Georgian Army Switches to U.S. Rifles

AR/M4 AR General Discussion
1

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2008/01/21/021.html

TBILISI, Georgia – Soldiers from NATO aspirant Georgia switched their Soviet-era Kalashnikov rifles on Friday for U.S.-designed M4 models in part of a drive to distance themselves from their Russian-dominated past.

Since surging to power in a peaceful 2003 revolution, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has aggressively pursued NATO membership, which requires the former Soviet state to modernize its military.

“Goodbye old weapon! Long live the new one!” Saakashvili said at an opening ceremony of a new military base in Gori, which is 80 kilometers from the capital Tbilisi, close to the breakaway province of South Ossetia – and is Stalin’s birthplace.

Saakashvili handed over the M4 rifle to several soldiers.

He has argued with Russia over the status of Georgia’s two rebel regions – South Ossetia and Abkhazia – which Moscow supports but Tbilisi has threatened to take back.

Georgia also built a new, NATO-standard military base in 2006 on the Black Sea coast near the border with Abkhazia.

Saakashvili has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on boosting the army and prides himself on creating a modern force. Georgia has about 2,500 soldiers in Iraq. Advertisements and pop songs glorify Georgian soldiers.

The country lies at the center of a power struggle between the United States and Russia in the Caucasus, a strategic region wedged between Europe and the Middle East.

Georgian officials say they have purchased enough M4 weapons to equip the entire army and that all troops will be issued them in the next few weeks.

The weapon is an assault rifle widely used by U.S. troops that can be switched between fully and semiautomatic fire.

2

I read a different article this morning about the inauguration of the president’s second term. They mentioned that the troops in the military parade were carrying US weapons vs. the old Soviet left overs.

I figured either M16A2’s, A4’s or M4’s.

The Polish anti-terrorist unit “Grom” also issue M4’s, while the Polish army adopted the wz-96 Beryl (AK variant) in 5.56mm.

The president of Georgia wants NATO membership really, really bad, with Putin breathing down their necks.

Thanks for the article. :cool:

3

more parts kits for us maybe…

4

I doubt it with our current overlord’s ban on barrels.

All those guns used to come to the US, now they will go to the crusher.

The Georgian M4 is Bushmaster.

5

Not only M-4s, but MARPAT as well!

Georgia’s President-elect Mikhail Saakashvili hands over U.S. made M4 carbine to soldiers during an opening ceremony of a new military base in the town of Gori some 80 km west of Tbilisi, 18 January 2008. Georgia decided to say ‘good-bye’ to the famous ‘Kalashnikov’ and start to use U.S.-designed M4 carbines in a move to turn its army into a professional force.

Georgian soldiers march during rehearsal of a parade devoted to inauguration ceremony of president-elect Mikhail Saakashvili in Tbilisi, Georgia, 18 January 2008. Inauguration ceremony is set on 20 January.

Georgian troops during a military parade during the inauguration ceremony of President Mikhail Saakashvili Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008. Saakashvili, 40, took the oath of office amid an elaborate ceremony outside the parliament building in the center of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi following a snap election.

This has got the Russians in a snit! Here is one of them spouting off on another board:

[b]its not about an M4, G36, or HK or Tavor, AK or their qualities.

Its about a couple, when the whiny girl (Georgia) leaves her man (Russia) and gets into bed with another boyfriend (US), the girlfriend wants to make her old boyfriend feel “jelaous” “upset” or something along those lines. So the girlfriend gets rid of the free car her old boyfriend donated her, and gets a new car from her new boyfriend.

Somehow the girlfriend thinks it will upset the old boyfriend.
Strange girlfriend …[/b]

Lulz! This guy has a pic of Putin as his avatar, BTW. Perhaps one of the biggest theifs in all human history, but this clown loves him because “he makes Russia feel strong”, lulz! I slapped him and his freinds down a bit, but had to hold back because the mods over there are even worse than at TOS.

Pro-Russian opposition supporters rally in downtown Tbilisi, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008. Tens of thousands of opposition activists rallied in Georgian capital, pressing their demands for a recount of the Jan. 5 vote and demanding Saakashvili’s resignation. Mikhail Saakashvili was sworn in to a second presidential term Sunday, pledging to mend fences with Russia, push Georgia closer to the West and bring prosperity to the ex-Soviet republic troubled by a divisive election that opponents claim was rigged.

They want their AKs back!!!

6

cool gear

7

Too bad the M4 is such an inferior weapon. They will probably now be overrun by the Russians. (I bet it is a secret plan by Putin to retake Georgia!)

:rolleyes:

8

I disagree! What do you base that on? Take care of the weapon and it will do just fine.

9

Nice joke :smiley:

10

Agree! Notice the uniforms? Another uncle sam give away!

11

No, the Georgian I talked with said those uniforms are their own design. Anyway, you will notice they are not US pattern.

This must be a very big order for Bushmaster; I had no idea they had such a large production capacity. The Georgians are replacing all their AKs (most of which were made in the 1960s, plus some recently donated by freindly nations) with the M-4.

For the past couple of years Georgia has been trialing replacements; they had bought a quantity (somwhere around 2,000 each)of AK-74s and Tavors, which were issued to their Special Forces units to test out.

Incidently, Georgia is in a serious situation with the Russian-backed separatist regions of Ossetia and Abkhasia. These weapons and gear are very likely to be put to use in the near future.

12

I wonder why uncle sam would not give these guys M16-A2’s? Are all of them already gone to other countrys? Brand new M4’s just doesn’t jell.

13

Please keep in mind that sarcasm can be hard to detect on the dramanet. “Smilies” can help convey tone.

:slight_smile:

14

Holy smokes, I’m gonna have a heart attack-- instead of right-shoulder or port arms, the soldiers have their M4s correctly slung, even in a parade! They’re ready to get Glocks and try some transition drills!

15

He was joking.

Aren’t they going to repeal the barel ban?

16

Not likely, there’s no incentive for them to.

After all the support we’re giving Georgia, they will have the most professional military in the region, with a fair amount of seasoned vets from Iraq.

Putin feels like Georgia (and the rest of the Caucuses) are a dagger pointed at the belly of Mother Russia.

17

Good to see some friends getting some help. I hope other countries follow step and screw Russia.

18

Yes, I was joking… :smiley:

19

…and a little piece of TheKatar dies as yet more people drink the Stoner kool-aid…:smiley:

20

Actually, it’s quite cool with me - and it makes sense for them. Hope those Bushy’s run ok for them.

I remember one time Ted Marshall posted pics of a Polish Beryl and talked about how the M4’s choked during their military’s testing after 600 rounds.

I then posted a pic of one of their SF units (GROM) armed with M4 carbines. :eek:

I think he got irritable after that, but facts are facts. :cool: