J.R. - - IX - - Weaponry.

This is coolbert:

Extracts taken from the original article of J.R. found here.

With regard to the abundance of sophisticated weaponry in the world:

"Having a world awash in weapons, from hand guns and assault rifles to missiles and advanced fighter jets is simply not a reasonable way to run the planet."

The world IS awash in weaponry. And much of it is of the small arms variety. In particular, the AK-47, whether manufactured in the Soviet Union, Red China, or where ever. 100 million of them in circulation. Has had an effect much greater than that of nuclear weapons. And is only an indication of the ability of nations all over the world to manufacture sophisticated weaponry. Countries such as Brazil, Israel, Romania, Bulgaria have burgeoning weapons industry that produce in abundance highly complex weapons. Weapons that were once available to only to the armies of a few nations are now available to anyone that has the money to pay.

Nations that not so long ago could have been said to be in the bow and arrow stage of weapons development now can design and produce very high grade weaponry.

An excellent example of arms proliferation around the world
is the AK-47. I have blogged about the AK before
and how it has had an influence on conflicts ALL OVER the world.
And a whole bunch of nations have manufactured this weapon
in the original form, and a number have taken the basic
AK design and used it to create a newer and improved
version of the AK, using the basic concept of the
weapons design.

Finland is one nation that used the AK as the
basic model when adopting a new assault rifle for
it's infantry. This weapon became the
Valmet. weapon superior in quality to the
basic Soviet AK.

"In the 1950's the Finnish military recognised the need
for the new military assault rifle.
Instead of "invention of the wheel", Finns decided to adopt and
modify some of existing designs, and the proven
"gun of the big neighbour", the famous Soviet AK-47 was
almost a natural choice"

The Valmet and other Finnish high quality weaponry are
exported all over the world.

"The Finnish Valmet factory produced superb assault
rifles and machine guns for the army and still
continues to be an important supplier for
the Finnish armed forces and also
exports military hardware around the world."

Click here to see a web site devoted to the Valmet.

Israel also used the basic design concept of the AK
when developing the Galil. Also could be described
as an AK knockoff. The Valmet was used as the
inspiration for the Galil.

"Basically, the Galil assault rifle can be described as a modified
Kalashnikov AK-47 design"

Click here to see a web site
about the Galil.

"the same war [1973] showed the advantages of the
Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles,
used by Arab infantry with great success."

"The latter design, based on the Finnish Valmet
Rk.62 assault rifle (a license-built AK-47 clone),
eventually won the competition and was selected as
a new IDF assault rifle in 1973"

South Africa, in turn, used the Galil as the basis
for their own indigenous weapons manufacture.

Modified slightly for South African requirements.
But still having the same AK basic concept.

The latest South African assault rifle is the CR-21.
Looks nothing like the original AK. NOT EVEN CLOSE.
But has the same basic guts and works on the same
basic AK concept.

"Internally, this rifle is a the ol' good AK-47, or,
to be more precise - the Galil.

The CR-21 has the same "old AK" style machined steel receiver,
trigger and bolt group"

"the CR21 is based heavily on the tried-and-true Kalashnikov gas
operation system."

Click here to see a web site on the CR-21.

From basic AK, to Valmet, to Galil, to CR-21!!

Land mines too are ALREADY strewn about the world in abundance. Mostly again of Communist manufacture. And strewn in a totally callous and indiscriminate manner by the foolish combatants in a variety of nations and lands. Demining is not only dangerous, and the mines themselves of course pose a monumental danger, but the cost is just astronomical for countries that are very, very poverty stricken!!

"The USA and some other nations make a big deal about limiting the sales of things like personal computers to some states, claiming they could be adapted for war. But at the same time we sell advanced missiles and warplanes and similar items to almost everyone who wants them."

Since the end of the American Civil War, the U.S. HAS been a major producer and exporter of arms for the entire world. Arms that are highly prized for quality and design.

coolbert.