Cambodia Uses Chinese Anti-Material Rifles Against Thailand

The Cambodian military has begun using Chinese QBU-10 anti-material rifles against Thai forces.

Military analyst War Noir published a photo of a Cambodian soldier armed with this rifle.

Anti-materiel rifles are large-caliber sniper systems designed primarily to destroy material targets, not just enemy manpower.

Norinco, a state-owned Chinese defense corporation, developed the weapon.

The QBU-10 has been in service since 2010 and is currently used by only a handful of countries, including China, Turkmenistan, and Cambodia.

The QBU-10 large-caliber sniper rifle has a caliber of 12.7×108 mm. In the published photo, the rifle is equipped with a QMH151A day and thermal sight.

The manufacturer claims an effective range of up to 1000 meters.

The QBU-10 is not the only Chinese weapon in service with the Cambodian military. Recently, the Thai military captured a significant number of Chinese anti-tank missiles, the GAM-102LR.

Clashes on the border between Cambodia and Thailand continue, even though US President Donald Trump announced the day before that he had spoken with the leaders of both countries, as a result of which they allegedly agreed to a ceasefire.

Bangkok and Phnom Penh accuse each other of attacks on civilians and declare their intention to defend their sovereignty. The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia over the ownership of the territories where the ancient temples of the Khmer Empire, Preah Vihear and Ta Moan Thom, are located has been going on for more than a century.

A new round of confrontation began in May after the death of a Cambodian soldier. In July, the conflict escalated, and for several days the parties exchanged blows, resulting in several dozen deaths.

Subsequently, with the mediation of the United States and Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a truce, formalized in October. However, both sides continued to accuse each other of violating the agreement, and in November, Thailand suspended it. In early December, fighting resumed in the disputed border area.