Akrafena (Akan sword) is an Akan sword, that was originally meant for warfare, but has also assumed other certain functions. They carry adinkra symbols that evoke specific messages. The sword has three parts: a blade, usually made of some metal such as iron; the hilt, made of carved wood or metal; and the sheath, usually made of animal hide. The blade in ritual swords may not have a sharp cutting edge. It often has incised lines or Akan symbolic designs on it. Some swords have double (afenata) or triple (mfenasa) blades. The hilt may be wrapped with gold leaf with various Akan symbols worked onto it. The hilt itself may be carved to encode an Akan symbol. The sheath may carry an embossment (abosodee) that comprises Akan symbols meant to evoke certain expressive messages. The mpomponsuo (responsibility) sword of the Asantehene, for example, has an embossment of a coiled snake with a bird in its mouth. This conveys the Akan message: nanka bobonya mede asase anya onwam – the puff adder that cannot fly has caught the hornbill that flies. This is used to symbolize patience, prudence, and circumspection
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Sudanese commanders mace, spherical head of polished brown alabaster with undulating bands of cream, held to the wooden haft by a crocodile’s forelimb terminating in five clawed extremities, and bound with a strip of crocodile hide. The grip covered in rare white crocodile hide. Second half of the 19th century.Overall length 50.8 cm.
Khopesh (ḫpš; also vocalized khepesh) is an Egyptian sickle-sword that evolved from battle axes.[1]
A typical khopesh is 50–60 cm (20–24 inches) in length, though smaller examples do also exist. This blade was designed for hooking an opponent's shield or disarming them.[citation needed] These weapons changed from bronze to iron in the New Kingdom period.[citation needed]
The blade is only sharpened on the outside portion of the curved end. The khopesh evolved from the epsilon or similar crescent shaped axes that were used in warfare.[1] Note, however, that the khopesh is not an axe. Unlike an axe, the khopesh did not make push-cuts, but rather slashes, like a sabre. The khopesh went out of use around 1300 BC. However, in the 196 BC Rosetta Stone it is referenced as the "sword" determinative in a hieroglyphic block, with the spelled letters of kh, p, and sh to say:
Shall be set up a statue..., the Avenger of Baq-t-(Egypt), the interpretation whereof is 'Ptolemy, the strong one of Kam-t'-(Egypt), and a statue of the god of the city, giving to him a sword royal of victory, ...[2]
Various pharaohs are depicted with a khopesh, and some have been found in royal graves, such as the two examples found with Tutankhamun.
Although some examples are clearly sharpened, many examples have dull edges which apparently were never intended to be sharp. It may therefore be possible that some khopeshes found in high status graves were ceremonial variants
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Mena: I think the Kas ka Ra is one of the most beautiful African sword if it is not the most beautiful African sword.
The Kaskara was a type of sword characteristic of Sudan and Chad.[1] The blade of the kaskara was usually about a yard long, double edged and with a spatulate tip.[citation needed] While most surviving examples are from the 19th century[citation needed], the type is believed to have originated around the early 14th century[citation needed], and may represent a localized survival of the straight, double-edged medieval Arab sword.[citation needed] The kaskara was worn horizontally across the back or between the upper arm and thorax.[citation needed] According to British Museum curator Christopher Spring, "in the central and eastern Sudan, from Chad through Darfur and across to the Red Sea province, the straight, double-edged swords known as kaskara were an essential possession of most men
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A Nimcha is a single-handed sword from northwestern Africa, especially Morocco, a type of scimitar or saif. These blades are usually from the late 18th century onwards and are notable for often using older blades. Many nimcha have European blades from as early as the 17th century, and from as far away as Germany. With this variety of possible blade designs nimcha are distinct with the hilts that sport forward pointing quillions, and wooden handles with squared off "hooked" pommels. The cross guard will often have a knuckle guard which starts beneath the quillions and runs to the bottom of the pommel; on the opposite side of the hilt this path is normally continued into a 3rd quillion. These swords bear strong resemblances to the neighboring Arab
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A late 18 or early 19 C. Moroccan Snaphunce long gun. This style of guns is known locally in Morocco as Altit and it is coming from the Little Atlas Mountains. The barrel is 48 inches long, bound to the hardwood stock with many engraved steel and silver bands. The stock is heavily decorated with pierced and engraved silver and ivory panels and the butt is composed of strips of Ivory reinforced with steel frame. Total Length 64 ½ inches
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The kpinga was a throwing knife that was used by experienced warriors of the Azande tribe. The Zande people were residents of Nubia, a region in Africa composed of northern Sudan and southern Egypt. The knife (also known by its nickname, the Hunga Munga) was up to 22 inches long and had three blades that extended from the center. The blade closest to the handle is in the shape of a man’s genitals, and represented the masculine power of its owner. The alignment of the blades on the kpinga drastically increased the chances of impaling a target on contact. When the owner of the weapon was married, he presented the kpinga as a gift to the family of his wife.
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Eight wall plaques from the royal palace, each approximately 19 inches high, are grouped in the second section of the gallery. With their depictions of kings, chiefs, warriors and courtiers, the plaques served as remembrances of Benin's past and provided illustrations for Benin's oral historians. Commenting on the assemblage, which includes several depictions of the same subject, Bryna Freyer, curator at the museum and organizer of the exhibition, said that "we are delighted to be able to exhibit a significant number of plaques in close proximity to each other, for it gives visitors an opportunity to compare the often subtle differences in the way the scenes are executed."
Plaque with multiple figures mid 16th-17th century Edo peoples, Benin Kingdom, Nigeria Copper alloy 48.6 cm (19 1/8 in.) 85-19-18, gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn to the Smithsonian Institution in 1979
Edo Plaque of War Chief (Art Institute of Chicago) Nigeria Edo peoples, Court of Benin 16th/17th century. Brass, 13 3/8 x 11 3/8 x 1 7/8
Relief plaque showing a battle scene, Edo peoples, Benin kingdom, Nigeria, 1550-1650, *Robert Owen Lehman Collection, *Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Posts: 22234 | From: האם אינכם כילדי הכרית אלי בני ישראל | Registered: Nov 2010
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posted
http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos/items/00/004100/ph-0.jpg The Moors or black people from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania introduced the gun to Europe. Some people even say the Moors invented the gun because the Chinese gun was more like a bazooka/RPG7 type of hand canon. Moorish gun tech helped the Europeans conquered the world and become the richest and most powerful people in the world today.
If only the Moors had introduced the gun to the American Kingdoms of the Iroquois, Algonquin, Yamassee, Washitaw, Aztecs, Inca they would have save those American kingdoms(many of them black kingdoms) from being conquered and destroyed by the Europeans. The African slave trade wouldn't happen and those black Kingdoms would have become the most powerful countries in the world today.
If the Moors had introduced the gun to the Songhai Empire, Ashanti kingdoms, Fon kingdoms, Benin kingdoms and Kongo kingdoms before or at the same time they had introduced it to Europe the African could have defend themselves against the European slave traders.
the Moors were trading with the Americas and Africa 300 years before Colombus voyage.
The trowing knives of Africa are a great long distance weapons like the trowing spear, Javelin and Boomerang.
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Takoba (also takuba or takouba) is the sword that is used across the western Sahel and among ethnic groups such as the Tuareg, the Hausa, the Fulani. It usually measures about one meter in length. Takoba blades are straight and double edged with a pronounced tapering towards the tip; they can exhibit several notable features, including three or more hand-ground fuller grooves and a rounded point. Traditionally a Tuareg weapon, it is also used among other peoples Hausa and the Fulani. Takoba were also commonly manufactured in Hausa city states such as Kano.
Since the Tuareg have an aversion to touching iron, the takoba's hilt, like many iron implements, is fully covered. Typically the simple but deep crossguard is of iron sheet, or iron-framed wood, covered in tooled leather, occasionally it is sheathed in brass or silver; the grip is also often leather-covered but the pommel is always of metal, often, brass or copper, sometimes iron or silver. Alternatively the whole hilt can be covered in brass or silver sheathing. The scabbard is made of elaborately-tooled leather. Geographical variations in the form of the hilt have been noted, but no rigorous typology has been established. Variations in the quality of blade and fittings on takobas probably mostly reflect the wealth of their owners.
There is much debate about whether the takoba was used only by the imúšaɣ or warrior class or whether it could be borne by vassals.
As with most crafted items used by the Tuareg, takoba are crafted by the ìnhædʻæn (singular énhædʻ) caste, who are of a different ethnicity from the imúšaɣ and speak Ténet, a secret language. The imúšaɣ believe that theìnhædʻæn have magical powers, which some theorize to be associated with their traditional roles as metalworkers and to the imúšaɣ aversion to both metalworking and touching iron.
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A shotel is a curved sword originating in Abyssinia (ancient Ethiopia). It looks very much like the Near Eastern scimitars. The curve on the shotel's blade varies from the Persian shamshir, adopting an almost semicircular shape. The blade is flat and double-edged with a diamond cross-section. The blade is about 40 inches (1,000 mm) in total length and the hilt is a simple wooden piece with no guard. The shotel was carried in a close fitting leather scabbard.[1]
History[edit]
Evidence for the shotel dates from the earliest Damotians (Damites) and Axumites, used by both mounted and dismounted warriors. After the Solomonic restoration of Atse Yikuno Amlak I, the resurgent Emperors began to re-establish the Axumite armies. This culminated in the reign of Amda Seyon I. Ethiopian forces were armed with short and long swords such as the Seif and Gorade. The Shotel swordsmen known as Shotelai and organized in the Axurarat Shotelai comprised one of the elite forces of Amda Seyon's Imperial host. Along with the Hareb Gonda and Korem cavalry, Keste Nihb archers and Axuarat Axuarai lancers were said to be the forces that "..flew through the air like the eagle and spun on the ground like the avalanche", by a contemporaneous historian.[citation needed] Shotel techniques among others included hooking attacks both against mounted and dismounted opponents that had devastating effect especially against mounted cavalry. The shotel could be used to hook and rip the warrior off the horse. Classically the Shotel was employed in a dismounted state to hook the opponent by reaching around a shield or any other defensive implement or weapon.[1]
Design[edit]
Its shape is similar to a big sickle and can be effectively used to reach around an opponent's shield and stab them in vital areas, such as the kidneys or lungs. It is closely resembled by the Afar Gile. The Gile has two cutting edges, while the shotel's upper edge is unsharpened and sometimes used braced against the swordsman's shield for strength. The Shotel and other Ethiopian swords are occasionally referred collectively in Geez as Han'e.
However, the mid-18th century European visitor to Ethiopia, Remedius Prutky, often used the word shotel to describe a carving knife
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Flyssa is a Berber traditional sword of the Kabyles[1] tribe of Algeria and part of Morocco during the 19th century and earlier. These type of swords come with blades of various sizes from 12 up to 38 inches. This type of sword was used to break open mail armour, which was still worn in that part of the world in the 19th century[
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posted
Armor has some history in Africa. In northern Africa chain mail for medieval cavalry troops was common. Way back in ancient times Nubia manufactured both armor and chariots (Morkot 2003).
In West Africa the record shows cav units of such hegemons as Mali, Songhai, Oyo, Bornu using both chain mail and iron helmets. Among the Fulani-Hausa armies of Sokoto, both horse and rider were shielded. The horse was generally covered by quilted cotton, stuffed with kapok fiber, and its rider generally rode into battle with finely wrought chain mail, or heavy quilted armor. The chain mail armor showed similarities to Mameluke design, but the quilting combined local invention with religious inspiration. Local armorers sew tightly rolled wads of paper inscribed with Quranic verses into the layers of cotton, and kapok. Whatever their spiritual powers, they could often blunt sword cuts, but were less effective against arrows.[35] See African Military Systems-Wiki.
I haven't run across a lot of African infantry forces using heavy metal armor outside coastal North Africa- though leather, hide, & quilted cotton armor is common in other parts. Anyone have some info on INFANTRY forces and METAL armor?
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quote:Originally posted by zarahan- aka Enrique Cardova: Armor has some history in Africa. In northern Africa chain mail for medieval cavalry troops was common. Way back in ancient times Nubia manufactured both armor and chariots (Morkot 2003).
In West Africa the record shows cav units of such hegemons as Mali, Songhai, Oyo, Bornu using both chain mail and iron helmets. Among the Fulani-Hausa armies of Sokoto, both horse and rider were shielded. The horse was generally covered by quilted cotton, stuffed with kapok fiber, and its rider generally rode into battle with finely wrought chain mail, or heavy quilted armor. The chain mail armor showed similarities to Mameluke design, but the quilting combined local invention with religious inspiration. Local armorers sew tightly rolled wads of paper inscribed with Quranic verses into the layers of cotton, and kapok. Whatever their spiritual powers, they could often blunt sword cuts, but were less effective against arrows.[35] See African Military Systems-Wiki.
I haven't run across a lot of African infantry forces using heavy metal armor outside coastal North Africa- though leather, hide, & quilted cotton armor is common in other parts. Anyone have some info on INFANTRY forces and METAL armor?
Good question. I wish that more illustrations and info on armor and weapons. I have this book and I'll see if I can post some pics.
A selection of African throwing knives in the British Museum Throwing knives saw use in central Africa.[1] The wide area they were used over means that they were referred to by a number of names such as Kulbeda, Pinga and Trombash.[1] These weapons had multiple iron blades and were used for warfare and hunting.[1][2] A maximum effective range of about 50 yards (around 45m) has been suggested.[1] The weapon appears to have originated in central Sudan somewhere around 1000 CE from where it spread south.[2] It has however been suggested that the same weapon is depicted in Libyan wall sculptures dating around 1350 BCE.[1]
The throwing knives were extensively collected by Europeans with the result that many European and American museums have extensive collections.[3] However the collectors generally failed to record the origin of the blades or their use.[3] As a result the history and use of the throwing knives is poorly understood.[3] A further complication is that the label "throwing knife" was attached by ethnographers to various objects that didn't fit into other weapon categories even though they may not have been thrown
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The Chinese are bidding to beat the US as the largest source of illicit small arms.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — China’s aggressive new strategy to sell weapons in Africa was on clear display at a recent defense exposition here.
The pavilion for Chinese manufacturers was among the three largest at the Africa Aerospace and Defense exhibition in September, surpassed only by host South Africa and the United States, the world’s largest weapons maker by far.
Many of the made-in-China weapons touted by firms such as Norinco and Poly Technologies were big-ticket items. Unaffordable for most African countries, their warships and fighter jets were advertised chiefly to impress potential customers.
But experts say the growing number of Chinese small arms coming to Africa is far more worrying. Once on the continent, cheap assault weapons and ammunition easily end up in the hands of mutinous factions, militia groups, rebel armies or repressive regimes that fuel wars and human rights abuses.
A 2011 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said that arms recipients in Africa “often cannot secure their stockpiles, and many weapons have been lost or stolen, including by rebel groups.”
Paradoxically, arms supplies to government forces in Africa “risk being used in the overthrow of African governments,” a SIPRI policy paper said, pointing to recent examples of coups in Guinea, Madagascar, Niger and Mauritania.
Gathering accurate numbers is nearly impossible because the small arms trade is particularly murky, and China is among the least transparent of countries when it comes to weapons sales. However, international monitoring groups say it’s evident Chinese weapons have flooded into sub-Saharan Africa in recent years.
Beijing doesn’t report its small arms exports and has resisted UN efforts to expand reporting of the trade.
But deliveries of major arms from China to sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to have grown from just 3 percent of the total volume between 1996 and 2000 to 25 percent from 2006 to 2010, the report said.
Researchers often glean information about Chinese arms from discarded weapons and spent ammunition in war zones.
Chinese-made rifles and incendiary ammunition have been found in the Darfur region of Sudan, an area subject to a UN weapons embargo, while rocket-propelled grenades from China have been seen in Somalia. Chinese rifles have also been discovered in the Ivory Coast.
Paul Holtom, director of SIPRI’s arms transfers program, said it’s difficult to trace how arms sold from Chinese companies to African governments end up in places that violate UN restrictions.
China may not be taking into account “the risk of misuse or diversion” of its arms transfers to Africa, he said.
Although Chinese officials say they’re committed to fighting illicit trade in small arms, Beijing has often stymied UN requests for more information about its weapons found in conflict zones and reacted angrily to criticism of its arms trade.
In Zimbabwe, a country with longstanding military ties to China, there are fears Chinese-made small arms may play a role in political violence many predict will take place ahead of elections tentatively planned for March.
“China has been a key source of arms and ammunition to the Zimbabwean security forces,” said Guy Lamb, director of the University of Cape Town’s Safety and Violence Initiative.
In a notorious incident at the height of brutal violence during the country’s disputed 2008 elections, a Chinese ship loaded with weapons and ammunition destined for Zimbabwe docked at the South African port of Durban.
Workers there refused to unload the rockets, mortar bombs and mortar tubes, and the “ship of shame” was forced to leave, although it was rumored to have later delivered its cargo via Angola.
More from GlobalPost: Once a giant, Russia struggles in the small-arms market
Now there are fears money is being siphoned off from Zimbabwe’s lucrative Marange diamond fields — where China’s Anjin Investments is the largest diamond company — partly in exchange for Chinese weapons.
The watchdog Global Witness recently warned that off-budget diamond revenue from the Marange fields could fund human-rights abuses during the election.
Partnership Africa Canada, which works to stop the trade in conflict diamonds, has publicized reports of Zimbabwean military commanders securing diamonds-for-guns deals with Chinese officials.
But asked about the precise connection between the diamond trade and the military, Lamb echoes the common complaint: “We don’t know enough.”
The race is on: Manufacturer sets sights on market for armed drones NBC May 28, 2013 12:33 AM
A Seeker 400 drone, manufactured by South African company Denel Dynamics, flies over Cape Town Stadium.
By Keir Simmons and Gil Aegerter, NBC News Editor's note: A clarification has been made to this article.
On a sprawling complex just outside Pretoria, South Africa, a government-owned arms manufacturer is preparing to test an armed drone that it hopes to begin selling soon to governments around the world.
The company, Denel Dynamics, says the armed version of the Seeker 400, which will carry two laser-guided missiles, will enable so-called opportunistic targeting at a range of up to about 155 miles.
“These are not combat systems, they are foremost reconnaissance systems,” Sello Ntsihlele, executive manager of UAV systems for Denel, told NBC News. He added: “(But if) you speak to any general, show him the capability, he will tell you, ‘I want to have munitions.’”
The company’s move is but one signal that the era when only a small club of countries possessed weaponized drones is drawing to a close.
Critics say the coming proliferation of the lethal remote-controlled flying machines will forever change the face of counterterrorism operations and, eventually, warfare itself – and not for the better.
“The U.S. has set a moral precedent,” said Jenifer Gibson of the human rights group Reprieve. "A state can declare someone a terrorist and just go out and kill them."
Reprieve campaigns against what it calls illegal drone strikes.
Supporters of military drones argue that they are an essential tool against terrorists hiding in remote areas and that their ability to strike with precision minimizes civilian casualties. Reprieve rejects the notion that drones are precision weapons and claims many civilians have been killed.
Who has drones — and who wants them Only three countries are known to currently operate armed unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, as drones are technically known -- the U.S., the U.K. and Israel -- according to a recent report by the think tank RUSI. The report suggested there are only currently around 1,000 armed drones worldwide.
But China also is believed to have developed weaponized drones; the U.S. has said it would arm drones operated by Italy; and France and Germany also have decided to acquire them, according to arms trade experts and published reports.
And according to Peter Singer, director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institute, at least 26 countries have surveillance drones of a size or type that have been or could be armed, and roughly 20 countries are trying to either develop or acquire weaponized drones.
So far, the United States is the only country known to have transferred armed drone technology -- and solely to Britain, which flies U.S.-built Predators in Afghanistan.
U.S. sales of drones, armed and unarmed, "are considered on a case-by-case basis, consistent with U.S. law, regulation and policy, as well as our international commitments, including under the multilateral nonproliferation regimes," a Pentagon spokesman said in an email to NBC News. A State Department spokesman declined to comment on the record.
U.S. reluctance to share its cutting-edge military drone technology outside a few trusted NATO partners like Britain and Italy is viewed as an opportunity by arms manufacturers like Denel Dynamics.
The company aims to be among the first suppliers of armed drones to market, if tests of the armed versions of the Seeker 400 -- expected to begin in “a month or two” and last up to six months, according to Ntsihlele -- are successful. South Africa would have to purchase the armed drones first before the company would begin marketing them elsewhere, but if that happens Denel sees opportunities for growth elsewhere, particularly in “Africa and the Middle East,” he said.
Ntsihlele declined to say how much the armed Seeker 400 will cost, but said it will be far cheaper than the Predator and Reaper, the armed drones used for anti-terrorism operations by the U.S. military in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, which cost approximately $20 million and $56.5 million apiece, respectively. And unlike those UAVs, it would not require satellite technology, being controlled instead through “line of sight” communications. That limits its range but makes it potentially available to nations without sophisticated space-based guidance systems.
The drone market President Barack Obama, in a speech last Thursday, said he would impose new limits on drone strikes against foreign terrorists in an attempt to reduce civilian casualties to near zero and ensure that only enemies who pose a “continuing, imminent threat” to the United States are targeted.
"What we are trying to do with our (anti-terror) strategy is turn it back over to the host country and local forces," the New York Times quoted the Pentagon's top counterterrorism official Michael Sheehan as saying. "That is the future."
The sale of armed drones to other governments raises similarly thorny issues though.
There are no international treaties restricting sales of armed drones, only voluntary controls on exports. Beyond sanctions and embargoes governed by the Security Council, the United Nations does not regulate arms and arms-technology sales, although the Arms Trade Treaty approved in April by the General Assembly may change that if it is eventually ratified by enough nations.
In Denel’s case, Ntsihlele indicated that the South African government would limit sales only to governments that would be “accountable and responsible” and agree to “opportunistic” use of the weapons on justified targets. “That target could be a pirate, or could be a terrorist,” he said.
The company also provided this statement to NBC News: “All of our activities ... take place within the framework of decisions taken by international organs such as the United Nations, the policies of the South African government and the regulatory prescripts imposed by the National Conventional Arms Control Committee and the Directorate Conventional Arms Control,” referring to two South African government organizations.
Assuming it gets its product to market, Denel is expected to quickly encounter plenty of competition.
“To the extent that the U.S. backs off the armed drone business, it allows countries like China, in particular, to say they’ll fill the marketplace,” said Dennis Gormley, who teaches intelligence and military issues at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.
China already has shown an armed drone resembling a smaller Reaper at an air show last fall, and photos surfaced on Chinese websites earlier this month showing what appeared to be an unmanned combat aerial vehicle known as the Lijan, or “Sharp Sword.” The Lijan closely resembles the U.S. Navy’s remote-controlled X-47B drone, which recently launched from an aircraft carrier for the first time.
Israel will also be a marketplace competitor. It is a leader in armed drones and is already considered the biggest exporter of unarmed drone technology.
Turkey also has developed a reconnaissance drone, the Anka, for spying on Kurdish insurgents. Last summer, the Turkish Defense Industry Executive Committee said that TAI, the company that builds the Anka, was starting research and development on an armed variant, the Anka +A.
Turkey had been intensely interested in buying armed drones from the U.S., said William Hartung, director of the arms and security project at the Center for International Policy. So far, the U.S. has resisted selling it such technology, despite its NATO membership, he said.
Iran also has made unsubstantiated claims to have armed drones.
Terrorism concerns The spread of armed drone technology to volatile regions like the Middle East inevitably stirs concern that terrorists could obtain the airborne weapons. So far, the Lebanese militia group Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S., is the only group believed to possess the UAVS. It has flown several unarmed drones containing explosives over Israel and, in one case, apparently used an armed drone to attack an Israeli ship, according to published reports.
The possibility of using small drones as attack platforms was driven home by a video posted on YouTube in December by an anonymous group called Dangerous Information. It showed a small electric-powered drone equipped with a GoPro video camera and paintball gun, first flying through a neighborhood, then attacking human-figure targets in a field.
The development of smaller drones has been accompanied by new smaller munitions that don’t require the Predator’s 450-pound payload capacity. Denel’s Seeker 400, for example, will have a payload half that, according to a company brochure, but still be capable of carrying two laser-guided missiles.
“There is the development of smaller and smaller weapons, some of them specifically for UAVs,” said Philip Finnegan, director of corporate analysis for the Teal Group, which conducts market analysis in the aerospace and defense industry. “So they’ll be able to use smaller platforms.”
While armed drones appear certain to be added to more countries’ arsenals in the near future, analysts say they expect the military sector will remain a relatively small piece of the overall drone market for some time to come. A big reason for that is the restrained growth in defense budgets worldwide and cuts by the U.S. military in spending on drones, which also affect research and development.
“There is short-term pressure on the industry. … It’s a combination of budgetary pressure and the withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan,” Finnegan said. “Longer term, the U.S. remains heavily committed to advanced UAV technology.”
And sales to smaller nations are likely to be slow due to the fact that even with prices falling, armed drones remain prohibitively expensive, Denel’s Ntsihele said, recounting conversations with prospective buyers.
"When they get to know the product, they get shocked,” he said.
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The Dark Truth About Why South Africa Destroyed Its Nuclear Weapons in 1990 By: Mawuna Remarque KOUTONIN Monday, June 17th, 2013 at 9:47 pm.
Why would any country voluntarily dismantle its nuclear weapons which take years and billions to develop?
South Africa is the only country which ever give up its nuclear dissuasion power.
But Why? Did they dismantle the country’s nuclear weapons because they believed in a vision of an Africa free of nuclear weapons, as the press reported?
NO.
The white apartheid regime didn’t want a Black Nation to possess nuclear weapon, a dissuasive power in our contemporary world.
Foreseeing a democratic South Africa where Black people will be in power, the white regime destroyed all the country’s main military facilities, ballistics missiles and dismantling all six complete nuclear weapons shortly after the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990.
South Africa hastily joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and seven weeks later the country signed a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
According to Greg Mills “South African authorities co-operated fully with the IAEA during the whole verification process, and were commended by the then director-general of the Agency in 1992, Dr. Hans Blix, for providing inspectors with unlimited access and data beyond those required by the Safeguards Agreement“
In less than 3 years all South Africa’s ballistic missiles were scrapped, its six nuclear weapons dismantled, and any remaining missile engines destroyed.
To prevent any future attempt by any upcoming South African administration to empower the country, the apartheid regime enacted the most self-restricting legislation in the form of the “Act on the Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction” that makes provision for a South African Council for Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction to control exports of dual-use materials, equipment and technology.
While South African apartheid leaders’ actions were met with praise by the western medias and leaders, many saw this speedy destruction of all the country main military infrastructures as a sign that the racist apartheid regime and many western countries didn’t want the upcoming Black leaders to inherit such a powerful arsenal.
“The whole thing was dressed up as an honourable retreat from a nuclear Africa” said Frans Cronje, deputy CEO of the South African Institute of Race Relations, a Johannesburg-based think tank.
“A nuclear African state would be taken more seriously and would have a stronger leadership role – it forces people to take you seriously.
In leadership terms, renouncing nuclear weapons does the opposite – it reduces your influence in foreign affairs and international politics.
If renouncing nuclear weapons grows your influence, others would be falling over themselves to surrender their nuclear arsenals.” continued Frans Cronje
While a racist, violent, and brutal oppression white apartheid regime was trusted to have and manage nuclear weapons, a Black and democratically elected regime was not trusted to manage them.
That historic decision was all about racism. Nothing else.
South Africa would today be stronger on the international stage if it had retained a nuclear arsenal.
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Gladius (Latin: glădĭus) was one Latin word for sword and is used to represent the primary sword of Ancient Roman foot soldiers. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those used by the Greeks. From the 3rd century BC, the Romans adopted swords similar to those used by the Celtiberians and others during the early part of the conquest of Hispania. This sword was known as the Gladius Hispaniensis, or "Spanish Sword".[1]
A fully equipped Roman legionary was armed with a shield (scutum), one or two javelins (pila), a sword (gladius), often a dagger (pugio), and perhaps, in the later Empire period, darts (plumbatae). Conventionally, the javelins would be thrown to disable the shields and disrupt the formation of the enemy before engaging in close combat, for which the gladius would be drawn. The soldier generally led with his shield and thrust with his sword. All types of gladius appear to have also been suitable for cutting and chopping motions as well as for thrusting.
The Dark Truth About Why South Africa Destroyed Its Nuclear Weapons in 1990 By: Mawuna Remarque KOUTONIN Monday, June 17th, 2013 at 9:47 pm.
Why would any country voluntarily dismantle its nuclear weapons which take years and billions to develop?
South Africa is the only country which ever give up its nuclear dissuasion power.
But Why? Did they dismantle the country’s nuclear weapons because they believed in a vision of an Africa free of nuclear weapons, as the press reported?
NO.
The white apartheid regime didn’t want a Black Nation to possess nuclear weapon, a dissuasive power in our contemporary world.
Foreseeing a democratic South Africa where Black people will be in power, the white regime destroyed all the country’s main military facilities, ballistics missiles and dismantling all six complete nuclear weapons shortly after the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990.
South Africa hastily joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and seven weeks later the country signed a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
According to Greg Mills “South African authorities co-operated fully with the IAEA during the whole verification process, and were commended by the then director-general of the Agency in 1992, Dr. Hans Blix, for providing inspectors with unlimited access and data beyond those required by the Safeguards Agreement“
In less than 3 years all South Africa’s ballistic missiles were scrapped, its six nuclear weapons dismantled, and any remaining missile engines destroyed.
To prevent any future attempt by any upcoming South African administration to empower the country, the apartheid regime enacted the most self-restricting legislation in the form of the “Act on the Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction” that makes provision for a South African Council for Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction to control exports of dual-use materials, equipment and technology.
While South African apartheid leaders’ actions were met with praise by the western medias and leaders, many saw this speedy destruction of all the country main military infrastructures as a sign that the racist apartheid regime and many western countries didn’t want the upcoming Black leaders to inherit such a powerful arsenal.
“The whole thing was dressed up as an honourable retreat from a nuclear Africa” said Frans Cronje, deputy CEO of the South African Institute of Race Relations, a Johannesburg-based think tank.
“A nuclear African state would be taken more seriously and would have a stronger leadership role – it forces people to take you seriously.
In leadership terms, renouncing nuclear weapons does the opposite – it reduces your influence in foreign affairs and international politics.
If renouncing nuclear weapons grows your influence, others would be falling over themselves to surrender their nuclear arsenals.” continued Frans Cronje
While a racist, violent, and brutal oppression white apartheid regime was trusted to have and manage nuclear weapons, a Black and democratically elected regime was not trusted to manage them.
That historic decision was all about racism. Nothing else.
South Africa would today be stronger on the international stage if it had retained a nuclear arsenal.
Thanks for this Lioness, Just more strength to the mentality of euros and the evil in men.
It's sad that Black nations don't get the credit they deserve and get hinged by these worthless racists. I wonder when people are going to stand up for themselves...Black nations gotta realize...their aint no friend in the international community...Do for self and each other and then worry about outside influence.
Posts: 9651 | From: Reace and Love City. | Registered: Oct 2005
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The talwar ( Hindi: तलवार; Urdu, Pashto, Punjabi, Sindhi: تلوار; Bengali:তলোয়ার; Punjabi: ਤਲਵਾਰ) is a type of curved sword or sabre from South Asia, and is found in the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan. The word is also spelled talwaar and tulwar
The talwar originated alongside other curved swords such as the Arab saif, the Persian shamshir, the Turkish kilij and the Afghan pulwar, all such swords being originally derived from earlier curved swords developed in Turkic Central Asia.[1] The use of talwar became more widespread under the Mughals, who were of Turko-Mongol origins.
The blade profile of the British Pattern 1796 light cavalry sabre is similar to some examples of the talwar, particularly in the widening of the blade near the tip and the increasing curvature of the distal half of the blade, and expert opinion has suggested that the talwar may have contributed to the design of the British sabre.
Posts: 5374 | From: sepedat/sirius | Registered: Jul 2012
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The khanda is a South Asian double-edge straight sword. It is often featured in religious iconography, theatre and art depicting the ancient history of India. Some communities venerate the weapon as a symbol of Shiva. It is a common weapon in the martial arts of the Rajputs, Sikhs, Marathas, Orissans and others.
The word khanda has its origins in the Sanskrit khaḍga (खड्ग) or khaṅga, from a root khaṇḍ meaning "to break, divide, cut, destroy". The older word for a bladed weapon, asi, is used in the Rigveda in reference to either an early form of the sword or to a sacrificial knife or dagger
Appearance
The blade broadens from the hilt to the point, which is usually quite blunt. While both edges are sharp, one side usually has a strengthening plate along most of its length, which both adds weight to downward cuts and allows the wielder to place their hand on the plated edge. The hilt has a large plate guard and a wide finger guard connected to the pommel. The pommel is round and flat with a spike projecting from its centre. The spike may be used offensively or as a grip when delivering a two-handed stroke.
History[edit]
Early swords appear in the archaeological record of Northern India with the Ochre Coloured Pottery culture, from about 1500 BC, although the Puranas and Vedas give an even older date to the sacrificial knife. Straight swords, (as well as other swords curved both inward and outward), have been used in Indian history since the Iron Age Mahajanapadas (roughly 600 to 300 BC), being mentioned in the Sanskrit epics, and used in soldiers in armies such as those of the Mauryan Empire. Several sculptures from the Gupta era (AD 280-550) portray soldiers holding khanda-like broadswords. These are again flared out at the tip. They continued to be used in art such as Chola-era murtis.
There is host of paintings depicting the khanda being worn by Rajput kings throughout the medieval era. It was used usually by foot-soldiers and by nobles who were unhorsed in battle. The Rajput warrior clans venerated the khanda as a weapon of great prestige.
According to some, the design was improved by Prithviraj Chauhan.[citation needed] He added a back spine on the blade to add more strength. He also made the blade wider and flatter, making it a formidable cutting weapon. The new design proved very effective against the leather inlaid chain mail armour of Muslim invaders. It also gave a good advantage to infantry over light cavalry enemy armies.
Rajput warriors in battle wielded the khanda with both hands and swung it over their head when surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy. It was in this manner that they traditionally committed an honourable last stand rather than be captured. Even today they venerate the khanda on the occasion of Dasara.
Maharana Pratap is known to have wielded a khanda
Posts: 5374 | From: sepedat/sirius | Registered: Jul 2012
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Great post,but i am suprised none of you posted central african swords and war axes which by the way are very similar to ancient egyptian sword and axes. CENTRAL AFRICAN SWORDS AT BRITISH MUSEUM
Africans had the most sophisicated weapons,at its prime in kemet,if it were not for the invention of gun powder africa would not have been conquered easily,african warriors valued bravery,and had a low regard for body armour,which to them is a sign of cowardice.when africans migrated south,most of their horses died because of the TSE TSE FLY BELTWhich killed most of the african horses,the so-called arabian horse is really african native ABSINIAN HORSEwhich survived above the tsetse fly belt
NGULU SWORD Ngulu sword is a direct descendant of egyptian KHOPESH For more on central african swords,axes,helmets,crowns visit this site web page EZAKWANTU
[ 12. September 2014, 04:53 PM: Message edited by: Modman Ardo ]
Posts: 306 | From: Kenya | Registered: Dec 2013
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LEDAMA nice Central African sword pictures but one of the picture was to big.
Posts: 5374 | From: sepedat/sirius | Registered: Jul 2012
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article said: But experts say the growing number of Chinese small arms coming to Africa is far more worrying. Once on the continent, cheap assault weapons and ammunition easily end up in the hands of mutinous factions, militia groups, rebel armies or repressive regimes that fuel wars and human rights abuses.
^^Keep in mind that before the Chinese entered the market big, white nations in the West, and the East- like Russia and other Soviet Bloc countries, supplied the continent with cheap assault weapons and ammunition that fueled wars and human rights abuses. Not apologizing for china, but the pious condemnations from "the West" overlook or downplay a lot of its own dirty linen.
LEDAMA says: Africans had the most sophisicated weapons,at its prime in kemet,if it were not for the invention of gun powder africa would not have been conquered easily,african warriors valued bravery,and had a low regard for body armour, which to them is a sign of cowardice. when africans migrated south,most of their horses died because of the TSE TSE FLY BELTWhich killed most of the african horses,the so-called arabian horse is really african native ABSINIAN HORSEwhich survived above the tsetse fly belt
Good picture roundup and good info on the warrior tradition. But even with gunpowder weapons against them, Africa did not roll over easily. Early Euro slave raiders like John Hawkins were soundly defeated using poisoned arrows. The Portugese tried for centuries in the Angolan region and met defeat numerous times by indigenous forces, using indigenous weapons. But in any event, the colonial interlude in Africa was relatively brief, less than a century in most places, more in others as in Angolan regions.
As regards Kemet and its weapons, its a mixed bag. There were advanced weapons in metal usage and so on, and later others like Asiatic foes eventually had better weapons like chariots and composite bows. The Egyptians though began the expulsion of the Hyksos using traditional weapons and were successful, with "mop up" operations in the New Kingdom finally icing the Asiatics. The Egyptians subsequently borrowed from some Asiatic tech.
Also on the tse-tse belt, it was a major problem that hurt African cav forces but in areas where the fly was not strong, substantial African cav forces emerged. One West African kingdom for example is documented with cav forces of 12,000-13000, comparable to the numbers Napoleon would deploy at Waterloo.
As regards body armor, SOME Africans may have downplayed it, but a broad brush claim like this cannot be made for the continent as a whole. In fact, body armor has a long tradition in Africa, as seen in the chain mail and reinforced leather/metal armor in West Africa particularly among cavalry forces.
posted
Zarahan, could you re-post an excerpt you posted a while back about the Congolese using cloth type armor against the Portuguese? I am sure it was you that posted this quote. Much appreciated.
____Ausar
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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OK, here's what I have below. Can someone remove that large picture until a repost is done? If it was a key part illustrating a point I can understand but its just a pic and that size really hampers the thread. Original poster can always post a smaller version later.
Body armor made of multiple cloth wraps is seen in Jolof cavalry of West Africa and the Hausa states. Quilted body armor is seen in the Sudanic cav forces. Also present are chain mail, metal breastplates etc See Warfare in Atlantic Africa- John Thornton
--------------------------------------------------- Among the Fulani-Hausa armies of Sokoto, both horse and rider were shielded. The horse was generally covered by quilted cotton, stuffed with kapok fiber, and its rider generally rode into battle with finely wrought chain mail, or heavy quilted armor. The chain mail armor showed similarities to Mameluke design, but the quilting combined local invention with religious inspiration. Local armorers sew tightly rolled wads of paper inscribed with Quranic verses into the layers of cotton, and kapok. Whatever their spiritual powers, they could often blunt sword cuts, but were less effective against arrows.[37] Body armor was supplemented by reinforced leather helmets, and tough shields of elephant or hippo hide. Horse stirrups often made effective weapons in a close fought melee, disemboweling enemy mounts and wounding enemy infantry.
--------------------------------- Can't remember the cloth armor in Angola text but the reference is:
John K. Thornton (2009). "The Art of War in Angola, 1575–1680". Comparative Studies in Society and History 30 (2): 360–378
Although the warriors had responsibility to own their weapons but in the king’s palace, there was a huge arsenal of iron weapons produced in readiness for war. In the arsenal were bows and arrows, swords and spears. The universal weapon of protection was a big shield, made from hide, wood, and basketwork. It had a curved top and was straight at the bottom - apparently designed to be placed on the ground in order to cover an adult sized man when kneeling. The helmet were worn by senior officers (chiefs) as well as highly decorated warriors (non-commissioned officers). They were made of padded basketwork or of hard crocodile skin and wood. The body armor (which consisted of a top and a bottom reaching down to the knees) was made of quilted ponchos covered with leopard skins, firm enough to prevent the penetration of an arrow or spear. They all carried charms for protective purposes usually keep in a small calabashes (ukokogho) and attached to their war dresses. Warriors also wore protective armlets round their arms. Some used the symbol of 'the sun and moon', which symbolically meant that just as the sun and the moon always reach their destinations in the evening and return the next day, so would the warrior return safely from his campaign. Each warrior wore a quadrangular bell, egogo. The clanging of hundreds of these bells accompanied by blasts by the military hornblowers, increased the psychological impact of the army's approach as they entered enemy territory, and gave them courage. (Plankensteiner 2007: 78 & 409).
Myra Wysinger
-------------------- Note: I am not an "Egyptologist" as claimed by some still bitter, defeated, trolls creating fake profiles and posts elsewhere. Hapless losers, you still fail. My output of hard data debunking racist nonsense has actually INCREASED since you began.. Posts: 5905 | From: The Hammer | Registered: Aug 2008
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This thread is pretty awesome. I've never seen most of these swords before.
Posts: 13 | From: California | Registered: Sep 2014
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Tukuler
multidisciplinary Black Scholar
Member # 19944
posted
I don't know how Mena does it either, but I G-d bless him for it Posts: 8179 | From: the Tekrur straddling Senegal & Mauritania | Registered: Dec 2011
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Berber: Boni Staff - Mostly represented by the Kabylen.
Berber: North African Yatagan - Did this design come w/ the turks?
Dinka: Prestine Staff
Tuareg Inspired - Nigerian Navy Sword - currently for sale I beleive
Tuareg: Forked sword - Poster insists it's "North African Muslim tuareg" sword, what do you guys think? The designs are quite peculiar, doesn't look like islamic influence fmpov. http://sword-site.com/thread/927/double-bladed-forked-tuareg-africa
Dogon: Dagger Posts: 1781 | From: New York | Registered: Jul 2016
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posted
Edit: I just noticed Mena already posted pictures of the Beja kaskara swords...
more kaskara
The kaskara is strikingly similar in design to the Tuareg takuba sword that Tukuler posted.
By the way, I notice those Ethiopian shotel swords look very similar to the Egyptian khopesh. Do you think there is a historical connection either through Nile Valley contact or proto-Afrisian or is it merely coincidence. Even the Azande and other African groups have similar sickle swords. It could be that such weapons merely developed from the farmer's sickle.
Posts: 26236 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I believe that it was a misconception that the shotel was related to the kopesh, however there is no true connection. I read that the kopesh is a modified Axe, similar to the ngulu posted above, some people try to say that the Aegyptians arrived at that model after seeing how effective Asiatic curved blades were, then again to the contrary I've also read that it was a tool then modified for battle.
The kopesh has dual functions similar to the mambele, which is to slash and disarm ...most koshesh have a dull posterior at the head of the blade and some by the base to bludgeon or work as a hammer. It isn't fully known if some kopesh depicted w/o an embroidered hilt (or lacks one completely) were used as throwing weapons
Posts: 1781 | From: New York | Registered: Jul 2016
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Khanda sword 
Khanda sword
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