The Istiglal IST-14.5 anti-materiel rifle (also known as the Istiglal) is a recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-materiel sniper rifle produced by Telemexanika zavodu, subsidiary of the Ministry of Defence Industry of Azerbaijan.

History

Although developed in 2008, it was only revealed in 2009 during the International Defense Exhibition Fair. Its appearance has attracted a huge number of visitors. The Istiglal anti-materiel rifle uses the powerful 14.5×114mm round. It has been exported to the Turkish Armed Forces and the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Technical description

The Istiglal can be taken down into 2 separate components for easy transportation. The rifle is said to be operable in adverse weather, such as rain and dirt with temperature ranges from -50 to 50 C.

Variants

Mubariz

A 12.7×108mm version of the Istiglal 14.5mm anti-materiel sniper rifle introduced by the Ministry of Defense Industry of Azerbaijan. The 12.7mm Mubariz sniper rifle is much lighter in comparison to the Istiglal at 15 kg (33 pounds) with a five-round magazine.

Users