DEFENCEWEB
The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) is turning heads with the use of the Israeli Gilboa DBR Snake double-barreled assault rifle. The TPDF is the first military known to use such a weapon, according to a report by Janes, an intelligence company.
The Gilboa DBR Snake combines two 5.56 millimeter AR-15-type rifles into a single weapon, fed by two standard magazines. Both barrels fire when the single trigger is pulled. The idea behind the weapon’s construction is to provide a rapid burst of fire to increase hit probability and faster target incapacitation with a single trigger pull.
The weapons were displayed during a January 12, 2022, parade to mark the anniversary of the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution.
Also displayed were Type 63A light amphibious tanks, a SCORPION tracked reconnaissance vehicle, motorized barges, bridge layers, P-15 radar systems, BM-21 multiple rocket launchers and H225 helicopters.
Tanzania spends $742 million annually on its armed forces, making it one of the most well-funded militaries in East Africa. It has sent peacekeepers to the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Southern African Development Community mission in Mozambique.