Quote Originally Posted by Abu Buckwheat View Post
Fascinating discussion. I am not sure how accurate that suggestion is about all EFPs in Iraq being Iranian. I have imagery of Sunnah Insurgent EFPs that are crude, much larger than the Iranian EFPs and made in a local machine shop. Unfortunately, they work too.

With regards to the entire discussion about the EFPs being the new AK, I agree that the Stinger analogy is close but EFPs were used extensively by Hezbolah against the Israelis in their 18 year insurgency. I think the Iraqi/Iranian made examples are having some impact like Hezbollah's, but not in numbers strong enough to be real deal killers with the theater level impact that the Stingers had on the Soviets. Their deployment just racheted up the level of stress for convoys, defeated heavy tank units and caused a new and significant risk when out of the wire.

Personally, I think 122mm/155mm IEDs tripled up or quadrupled up into Super IEDs are the real AKs (machetes ) of the future as they are cheap simple and have killed FAR more of us than EFP have. Now if EFP manufacturing and distribution by China or Iran goes global and you can buy them on the black market for $10 like an RPG round then we will have real trouble in our future.
I have to agree with Abu, here. In my guise as an Airplane mechanic, I come into contact with many talented machinists who can make absolutely *anything*, regardless of the available equipment.

One man, in particular comes to mind, who, on his breaks, turned a little solid chunk of titanium into a sphere of titanium, using only a small gas torch, a hammer and an anvil. He did this, just to prove it could be done, as "everyone knows" it is impossible.

I also know a man who makes ultra-precise machine lathes and end-mills out of pieces of junk. I've been in Iraqi machine shops, and I don't see why they cannot make anything they'd like to, provided they're competent, creative, and know where to look for the science side of it.