Afghan Army Shifting to the M-16, Returning Canadian Battle Rifles

July 27, 2010

By Brian McCombe

Early in the War on Terror, the Afghan National Army asked coalition forces for NATO weapons to replace the aging Soviet-Era AK-47’s it had been using for years.

As part of the NATO contribution, Canada donated 2,500 surplus C-7 rifles, the main battle rifle of the Canadian Army. Recently the Afghans returned those C-7’s, in favor of the venerable M-16.

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, “with a renewed focus on training, NATO has quietly decided that the entire Afghan force should be equipped with American M-16s, of which the C-7 is a variant.”

“The M-16 provided by the United States is very similar to the C-7, however their parts are not interchangeable,” said Maj. Andre Salloum, an Ottawa-based spokesman for Canada's overseas command. “As such, the decision was made to recover the C-7 weapons and return them to Canada for disposal.”

Of note, while the Canadian Army supplied its C-7, “the U.S. decided to kick in as well, sending some 104,000 M-16s between 2007 and 2009.”

Interestingly, the Canadians pegged the value of the donated rifles at just under $3 million. However, it cost another $6 million to deliver the rifles and provide 5.56 ammunition. No word as to what it will cost to ship the C-7’s back to Canada.

SOURCE: Winnipeg Free Press 6/15/11

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