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Afghans Adopt the M-16
   Next Article → WARPLANES: The GPS Edge In Training
November 24, 2007: The Afghan Army is replacing its AK-47s for M-16s. The first 5,000 M-16s arrive in January, and 10,000 a month after that, until 50,000 have arrived. The Afghan army currently has a strength of about 50,000, and this is expected to reach 64,000 in the next 14 months. While the AK-47 is more reliable when dirty, the M-16 is more accurate, a bit lighter and sounds different than the AK-47. That last item is important in combat, as it helps you sort out who is where. Around the world, rebels and irregulars tend to choose the M-16 over AK-47, if they have a choice. This despite all the criticism the M-16 gets. The AK-47 also has its quirks. But since the AK-47 has been so romanticized in the West, those flaws tend to be played down. Not so in the field.

 

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Yimmy       11/25/2007 2:37:31 PM
Sounds like another attempt for American industry to make money out of the conflict.  I am more than happy to be proven wrong however.
 
From what I have seen of the ANA, and espeically their smoking dope during lulls in the battle, I think they are far more suited to AK's than M16's.
 
 
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flamingknives       11/25/2007 3:00:11 PM
Perhaps that should be 
"People who are subsidised heavily by the US government prefer to 'buy' US equipment than pay for others or their own designs"

The US supplies the arms and ammunition.
 
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flamingknives       11/25/2007 3:00:18 PM
Perhaps that should be 
"People who are subsidised heavily by the US government prefer to 'buy' US equipment than pay for others or their own designs"

The US supplies the arms and ammunition.
 
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Yimmy       11/25/2007 3:02:18 PM
I would suggest the ANA would be better off buying their arms and ammunition from Pakistan.
 
 
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flamingknives       11/25/2007 4:45:01 PM
But then the US wouldn't pay for them.
 
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Rasputin       11/26/2007 11:02:42 AM
It would help if the users firing the weapons were to shoulder them first before firing it. If not it would not make much of a difference whether the Afghan army are using M16s or AK 47s.

To be fair the Afghanis in the past (single shot or bolt action era) were known to be good marksmen, but ever since they got hold of AKs most users tend not to bother aiming, but prefer to rely on automatic fire to get a hit.

If the Afghanis are getting training from the US, then it makes sense, as they would be more effective, and they can easily pass them over the surplus M16s.

My doubt or question is  would the M16 be able to stand the infinite brutality of the Afghan environment and the Afghan soldier??????
 
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Est. 22       11/26/2007 12:51:32 PM

I would suggest the ANA would be better off buying their arms and ammunition from Pakistan.

The standard POF individual small arm is the G3... so, yeah, how about handing out an open bolt rifle to those you deem too indisciplined to clean M16s
 
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Est. 22       11/26/2007 1:01:33 PM


To be fair the Afghanis in the past (single shot or bolt action era) were known to be good marksmen... My doubt or question is  would the M16 be able to stand the infinite brutality of the Afghan environment and the Afghan soldier??????

Good marksmen take good care of their weapons... if the weapon is introduced in a manner that resonates with their cultural heritage there is no doubt they will take good care of it. On the other hand an Afghan was no better a marksman than anybody else so trained, but the disposition of the terrain in his native land put extra-emphasis on marksmanship than say manouvering-in-close-order.
 
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bob the brit       11/26/2007 1:47:52 PM
Firstly, I'd like SYSOPs to point out some of these quirks they say the AK-47 [other family members] have, I'm very curious about that [mainly because in all my time firing those longs, I never had a complaint]. The first priority should be to teach the ANA proper weapons handleing; having seen that "Taking on the Taleban" and a few other docu' productions featuring our cannabis toting freinds, I highly doubt [as another on this thread mentioned] that the M16 with its 'superior' accuracy/range will have any affect [maybe the three round burst will help conserve rounds a bit?, don't give 'em dimeco's]. Teach them to respect a gun and shoulder it properly and conserve shots and then think about arming them appropriatley.
 
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flamingknives       11/26/2007 1:55:42 PM
I didn't think that the G3 was open bolt. It certainly doesn't look like it is in the videos I've turned up.


 
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