Armed Forces
Czech Rifles and Ammunition for the Peshmerga. Prague Supporting the Fight Against Daesh Again
Fot. MNiSW
“We are going to deliver 6.5 thousand assault rifles and more than 7 million rounds of ammunition in order to support the Iraqi Army and the Kurds in their struggle against ISIS” – as the Czech Prime Minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, announced.The Czech official also added that, in the upcoming period, Prague is also going to support Jordan, within the scope of the conflict in the Middle East, as Sobotka considers this country to be a stable partner.
PM Sobotka, multiple times, assured the Jordan authorities of his support and trust, noting that this is a stable country which helps the refugees locally and which fights the extremists. Thus, the Czech Republic is going to provide more assistance for Jordan, in the upcoming period of time. The aid is going to include 7 million rounds of ammunition for handguns and machine guns.
More than 7 million rounds are to be sent, via airborne transport provided by the US, to the Kurds and the Iraqi Army. Along with the ammunition, 6.5 thousand 7.62 x 39 mm rifles are to be supplied to the area. However, here we do not mean the AK rifle, as the above refers to the Czech Vz. 58 carbines that are being withdrawn from the active use in the Czech Army, as they are replaced by the CZ805 BREN design. The Czech Ministry of Defence has been negotiating the issue of transfer of the weaponry to the forces fighting against Daesh. The Peshmerga and the Iraqis are going to receive three thousand second hand and 3.6 thousand new-old stock, preserved Vz. 58 rifles, along with 7.2 million rounds of ammunition. The total value of the assistance, which is to be provided to the Iraqis via an air bridge organized by the US Air Force, exceeds one million dollars. Last year, the Czechs also provided several shipments of armament and ammunition for the forces fighting against Daesh. In November, the delivery included 5 thousand hand grenades and 10 million rounds of ammunition.
Vz. 58 carbine is a reliable design, introduced into the inventory of the Czechoslovakian Army back in 1958. The weapon uses the soviet 7.62 mm ammunition, also used in the AK/AKM carbines, commonly accessible in the Middle East. However, the magazines used with the Kalashnikov system weaponry are not compatible with the Czech carbine.