Thread by @CalibreObscura

#Idlib: Ansar al Tawhid released a new video about their use of artillery, repurposed tank guns, mortars, IRAMs and more against the SAA.

The video is pretty large and combines a lot of different systems, so I will go over them part by part.

1/

The group is heavily leaning into it's role as artillery specialists. First sup, we get a really good view at their use of truck-mounted 115m U-5TS main guns, which have been extracted from T-62 tanks. They only have a few of these trucks, and only 2 different ones are seen.

2/

They show multiple strikes on target, usually with HE-FRAG projectiles. The "Ansar-1" usually seem to be used in direct fire mode- although they do appear to be used like a conventional howitzer occasionally.

3/

Next, IRAMs, which @MMissiles2 has covered in good detail (they've been seen before), incl. Hameen, Burkan, and so on.

4/

https://twitter.com/MMissiles2/status/1316478526187503617

Of course, these systems are mostly based on single (or clustered) 9M22U 122mm "Grad" rockets, with lots more HME. Big explosions, which AaT are very keen to show off, but not particularly accurate. The group also makes it very clear how it carries out recon using drones.

5/

Here's a clearly edited "Control Room" prior to strikes with a Burkan (Volcano) rocket. I will leave it to @MMissiles2 to go into these rockets.

6/

Next, Mortars. These are very interesting, as a few different types are seen in use, from conventional 120mm (with mixed parts), to massed fire (looks like 82mm mortar) improvised examples, to Turkish MKE HY1-12.

7/

However, the massed mortars are the most interesting here; seems that ~10 mortars, locally made, are used simultaneously to drop large quantities of HE in a wide area. Not often seen in Idlib. As you can see, not accurate but a lot of firepower (Are you seeing a theme here?)

8/

and of course who can forget AaT's repurposed 2A26M2 (125mm, T-72 main gun), used as a howitzer. We've seen this one a lot, to be honest. It's rather similar to what we have seen HTS do, but HTS have a lot more of these hybrids, products of the peculiar conditions locally...

9/

Not to miss; here's a pretty neat and rather rare weapon that I didn't see AaT use yet. A 122mm 2A31 series gun taken from a 2S1 Gvozdika, but mounted on a truck. Unfortunately little can be seen, but this is possibly an example damaged by a TB2 last year.

10/

There's a lot more to see also: M40(A1) and SPG-9[M/DM] RCL, the latter of which can be seen directly striking multiple targets.

11/

A rather serious mortar seen here. Unfortunately, I can't yet find an ID for it (120mm? 160mm?) but it seems to be fairly LR peice. It's bombs can be seen impacting right next to a claimed SAA position.

12/

Another system seen, is the simple 9M22U Grad, seen launched from portable truck-based launchers with only four tubes. Again it seems that these have been salvaged from a BM-21 pattern MRL.

13/

Last of them is the massive (ultra THICC) Zelzal/Zilzal (Earthquake) rocket, formed from clustered 9M22U. It's large impact can be seen, but this seems to be more of a prestige weapon than anything else.

14/

https://twitter.com/MMissiles2/status/1392182585225265154

and that is about it. Thank you as ever to @blueboy1969 for assistance, without whom stuff like this is much harder.

[END]

cc @oryxspioenkop @Rebel44CZ @QalaatAlMudiq

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