yes / Small arms and light weapons have become the weapons of choice in conflicts around the world and figure prominently in crime. Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the proliferation of SALW at the national, regional and international level. The recognition that m o s t illicit SALW began as legal weapons is, however, fundamental to efforts to reduce the proliferation and misuse of SALW and the diversion of civilian weapons is one source of supply. Indeed, it is estimated that there are as many SALW in the hands of civilians worldwide as there are in the possession of states, and that in many parts of the world diversion from civilian stocks is the principal source of the illicit supply. Consequently, strengthening domestic regulation, which reduces the diversion of legal weapons to illegal markets, is a critical part of any strategy to address illicit trafficking. It is also consistent with resolutions from the United Nations Security Council and other Commissions as well as regional initiatives. This briefing reviews the ways in which SALW are diverted from legal to illegal markets and the measures which can be used to reduce this diversion. In addressing illicit trafficking in all its aspects, it is imperative that the UN Conference not does neglect this significant problem.

yes / Evidence suggests that many of the arms transfers to the worst affected conflict regions and human rights crisis zones are organised and trafficked by arms brokering and transport agents. Targeting those states with weak national export controls and enforcement, unscrupulous brokers and transportation agents organise the transfer of arms and security equipment to a range of illegitimate end users such as criminals, terrorists and human rights abusers. Arms brokers can be defined as middlemen who organise arms transfers between two or more parties, often bringing together buyers, sellers, transporters, financiers and insurers to make a deal. They generally do so for financial gain, although political or religious motivation may also play a part in some deals. Often such brokers do not reside in the country from which the weapons originate, nor do they live in the countries through which the weapons pass or for which they are destined. As a result, such `third party¿ arms brokering is notoriously diff i c u l t to trace, monitor or control. Arms brokers work very closely with transport or shipping agents. These agents contract transport facilities, carriers and crews in order to move arms cargoes by sea, air, rail or road.

yes / Efforts to combat and prevent illicit trafficking in, and proliferation and misuse of, small arms and light weapons (SALW) are hampered by lack of relevant information-exchange and transparency. International information exchange and transparency arrangements are key elements of each of the main elements of the international action programme on SALW to be launched at the UN 2001 Conference. There is great scope to develop information management and distribution arrangements to disseminate and exchange of relevant information on SALW without seriously compromising national security, necessary commercial secrecy, or law enforcement. Indeed, national security, commerce, crime prevention and law enforcement are generally enhanced by appropriate transparency and information exchange

yes / The 1990s witnessed a change in the way wars were fought as the amount of available weaponry increased and the types of actors engaged in warfare multiplied. The opening up of the international arms trade, in particular with new buyers and more channels of supply, has raised concerns about who purchases weapons and for what use. Afeature of this changing nature of conflict has been the continuing, if not growing, presence of mercenaries and the emergence of private companies contracted to provide military and security services. These range from logistical support and training to advice and procurement of arms and on-the-ground intervention. This briefing highlights how the activities of mercenaries and private military and security companies can contribute to small arms proliferation and misuse and examines steps the international community can take at the UN Small Arms Conference and elsewhere to effectively combat mercenarism and regulate the activities of private military and security companies. The role played by these companies relates not only to provisions contained in the contracts they sign with their clients to provide large amounts of weaponry, but also how the military and security services and training that they provide contributes to the demand for weapons in the regions where they operate. There are a number of ways in which mercenaries and private military and security companies are involved in small arms proliferation. These include: l Arms brokering and transportation activities l Violations of UN arms embargoes l Impact on human rights and humanitarian law l Driving demand for small arms Various measures already exist to ban the activities of mercenaries and regulate some of the activities of private military and security companies either through national legislation or international agreements. However, there is concern these efforts are neither comprehensive nor accepted widely enough to effectively control the activities of mercenaries and private military and security companies.

yes / Small arms and light weapons can enter the illicit market at many stages in their lifecycle. From manufacture, to sale/export, to import, and then to final end use, States must establish and enforce stringent and comprehensive licensing and monitoring systems to ensure that small arms and light weapons (SALW) remain under legal control. The UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and ensuing follow-up process provide States with important opportunities to analyse and compare how existing systems governing the manufacture and trade in SALW are working. They further provide the context in which best practice can be agreed and implemented internationally, and for the discussion of how future trends and developments in SALW manufacture and transfer can be more effectively brought within State control. To this end, this briefing paper covers two separate but closely related issues. The first section of the report will analyse existing State and regional controls on SALW manufacture and examine how international measures, including the UN Conference, can reinforce such controls. In this regard, the growth of licensed production and co-production agreements is highlighted, together with implications for the development of adequate regulations. The second section examines those systems that are currently in place for the authorisation of SALW transfers and for the certification and monitoring of their ultimate end-use. Recommendations for best practice and implications for the UN Conference process are also discussed.

The AK5C has reached the edge of life and is due for replacement. Studies have been investigating a new small arm but focus of these studies has been the army and its personnel. For flight maintenance personnel the AK5C was too heavy and when working on an aircraft the technicians had to lay the weapon aside. The question this study aims to answer is how the future small arms for flight maintenance personnel might look like. To illustrate when a flight technician might use their weapon three scenarios where created. The scenarios where all originated from reglemente flygbassystem and focused on the main tasks of flight maintenance personnel. In the study personnel with deep knowledge in the field of small arms from different branches of the Swedish Armed Forces were interviewed. The aim was to get an understanding of how the organization view the problem. A survey with flight maintenance personnel from Helicopter Squadron was also conducted and provided details of how the users views the problem. The main question that was asked both in the interviews and in the survey to the users was which attribute of a small arm are the most important for each of the scenarios. The primary difference between the interviewed and the survey was the understanding of penetration and range for different weapon types. The conclusion of the study was that a short barrelled automatic rifle could be a solution that could handle all the investigated scenarios. A recommendation is also made to strengthen the flight maintenance company with machineguns to increase the capacity when defending on longer ranges. / AK5C har nått tiden för sin slutanvändning. Vissa studier har genomförts kopplat till ett nytt eldhandvapen men de har främst varit fokuserade på Arméns behov. Det har visat sig att Flygunderhållspersonal har haft svårigheter att bära AK5C när de utför sin huvudtjänst flygunderhåll. Frågan denna studie ämnar besvara är hur den framtida beväpningen av flygunderhållspersonal kan tänkas se ut. För att skapa en bild av olika tillfällen en tekniker kan tänkas nyttja sitt vapen togs tre scenarier fram. Dessa scenarier är kopplade till reglemente flygbassystem och utgår från de uppgifter en flygtekniker kan tänkas få. I denna studie har personal med djup kunskap inom eldhandvapenområdet intervjuats, främst för att skapa en bild av hur organisationen ser på problemet. Utöver det har även en enkätundersökning med flygunderhållspersonal genomförts för att skapa en förståelse för hur brukarnas lösningar kan te sig. Frågorna som ställdes i både intervjuer och undersökningen med flygtekniker handlade främst om vilka egenskaper ett vapen bör ha kopplat till varje scenario. Det upptäcktes en viss skillnad i svaren mellan de intervjuade och flygteknikerna som deltog i undersökningen. Den största skillnaden var förståelse för vilken verkan olika typer av vapensystem besitter. Slutsatsen som drogs av det självständiga arbetet var att en kortpipig automatkarbin skulle vara en lösning vilket kunde passa alla scenarier. Dock föreslås det att flygunderhållskompanier får förstärkningsvapen i form av kulsprutor på en kompaninivå för att nå högre verkan vid främst försvar av egen gruppering då skjutavstånden överstiger 200 m.

Vid deltagande i internationella insatser kan Flygvapnet komma att möta nya typer av hot som Flygvapnet tidigare inte stött på, vilket medför att en anpassning eller förändring av flygtaktiken är en förutsättning för att undvika flygplansskador. 2000-talets lättviktflygplan medför en skyddsnivå på flygplanen som är låg och motståndaren kan påverka materialet samt konstruktionen i flygplanen genom beskjutning med finkalibriga projektiler. Syftet med uppsatsen är att analysera hur den nya hotbilden skiljer sig från vad Flygvapnet ställs inför nationellt samt analysera hur finkalibrig eld påverkar kompositmaterial och hur det i sig påverkar flygtaktiken. Inledningsvis utgår jag i uppsatsen från en beskrivande metod av empirin i syfte att läsaren skall få förståelse samt bakgrund inom de belysta ämnena för att förstå det som senare diskuteras i uppsatsen. Därefter övergå uppsatsen till en hotbildsanalys i syfte att senare diskutera och dra slutsatser om hur flygtaktiken bör anpassas för internationella insatser. I slutsatsen har jag kommit fram till att finkalibrig elds påverkan på kompositmaterial är mycket effektiv vilket innebär att projektilen slår igenom och deformerar materialet. Vidare diskuteras alternativ till genomförande av start och landning för att minska exponeringstiden och undvika att motståndaren kan påverka flygplanen. / While participating in international missions, the Swedish Air force may encounter new kinds of threats. This result in a needed adaptation or change in flight tactics to avoid aircraft damage. The light weight plans of the 21th century have a low degree of protection and the opponent can affect the material and construction with small arms. The purposes of this essay is to analyze how the new threats differ from what the Swedish Air force faces on a national level, and also analyze how small arms affects composite and in turn affects the flight tactics. I have initially used a descriptive method of the empiri and thereafter I used an analytic method in order to later on discuss and finding a conclusion on how the flight tactics need to be adapted and changed for international missions. In the conclusion I found that low caliber fire affects the composite material in a high degree, which means that the projectile will deform, disfigure and go straight through the material. I also discuss alternatives for the takeoff and landing procedures in a way that will reduce the exposure time and avoid the affects that the opponents can make on the aircraft.

The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been characterized by armed violence carried out against civilian populations. Despite a formal end to hostilities with outside states, numerous cease fire agreements and an internationally sanctioned disarmament program, Congolese civilians continue to be targeted in attacks. Research suggests that addressing the demand for Small Arms and Light Weapons as part of the broader disarmament process may decrease the proliferation of weapons and reduce armed violence. The research undertaken as part of this thesis attempted broadly to identify some of the factors contributing to the demand for small arms and light weapons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It suggests that insecurity, weak governance and regional politics, historical and cultural factors and socio economic factors significantly contribute to the demand for small arms and must be addressed in order to reduce armed violence. ?

This study aims to investigate how cross-sector collaborations facilitate social development stemming from weapon destruction programmes that address peacebuilding and the enhancing of human security (socio-economic and political security) in regions afflicted with armed violence. The authors aim to contribute to the literature by demonstrating the viability of previous theoretical methods on designing and implementing a cross-sector collaboration. The research entails a case-study of the HM initiative, a combined effort between three NGO’s from Sweden and El Salvador that involves melting down seized illegal weapons and repurposing them into valuable products for consumers, to ultimately bring about social development in the conflict-prone communities in El Salvador. Through interviews with the involved actors of the NGO’s and documentation of the initiative, this study focuses on the formation of a cross-sector collaboration, the building of internal and external legitimacy by NGO-business partnerships, and the practices that aim to assess public value creation. This study provides insights on antecedent and linking conditions for the formation of a cross-sector collaboration, collaborative processes and structures that foster trusting relationships with both partners and stakeholders, and an implemented accountability framework for the measurement of public value creation. The researchers close with a discussion of further suggestions for relevant research.

<p>  </p> <p>Metal 3D printing is the industry standard for manufacturing experimental suppressors due to the limitations of conventional, subtractive machining methods. Long print times, difficulty sintering, and cleaning of metal 3D printed suppressor components limit the development time. Plastic printed components are able to be produced quicker, safer, and at a lower cost than their metal 3D printed counterparts. Reducing the time and cost of manufacturing will allow for an increased pace of innovations in suppressor design.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Utilizing Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in combination with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) will expedite the process of designing 3D printed plastic suppressors. Solidworks FEA determined the maximum stress applied to the blast chamber of the plastic suppressor. ANSYS Fluent CFD simulations were used to qualitatively compare the sound pressure levels of an unsuppressed and suppressed 22LR pistol. Comparing the results of the CFD simulations gave insight into the effectiveness of the selected baffle structure.</p> <p><br></p> <p>A prototype 3D printed suppressor was optimized for strength according to manufacturing practices for printed plastic small arms. Testing occurred at an indoor range where peak impulse noise was measured for an unsuppressed 22LR pistol and a plastic printed suppressor. The printed suppressor reduced the small arms impulse noise from 150.5 dB(spl) to 132.4 dB(spl). Impulse noises below the pain threshold of 140 dB(spl) do not require hearing protection for operation. Utilizing FEA, CFD, and FDM prototyping methods in this work has laid the foundation for future works in the rapid prototyping and optimizations of suppressors for small arms.</p>