the predictability of the trajectory and thus precision. Fins also orient the bomb as it falls so that munition travels nose-down. Orientation of the bomb on impact can play a role in fuze functioning, as well as the distribution of explosive or other effects. (ARES)
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)
Analyst Note:
This image shows what is probably just the body of an Israeli 155 mm smoke artillery projectile. Israel predominantly uses two varieties of 155 mm smoke munition: the M825 white phosphorous (WP) series of munitions, and the M150 hexachloroethane/zinc mixture (HC) munition. These munitions are externally near-identical, save for their markings. In this case, the markings are insufficient to determine whether the image shows an M825-series WP munition or an M150 HC munition. (ARES)
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)
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)
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)
