THE CONFEDERATION OF PALESTINE MILITARY WEAPONSBekaa Assault RifleThe Bekaa is a derivative of the Traylor Arms M2 assault rifle, incorporating the ubiquitous 30mm grenade launcher, a larger 9x44mm magazine capacity, and the refit of a current generation electro-optical sight incorporating variable power maginification (x1 to x8), thermal imaging for limited visibility conditions, and a laser rangefinder/designator for the use of proximity fused 30mm grenades. The weapon is manufactured by both of the Confederation's main armarments companies, Confederation of Palestine Military Industries (CPMI) and Amman Arsenal Limited (AAL). The Bekaa is relatively rare outside the CPDF, as it has not sold well in foreign markets in the face of competition from more modern designs, but it will occasionally be found in the hands of groups which prefer the 9x44mm caseless round. The Bekaa's 40-round magazines, however, are compatible with the M2 assault rifle and are very common.
CPMI Falcon Automatic PistolConfederation of Palestine Military Industries produces the Falcon Automatic Pistol for the Confederation's military and for export, where it has received favorable notice as a competitor against designs like the Stracher P-11m and Colt M28 "Stopper." The Falcon is built around an 11.43mm cartridge which is a caseless version of the legendary .45ACP round fired by the equally legenday Colt M1911A1 automatic pistol of 20th and 21st century fame. In military use a laser aiming module (LAM) with variable wavelength is standard issue (projects an infrared or visible light beam). The LAM adds 0.2 kg weight to the basic weapon. CPMI's 11.43mm round packs slightly less punch than Stracher's P-11 when firing ball ammunition, but CPMI also manufactures an APHE round which is considered to have nearly the same stopping power as 9mm APHE rifle ammunition. (Stracher and Colt are both said to be developing 11mm APHE rounds to compete.) In addition, the Falcon's magazine holds 10 rounds, versus the Stracher's 7, which has added to its popularity.
CPMI Falcon II Personal Defense WeaponThe Falcon II is a compact machine pistol, firing a 4.7mm round, built on an enlarged Falcon automatic pistol frame. The Falcon II incorporates a retractable shoulder stock and an integral colliminator-type "red dot" sight for rapid target acquisition under all light levels. Within the CPDF it is often issued in place of a conventional sidearm, such as the Falcon.
AAL Hadera 30mm Automatic Grenade LauncherThe Hadera is a 30mm AGL available in both a turret mounted configurations (on the Dayan APC, for instance, where it replaces the original M901 and M901A 30mm AGLs), as well as a tripod-mounted infantry version. The Hadera has a high rate of fire, compared to other AGL designs in wide use. When used on the tripod mount, the Hadera can also be fitted with an electro-optical sight (a modified version of the Bekaa assault rifle sight) to allow the use of 30mm proximity fused grenades.
Irbid Surface to Air MissileThe Irbid is an locally manufactured Palestinian missile with performance similar to the German Ohu. It is used on vehicle-mounts in the divisional air defense battalions which most CPDF divisions include in their organization. It is also the primary long-range air-to-air missile in use with the Confederation Air Force.
AAL Jabal Ram 7.5mm Light MachinegunThe Jabal Ram is a 7.5mm light machinegun manufactured by Amman Arsenal Ltd. (AAL) and in use with the CPDF, primarily as a coaxial machinegun (and as the basis for the Jabal Ram Point Defense System). The weapon is sometimes seen in a GPMG man-portable configuration, though the traditional support role of the machinegun in the CPDF (like most other human armies) has been largely filled by grenade launchers firing proximity-fused grenades. The Jabal Ram fires the same widely available 7.5 x 32mm round as the Wu-Beijing Type 381 MG and Type 49 assault rifle, and is designed to accept Type 381 150-round ammunition cassettes. When used as a GPMG, standard features include a bipod, electro-optical sight (identical to that used on the Bekaa assault rifle) and assault sling. There is also a light tripod available for use with the GPMG for use in the sustained fire support role.
Jbail Anti-Vehicle MissileAn anti-vehicle missile locally manufactured by CPMI in the Confederation of Palestine. The Jbail is essentially an improved version of the American M384A1 "Javelin 2" missile (itself a derivative of the French Blindicide-3). The missile system consists of a sealed launch tube which is either attached to a manportable battlesight/launcher unit (powered by internal batteries) or loaded into vehicle-mounted launch systems. Jbail missiles are typically issued to platoon anti-armor sections (2 man team, with one launcher) in CPDF infantry units, as well as being used on vehicle systems. The Jbail has been exported extensively, and is in use with the armies of Kurdistan, Armenia, and several African nations. They are less common in colonial space, but a number were sold to Elysia.
M844 and M844A4 Plasma Anti-Tank WeaponThe M844 PAW is an American made single-shot, disposable plasma weapon intended to provide light, portable anti-armor and bunker-busting capability to ground combat forces. The original M844 was introduced prior to the development of the Quinn-Darlan Mk.2A2 and other man portable plasma guns and was effectively rendered obsolete by them. Subsequent product improvements the the -844 have focused on making the weapon progressively more powerful, both to keep up with developments of armored fighting vehicles and also to find a continued battlefield role for the large number of existing weapons. The basic weapon consists of a tubular barrel assembly with a butt stock/recoil tube, folding pistol grip and bipod, and a sighting unit consisting of an simple ACOG colliminator sight (battery powered, with 60 minutes of illumination activated by unfolding the pistol grip). Recoil is formidable, even with the recoil tube and bipod. The CPDF makes use of both the original M844 (30MW power cell) and the improved, though heavier, M844A4 (90MW power cell), producing the latter under license. There are no plans to purchase additional M844s once the existing inventory is exhausted. The M844A4 will likely remain in service for some time, as it has sufficient power to damage the AC-8s and LkPz-VIIIs in use with the Syrian and Iraqi armies. Besides American and Confederation manufacture, the M844A4 is also manufactured by the Indian states of Bombay and Rajasthan. As a consequence it is a very common support weapon on Earth and with colonial forces, particularly those without the resources to field large numbers of plasma guns.
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Confederation of Palestine Defence Forces