As ISIS Routs The Iraqi Army, Here's A Look At What The Jihadists Have In Their Arsenal

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) recently declared the establishment of a caliphate and has changed its name to simply the Islamic State. This declaration came after a series of military successes on the part of ISIS and its affiliates against the Iraqi military in the country's north and west.

ISIS's continued success is at least partially due to its seizure of military equipment from fleeing Iraqi soldiers. When ISIS overran Mosul, they captured weaponry that allowed them a conventional army, rather than a ragtag insurgency. 

"You lost approximately three divisions worth of equipment and probably at least three depots in that area," Anthony Cordesman, a security analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The Wall Street Journal. 

A large quantity of the weapons that ISIS seized from Mosul were supplied by the U.S. to the Iraqi Army. ISIS also fields weapons produced in Russia, China, the Balkans, and Iran. 

T-55 Tanks

The T-55 tank series is a Soviet tank line that was produced from the end of World War II through the 1980s. It is estimated that ISIS has around 30 of these tanks, although it is unknown how well the organization can maintain and operate them. 

Despite the tanks' age, they remain operational in up to 50 armies around the world. The tanks feature heavy armor, along with a 100-mm rifled gun and a secondary 7.62-mm machine gun. 

T-72 Tanks

The T-72 tank is the second-generation Soviet battle tank. The tank first entered production in 1971, and they're still rolling off the assembly line. ISIS has an estimated five to ten T-72 tanks, although it is unknown whether they will be able to keep the vehicles in working order. 

The T-72 is heavily armored, and features a 125 mm main gun. It is also armed with a secondary machine gun and an antiaircraft gun. 

Humvees

ISIS acquired U.S.-built Humvees when it stormed Mosul. The U.S. had provided these same Humvees to the Iraqi Army. The vehicles allow for quick and effective movement across rough terrain.

The Humvee's heavy armor also protects forces against small-arms fire, as well as against collateral damage from indirect explosions. The vehicles offer little protection against land mines or buried IEDs.