Conflict Armament Research is a UK-based organization that monitors the movement of conventional weapons, ammunition, and related military materiel (such as IEDs) internationally. The group monitors the chain of supply of weapons that are used illicitly in conflict zones to trace how arms shipments are diverted. The group has investigated the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war.
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The group maintains a database funded by the EU and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs that provides "a global reporting mechanism on illicit small arms and light weapons and other illicit conventional weapons and ammunition to reduce the risk of their illicit trade."
ISIL
Conflict Armament Research, an independent arms-tracking organization, has concluded that ISIL military forces are using ammunition of United States and Chinese manufacture. According to CAR, these are most likely munitions transferred by the U.S. and Chinese governments to regional actors for use against ISIL troops which are being captured as local forces disintegrate. A U.S. Department of Defense Inspector-General report concluded that the U.S. had lost track of nearly 250,000 small arms that were provided to the security forces of Afghanistan; some of this quantity may have made its way into ISIS hands. In addition to small arms and ammunition, heavy equipment is frequently or often of American manufacture. Over a six-week period in late summer and early fall, the U.S. Air Force destroyed at least three dozen U.S.-made Humvees being operated by ISIL, which were originally donated by the U.S. to the Iraqi army.
Chemical weapons
Conflict Armament Research has researched alleged chemical weapon attacks that Kurdish forces say used chlorine gas.
South Sudanese Civil War
CAR reports that South Sudan's military has seized a stash of weapons that may have been supplied to a rebel group by Khartoum, which says it is not involved in the conflict.
Central African Republic
The group have reported on weapons and ammunition used in the CAR on all sides. Stockpiles of ammunition held by the Séléka, finding that some small arms were produced in Sudan, Iran and China. Séléka forces had Belgian, Czech, and UK ammunition manufactured in 2007–10, and Chinese manufactured RPG rounds. Chinese produced 82mm HEAT rounds were consigned to the Military Industry Corporation's Yarmouk complex. Chinese-manufactured grenades used by Anti-balaka forces appear to have been intended to be shipped to Nepal. Anti-balaka forces use 12-gauge shotgun shells manufactured in Spain, Italy, and Cameroon. The report finds that Chinese made Type 82-2 hand grenades can be bought for under US $1, making them cheaper than a bottle of Coca-Cola.