Suppose a U.S. Army unit in Afghanistan defeats a Taliban unit. What happens to the various rifles, machine guns, grenades and so forth that originally were in the Taliban's possession?
What happens to captured weapons?
Suppose a U.S. Army unit in Afghanistan defeats a Taliban unit. What happens to the various rifles, machine guns, grenades and so forth that originally were in the Taliban's possession?
Re: What happens to captured weapons?
As I understand it, it depends. Sometimes the weapons are destroyed, blown apart with explosives or otherwise rendered harmless. Sometimes they're just locked down and the kids can't have them back until they settle down and eat at least half the veggies on their plate and promise not to use them against us anymore.
Other times they can be confiscated for use by the winner or rigged to be booby traps for other bad guys. It mostly seems to be a political thing at a certain level.
Hell, if I didn't do things just because they made me feel a bit ridiculous, I wouldn't have much of a social life. - Santo Rugger.
Re: What happens to captured weapons?
Thanks, guys. Cool video, silenus. I remain curious, though. Back when I used to read gun magazines, say in the Seventies, it seemed like a huge percentage of all guns in the States were German/Japanese/whatever weapons that had been "liberated" by G.I.s during WWII. Do soldiers still do that, or are the regs against that kind of thing now strictly enforced?
Re: What happens to captured weapons?
Not "liberated" weapons, but "surplus" weapons, actually. The percentage of weapons brought back by the victors has always been very small, and even smaller in the last 40 years. All of the military hardware available came from materials sold as surplus by the governments involved. For example, one of my favorite rifles is a Model 96 Swedish Mauser. Now, since we haven't fought a war with Sweden in forever, it can't be a "souvenir." But the Swedish government periodically releases a bunch of "surplus to needs" rifles from their armories, and these make their way to this country for collectors like me to buy.
There are also any number of Springfields, Garands and M1 carbines in private hands thanks to the Civilian Marksmanship Program.
"The Turtle Moves!"
Re: What happens to captured weapons?
I knew about surplus weapons -- heck, my brother has an ex-Brazilian Army 30-06-- but the impression I got from my boyhood reading was that illicitly obtained weapons were pretty common.
Of course, "Daddy took this Nambu from a Japanese Officer he killed with his bayonet" probably made a better story than "Daddy bought this Nambu from a pawnshop along with his wristwatch and Mama's engagement ring".
Re: What happens to captured weapons?
Exactly.
The military has always frowned on weapons as souvenirs, and they got down-right nasty about it when the bad guys started carrying assault rifles.
"The Turtle Moves!"
Re: What happens to captured weapons?
If the weapons are even remotely technologically interesting, they'll be shipped back stateside for "foreign materiel exploitation". Money quote:
2-6(e through h): Army elements in custody of items of foreign material will establish
procedures to ensure control of such material. These procedures generally
will conform to the basic accounting principles in AR 735-5. Procedures
will, as a minimum, provide for the initial receiving, identification,
reporting, location, distribution, and disposal. Accountability will be
maintained for each item and for components, assemblies, and subassemblies
that the item is broken down into. Repair parts may be accounted for in
bulk, but will be identified as to end-item application when possible.
f. Army elements will not dispose of foreign material in the Army FMEP
without the written approval of the Army FMEP manager. No item of foreign
material in the Army FMEP will be consumed in testing or otherwise destroyed
without the written consent of the Army FMEP manager unless specified in the
exploitation plan or procurement or work directive.
g. Army elements having custody of Army FMEP material will notify the
Commander, U.S. Army Foreign Science and Technology Center, ATTN:
AIAST-IO-FM, Charlottesville, VA 22901-5396, when there is a change of
location or status of any items of foreign material in their possession.
This does not apply to those items to be consumed during testing in
satisfaction of the exploitation plan. This reporting requirement includes
the following:
(1) Components, assemblies, or parts removed from an end-item loaned to
another command or unit or moved to another location from the end-item.
(2) Items destroyed or tested in destructive testing even though not
specified in the exploitation plan or procurement or work directive.
h. The exploitation of foreign material acquired by an Army element for
which no procurement or work directive has been issued will be limited to
visual and photographic examination and such measurements or tests that do
not alter or damage the material, except as authorized by the Army FMEP
manager.
Re: What happens to captured weapons?
Thanks, Jurph, that's good stuff.
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