Paramilitary Peacekeeper
SA VZ. 58 7.62mmx39
Iraqi National Police’s ERU issues a rifle that’s a cut above the battle-proven AK!
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in April 2003, a consistent goal of the Iraqi government and the multi-national forces has been to establish a reliable and effective police force to help maintain order and stability within the volatile country.
Although at first perceived to be an unruly and unreliable force, over the years the INP (Iraqi National Police), placed under the Ministry of the Interior and with guidance and training from the multi-national forces, has developed into a highly effective force. And, as the INP has grown in strength throughout the country, dedicated groups within it have been created to address specialized missions.
Of these are the INP’s ERU (Emergency Response Units), highly trained forces that provide national-level, high-end, rapid-response LE tactical units responsible for high-risk searches, operations and arrests. To fulfill this role, members of the ERU are schooled in disciplines such as personal security detachment training, quick reaction force training as it pertains to the duties of the INP, response to IED attacks, snipers, large-crowd control, room clearing and searches, etc.
ERU Weapons Upgrade
As is to be expected in a Middle-Eastern nation, the humble yet effective Kalashnikov rifle is the standard in Iraq with numerous variants from a variety of former Soviet bloc nations and even a locally made variant being in use throughout the country. Both the police and military of the country generally employ some variant of the Kalashnikov design
July 16th, 2009 at 4:40 am
I am currently deployed in Iraq and work hand in hand with the ERU. They are a great group of guys with real potential.
Simply put, the local ERU station hasn’t had a single good experience with the VZ. 58. While training them on the range we have had multiple prolems with these weapons that were handed down from the Iraqi Navy. They constantly jam up. The weapons overheat easily and it’s not uncommon for rounds to “cook off” and blow up in the chamber. These are problems experienced even with the newer ones and even the cleanest of these weapons. I feel that the 7.62x 39 is just to big a caliber for these tiny rifles.