DateWednesday 22 September 2021

Time10:00 – 11:30 EST / 15:00 – 16:30 BST / 16:00 – 17:30 CET

LocationZoom Video Webinar

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V I R T U A L W E B I N A R

INITIAL REFLECTIONS ON IRANIAN SMALL ARMS CAPABILITIES

AND INFLUENCEANALYSIS OF AN IRANIAN AM-50 12.7 × 99 MM

ANTI-MATERIEL RIFLE

FEATURED SPEAKERS

C O N T E X TIn 2004, the Austrian company Steyr Mannlicher sold 800 HS .50 anti-materiel rifles to Iran.1 Soon after, unlicensed copies of the HS .50, manufactured in Iran under the model designation AM-50 began to appear in conflict zones. For more than a decade, the AM-50 rifle has been used by, and recovered from, non-state actors in Iraq as well as in the wider Middle East region.

In 2019, a Conflict Armament Research (CAR) field investigation team disassembled and documented a recovered AM-50 rifle. In September 2021, CAR will release a Technical Report of its findings on the AM-50 rifle. This technical report seeks to:

� promote knowledge among stakeholders from across the military and policy spectrum on the specific characteristics of the AM-50 rifle by providing a constructional analysis of the weapon system; and

� offer preliminary insights into, and stimulate dialogue and raise research questions on, Iran’s broader small arms and light weapon (SALW) design, manufacture, and facilitation infrastructure.

Jonathan RickellSenior Investigator Conflict Armament Research

EVENT MODERATOR

Dr Mahsa RouhiResearch Fellow and Associate ProfessorNational Defense University

Amael KotlarskiEditor of Janes Infantry WeaponsJanes

John Raine CMG OBESenior Advisor for Geopolitical Due DiligenceIISS

1 See Der Standard (Austria). 2007. ‘Steyr Mannlicher: “Unsere Waffen werden seit Jahren nachgebaut.”’, <https://derstandard.at/2766237/Steyr-Mannlicher-Unsere-Waffen-werden-seit-Jahrennachgebaut>.

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T H E E V E N T

Conflict Armament Research (CAR) is convening a virtual webinar to enhance knowledge on the characteristics of a recovered Iranian AM-50 rifle, and to facilitate dialogue and raise research questions among the policy and technical community on the potential implications of its production, distribution and deployment in conflict zones. Specifically, the event seeks to:

� Present a constructional analysis of the recovered AM-50 rifle and its component parts and consider the applicability and limitations of using such analysis of individual weapon systems to provide more expansive assessments on the general capability of the producer as well as the end users;

� Raise research questions to better understand the potential production capabilities and limitations of the Iranian SALW industry, and offer initial observations on the trends and patterns of distribution and deployment of such weaponry in theatre; and

� Reflect on the wider Iranian network of influence and the mechanics for direct and indirect provision of such weapon supplies to its partners and other actors in the region.

Enhancing a shared understandingMore broadly, the Webinar aims to enhance the shared understanding among policy and technical communities on the risks posed by unlicensed production and illicit proliferation of SALW in conflict zones. Experts will share insights on potential supply mechanics as well as end user capabilities to maintain, repair, and deploy such weapons.

Who is the event for?The event is open to the public and will be held in English. The organisers encourage the participation of national and regional representatives and experts specialised or interested in any of the issues raised in these discussions. This includes weapon technical intelligence, SALW control, counter-proliferation, provision of weapon supplies to partner entities in conflict zones, and regional security in the Middle East.