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Charlie Wilson's War
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The following weapons were used in the film Charlie Wilson's War:
AKM
When Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) visits the mujahadeen in Afghanistan, several of the fighters are armed with AKM's and AKMSU's. The AKs used by the mujahadeen early on in the war were, by and large, captured from the Soviets which,given the time frame, would have made them late model AKMs or AKMS's. Though the AK/AKS-74 came into use during this period it was generally only issued to elite units like the Red Army Airborne or Spetsnaz. As noted in the movie, a great many of the weapons used by the Afghans were Egyptian or "Maadi" copies of the AKM but not noted was that Chinese Type 56-1 AKs were also provided to the 'Muj" by the CIA.
YAK-B 12.7mm Machine Gun
The four-barreled Russian YAK-B 12.7mm machine gun is seen as the main gun used by the Soviet Mil Mi-24 Hind gunships in the film. This gun was the standard armament on the later model Hind gunships and is unique in the world of "gatling-style" weapons in that it does not require electrical power to function. It was subsequently replaced by the 23mm and 30mm cannon.
FIM-92A Stinger
The FIM-92A Stinger is used by mujahadeen in the film to shoot down several Hind gunships. The successor to the "Redeye" missile, this shoulder-fired weapon became the symbol of U.S. support for the Afghans during their war with the Soviets. Man portable and extremely effective it set the standard for MANPADS systems in use today. Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is presented with a used Stinger as a token of appreciation by the mujahadeen.
DShK heavy machine gun
The DShK heavy machine gun is briefly seen being used by the mujahadeenn in news footage. The standard Soviet heavy machinegun for almost 50 years it is shown, primarily, in the anti-aircraft configuration. This weapon is also prominent on the cover of the book on which this film is based showing the real Charlie Wilson firing one off at a refugee camp on the Afghan/Pakistani border.
MILAN 2 ATGM
The MILAN 2 ATGM is briefly seen used by mujahadeen in news footage. One of the most successful MAWs for almost four decades this Franco-German anti-tank missile is mentioned, and shown, in photographs (but never actually seen being fired in combat) as the CIA ramps up its' s support for the "Muj" and includes this advanced ATGM in it inventory of supplied armaments.
