CULTURE OF TERRORISM - UNC Charlotte Army ROTC

Culture of Terrorism n 99FirearmsTerrorists use a variety of firearms, including submachine guns, pistols, assault rifles, sniperrifles, and shotguns. When selecting weapons, terrorists look for three major characteristics:availability, simplicity, and efficiency. They like automatic weapons that can kill from adistance and have stopping power. They also want to be able to conceal the weapon, especiallyin urban terrain.Terrorists do try to standardize calibers of their weapons as much as possible to easeammunition resupply. They favor easily available military and semi-military weapons. Mostinternational terrorist groups favor fully automatic weapons, such as the AK-47 and theM16. A weapon favored by small groups in the United States is the 12-gauge shotgun.PistolsPistols are standard weapons for terrorists. They are small and easily concealed. Most ofthem are lightweight, and many modern pistols provide good firepower. Since their effectiverange is generally limited to about 50 meters, they require the attacker to be fairly near thetarget. They can be very effective at close range.Submachine GunsSubmachine guns have a full automatic fire capability, use pistol-caliber ammunition, andtypically have large magazine capacities. Their range, accuracy, and penetration are betterthan that of pistols because of their longer barrel and sight radius. Submachine guns are afavorite with terrorist groups because they are small, light, and easily concealed. They providea large amount of firepower and are deadly at close range.Assault RiflesAssault rifles are the primary offensive weapons of modern militaries and used extensivelyby terrorist organizations. They normally have selective firing capability to allow singleshot, two- or three-round bursts, or full automatic mode. Their effective ranges can oftenexceed 600 meters, and they have effective rates of fire up to 400 rounds per minute infull automatic mode. They provide terrorists the same firepower as they do for a modernSoldier on the battlefield.Sniper RiflesSince one of the primary terror tactics is assassination, terrorists often use sniper rifles toattack targets that are difficult for other weapons to reach. With the development oflarge-caliber sniper weapons, terrorists can also effectively engage light-armored vehicles.ShotgunsAlthough limited in range and penetration capability, shotguns are excellent close-rangeweapons, especially for assassinations. Shotguns require less precision in aiming since thedispersion of buckshot allows a large number of pellets to cover a wide area. They arereadily available and relatively inexpensive compared with other weapons. Additionally,the barrels can be sawed off to permit easy concealment and increased dispersion of shot.