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			[16]
	T-62	Soviet Union			[16]
	T-72	Soviet Union			[16]
	Type 69	China			[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	People's Republic of 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]
	AN/TWQ-1 Avenger	United States	4/8 FIM-92 Stinger missiles		[20]

Aircraft

Photo	Aircraft	Origin	Type	In service	Notes
Helicopters
	Airbus H135	France	Transport	3+ [20]
	MD Helicopters MD-530F	United States	Transport	2+ [20]
	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+	[26]
	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	[26]
Tactical Equipment
	Zeiss Fero Z-51	Germany	Night-vision device	680	[26]

Gallery

• 
  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. 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. 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. McNab 2023, p. 61.
6. 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. 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. 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. Wiegold, T. (22 June 2015). "Bundeswehr bildet im Irak Jeziden-Bataillon aus". augengeradeaus.net (in German). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
12. 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. "The South African Defence Industry Database". Archived from the original on 6 March 2019.
16. 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. 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. "German Military Aid to the Kurdish Peshmerga". AGI. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2025.

Bibliography

• Holtom, Paul; Rigual, Christelle (14 June 2015). "CHAPTER 4. Trade Update: After the 'Arab Spring'". Small Arms Survey 2015: Weapons and the World. Cambridge University Press: 84−123. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (13 February 2017). "Chapter Ten: Country comparisons and defence data" . The Military Balance. 117 (1). Taylor & Francis: 549–564. doi:10.1080/04597222.2017.1271217. ISSN   0459-7222 . Retrieved 20 August 2024.
• McNab, Chris (2023). The SVD Dragunov Rifle. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4728-5599-2.