List of equipment of the Peshmerga

The following is a list of equipment currently in use with the Peshmerga (The Internal Security Forces of the Kurdistan Region). It includes small arms, vehicles, artillery, anti-aircraft guns, and aircraft.

Current equipment

Small arms

Photo Name Origin Type Caliber Quantity Notes
Pistols
P1  West Germany Semi-automatic pistol 9×19mm Parabellum 8,000+ in aid.[1]
Glock 19  Austria Semi-automatic pistol 9×19mm Parabellum N/A [2]
Rifles and carbines
vz. 58  Czechoslovakia Assault rifle 7.62×39mm Thousands [3]
AK-47  Soviet Union Assault rifle 7.62×39mm Thousands [4]
AKM  Soviet Union Assault rifle 7.62×39mm Thousands [5]
M16  United States Assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO Thousands 4,400+ in aid. M16A4 variant used.[6]
M4  United States Carbine 5.56×45mm NATO Thousands 14,400+ in aid.[7]
Heckler & Koch G36  Germany Assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO Thousands 13,000+ in aid.[1][8][9][10]
Heckler & Koch G3  West Germany Battle rifle 7.62×51mm NATO Thousands 11,000+ in aid.[1][8][11]
SVD  Soviet Union Designated marksman rifle 7.62×54mmR Thousands [5]
Zijiang M99  China Anti-materiel rifle 12.7×108mm [12]
Machine guns
PKM  Soviet Union General-purpose machine gun 7.62×54mmR [13]
M240B  United States General-purpose machine gun 7.62×51mm NATO Hundreds 186+ in aid.[6]
MG 42 Nazi Germany General-purpose machine gun 7.92×57mm Mauser Hundreds 100+ in aid.[8]
Rheinmetall MG3  West Germany General-purpose machine gun 7.62×51mm NATO Hundreds 47+ in aid. Includes the Beretta MG 42/59 variant.[1][8][11]
DShK  Soviet Union Heavy machine gun 12.7×108mm Thousands [14]
M2 Browning  United States Heavy machine gun .50 BMG 86+ in aid.[1][6][8]
Grenade launchers
Neopup PAW-20  South Africa Grenade launcher 20×42mm [15]
Denel Y3 AGL  South Africa Automatic grenade launcher 40×53mm [15]
QLZ-87  China Automatic grenade launcher 35×32mmSR [12]
Anti-tank weapons
RPG-7  Soviet Union Rocket-propelled grenade 40 mm Thousands [4][8]
Panzerfaust 3  West Germany Rocket-propelled grenade 60 mm 450 launchers and 5,000 rockets.[8][11]
Carl Gustaf  Sweden Recoilless rifle 84 mm 40+ in aid.[16][8]
SPG-9  Soviet Union Recoilless rifle 73 mm [16]
M40  United States Recoilless rifle 105 mm [16]
HJ-8  China Anti-tank guided missile 120 mm [16]
9M14 Malyutka  Soviet Union Anti-tank guided missile 125 mm [16]
9M113 Konkurs  Soviet Union Anti-tank guided missile 135 mm [16]
9M133 Kornet  Russia Anti-tank guided missile 152 mm [16]
MILAN  France
 West Germany 		Anti-tank guided missile 115 mm 30 launchers and 700 guided missiles.[16][8][9]
BGM-71 TOW  United States Anti-tank guided missile 152 mm [16]

Combat vehicles

Photo Name Origin Variant Quantity Notes
Main battle tanks
T-54/T-55  Soviet Union 130 Most captured in 1991 and 2003.[16]
T-62  Soviet Union 100 [16]
T-72  Soviet Union 80 Most captured in 2003.[16]
Type 69  China 40 Most captured in 1991-2003.[16]
Reconnaissance
EE-9 Cascavel  Brazil [16]
Armoured personnel carriers
MT-LB  Soviet Union [16]
BRDM-2  Soviet Union [16]
BMP-2  Soviet Union [16]
BMP-1  Soviet Union [16]
EE-11 Urutu  Brazil 2+[16]
Type 63  China [16]
MRAPs
Cougar  United States 6×6 [16]
BAE Caiman  United States [16]
International MaxxPro  United States [16]
IAG Guardian  United Arab Emirates [16]
STREIT Group Spartan  United Arab Emirates [16]
Reva  South Africa [16]
Wer'wolf MKII Namibia [16]
Utility vehicles
Humvee  United States M1151 Thousands 36 Humvees and 77 up-armored Humvees in 2017, around 48 in July and 226 in November 2021, supplied by the US[6][17][18][19]
ATF Dingo  Germany Dingo 1 Up to 23 [16][9]
M1117  United States [16]
Otokar Akrep  Turkey [16]
Armoured recovery vehicle
Type 653 ARV  China 1+[16]
Logistic Trucks
Navistar 7000 series  United States Transport but some are used for the BM-21 Grad. [20]
Unimog  Germany Transport. [20]
Ural-5323  Soviet Union Transport. [20]

Artillery

Photo Name Origin Type Caliber Quantity Notes
Self-propelled artillery
2S1 Gvodzika  Soviet Union Self-propelled howitzer 122 mm [16]
Towed artillery
M119  United States Howitzer 105 mm At least 60 36 supplied by the US in 2017,[6] 24 in 2024[21][22]
D-30  Soviet Union Howitzer 122 mm At least 6[16]
M-46  Soviet Union Field gun 130 mm [16]
D-20  Soviet Union Gun-howitzer 152 mm [16]
Type 59  China Field gun 130 mm [16]
Multiple rocket launchers
BM-21 Grad  Soviet Union Self-propelled MRL 122 mm [20]
Type 63  China Towed MRL 107 mm Mounted on technicals.[20]
HM20  Iran Self-propelled MRL 122 mm Iranian version of the BM-21 Grad[20]
Mortars
M224  United States Light mortar 60 mm [4]
M252  United Kingdom
 United States 		Medium mortar 81 mm [20]
M120  Israel
 United States 		Heavy mortar 120 mm [20]

Air defense

Photo Name Origin Caliber Variant Notes
Man-portable air-defense system
9K32 Strela-2  Soviet Union 72 mm [23][24]
FN-6  China 72 mm [16]
Anti-aircraft guns
ZPU  Soviet Union 14.5×114mm ZPU-1
ZPU-2
ZPU-4 		Some mounted on technicals.[20]
ZU-23-2  Soviet Union 23 mm ZU-23-2 [25]
AZP S-60  Soviet Union 57 mm Some mounted on technicals.[20]
53T2 Tarasque  France 20 mm Some mounted on technicals.[20]
Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
ZSU-57-2  Soviet Union 57 mm [20]

Aircraft

Photo Aircraft Origin Type In service Notes
Helicopters
Eurocopter EC225 Multinational Transport At least 1[26]
Eurocopter EC635 Portugal Transport/CAS N/A Fitted with the Paramount Group FLASH (Flexible Light Armaments System for Helicopters) upgrade. Most probably provided by Jordan.[26]
Airbus H135  France Transport 3+[20]
AS350B3  France Transport 3[26]
MD Helicopters MD-530F  United States Transport 2+[20][27]
Eurocopter EC120 Colibri  France Transport-Training N/A [4]

Personal Gear

Photo Name Origin Type Quantity Notes
Protective Gear
Gefechtshelm M92 Germany Combat helmet 4,000+ [28]
Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops  United States Combat Helmet N/A As seen in the provided photo.
Interceptor Body Armor United States of America Body armor N/A As seen in some photos.
Camouflage
U.S. Woodland United States of America Military Camouflage N/A Peshmerga troops can be seen wearing the camouflage in certain images as seen here.
Desert Camouflage Uniform United States of America Military Camouflage N/A
Communications
SEM 52S mobile radios Germany Radio 700 [28]
Tactical Equipment
Zeiss Fero Z-51 Germany Night-vision device 680 [28]

Former equipment

  • Peshmerga soldiers stand in formation during the Modern Brigade Course graduation ceremony.
  • Peshmerga soldier operating an M4 carbine.
  • Peshmerga fighter aiming through an RPG-7 in Sinjar.
  • Peshmerga on a T-55 Tank outside Kirkuk.
  • Peshmerga shoots a Panzerfaust 3 during training.
  • Female Peshmerga soldiers training with G36's.
  • Peshmerga soldier standing in front of a Humvee.
  • Peshmerga soldiers in a Humvee.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Holtom & Rigual 2015, p. 110.
  2. ^ T, Kurt (14 January 2016). "Fighting ISIS: A Look at the Handguns of the Kurdish Peshmerga". SOFREP. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  3. ^ Sabak, Juliusz (27 January 2016). "Czech Rifles and Ammunition for the Peshmerga. Prague Supporting the Fight Against Daesh Again". defence24.com (in Polish). Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Bender, Jeremy (30 June 2014). "As The Kurds Mobilize In Iraq, Here's A Look At What They Have In Their Arsenal". Business Insider. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b McNab 2023, p. 61.
  6. ^ a b c d e Mehta, Aaron (19 April 2017). "State OKs Humvees, howitzers for Iraqi peshmerga in ISIS fight". Defense News. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  7. ^ Stewart, Phil; Spetalnick, Matt (5 June 2015). "U.S. quietly starts channeling arms from $1.6 billion fund to Iraq". Reuters. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Small Arms Survey (2015). "Trade Update: After the 'Arab Spring'" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2015: weapons and the world (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 110. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2015.
  9. ^ a b c Wiegold, T. (17 December 2015). "Neues Waffen-Paket für den Kampf gegen ISIS: 4.000 G36 für die Peshmerga". augengeradeaus.net (in German). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  10. ^ Wiegold, T. (17 November 2016). "Die vorerst letzten deutschen Waffen für Kurdistan (Neufassung)". augengeradeaus.net. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  11. ^ a b c Wiegold, T. (22 June 2015). "Bundeswehr bildet im Irak Jeziden-Bataillon aus". augengeradeaus.net (in German). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b Smallwood, Michael (9 August 2023). "Kurdish Forces with Chinese QLZ87 Automatic Grenade Launcher & M99 Anti-materiel Rifle". Small Arms Defense Journal. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  13. ^ Ackerman, Elliot (17 November 2014). "Eight Men, and One Gun, on the Iraqi Front". The New Yorker. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  14. ^ Bosch, Marius (7 November 2016). "The Kurdish gun fixer taking aim at Islamic State". Reuters. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  15. ^ a b "The South African Defence Industry Database". Archived from the original on 6 March 2019.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak IISS 2017, p. 563.
  17. ^ "Vehicle Divestment in Erbil". U.S. Army Europe and Africa. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  18. ^ "Kurdistan Peshmerga forces receive roughly 70 vehicles from US-led Coalition". Kurdistan24. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Global Coalition delivers military vehicles to the Peshmerga". Shafaq News. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n IISS 2017, p. 564.
  21. ^ "US howitzer transfer to Peshmerga stokes Iraqi fears of heavily-armed Erbil". Amwaj.media. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  22. ^ Matamis, Joaquin (1 November 2024). "US Supply of Heavy Weapons to the KRG Worries Baghdad • Stimson Center". Stimson Center. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  23. ^ Bender, Jeremy. "As The Kurds Mobilize In Iraq, Here's A Look At What They Have In Their Arsenal". Business Insider. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  24. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (February 2016). The Military Balance 2016. Vol. 116. London: Routledge. p. 492. ISBN 9781857438352.
  25. ^ Litovkin, Nikolai; RBTH (18 March 2016). "Russia delivers first weapons supplies to Iraqi Kurds". Russia Beyond. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  26. ^ a b c "Kurdistan Counter Terrorism Units". www.scramble.nl. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
  27. ^ "US-Backed Proxy Strengthens Iranian Hand in Intra-Kurdish Struggle". Jamestown. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  28. ^ a b c "German Military Aid to the Kurdish Peshmerga". AGI. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2025.

Bibliography

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