Andy McNab's Tour of Duty

Weapon profiles

British troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq have an incredible array of state-of-the-art firepower at their fingertips.

To the uninitiated the difference between one weapon and another may be hard to fathom, so that’s why each week Andy profiles one of the tools of the trade to give viewers an expert’s eye view of what advantages they can bring on the battlefield.

• Play

  Episode 1: L96 sniper rifle

  Sniper rifles can change the course of a battle, offering troops the ability to pin down and take out enemies from afar

• Play

  Episode 2: SA80 assault rifle

  The 5.56mm standard issue British Army assault rifle features an optical sight and low recoil. Good bit of kit

• Play

  Episode 3: .50 calibre machine gun

  Blasting away 600 rounds per minute and deadly at up to a whopping 2km, the .50 cal means business

• Play

  Episode 4: Javelin Missile System

  This shoulder-fired beast uses a state-of-the-art infra-red seeker, and can take out tanks at distances of up to 2.5km

• Play

  Episode 5: GPMG

  In service in the British Army since the 1960s, Andy reckons the GPMG is the best machine gun on the planet

• Play

  Episode 6: Grenade Machine Gun

  This devastating weapon can lay down 320 40mm grenades a minute at distances of up to two kilometres

• Play

  Web exclusive: Minimi

  Designed in Belgium and in service with the American army, this light machine gun now sees service with UK forces

• Play

  Web exclusive: UGL

  The Underslung Grenade Launcher, built in Germany, adds a 40mm grenade launcher to the SA80's firepower