Here AOAV offers a curated list of online platforms, databases, and tools to support investigative research into global arms supply chains, export authorisations, and the identification of weapons used in current conflicts.
It is intended to assist journalists, researchers, and analysts in tracing the journey of specific munitions from factory floor to battlefield, with a focus on open-source verification, legal frameworks, and data correlation.
Open-Source Munitions and Ordnance Identification
- OSMP – Open Source Munitions Portal
https://osmp.ngo/?location=palestine&source_year=2025
(Visual evidence of munitions used in Gaza, categorised by location, year, and suspected origin.) - Bellingcat: A Beginner’s Guide to Identifying Explosive Ordnance
https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2024/07/31/a-beginners-guide-to-identifying-explosive-ordnance-in-social-media-imagery/ - Bomb Techs Without Borders
https://www.btwob.org/
(Identification tools and field guides for munitions analysis.) - Bulletpicker ID Guides – Ukraine example
https://ukr.bulletpicker.com/id-guides.html
https://www.bulletpicker.com/pdf/Basic-Identification-of-Ammunition-in-Ukraine-7-0-English.pdf - Fenix Insight – Explosive Ordnance and Event Mapping
https://www.fenixinsight.com/ - ARES Weapon ID Suite
https://armamentresearch.com/new-handbook-an-introductory-guide-to-the-identification-of-small-arms-light-weapons-and-associated-ammunition/ - Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) – AMAP
https://www.gichd.org/publications-resources/tools-and-applications/ammunition-management-activity-platform/
Satellite Imagery & Forensic Tools
- UNOSAT (United Nations Satellite Centre)
https://unosat.org/ - Missing Maps – Crowd-sourced mapping in conflict zones
https://www.missingmaps.org/ - Photogrammetry tools for forensic modelling
- Agisoft Metashape: https://www.agisoft.com/
- PhotoModeler: https://www.photomodeler.com/
- VFRAME – AI Weapon Recognition via Visual Search
https://vframe.io/about/
Arms Transfer and Export Licensing Data
- SIPRI Arms Transfers Database
https://www.sipri.org/databases/armstransfers - UK Strategic Export Control Reports
- EU Annual Reports on Arms Exports
https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/26th-annual-report-arms-exports-2023-launched-eu-transparent-and-responsible-trader-arms_en - US Section 655 Reports
https://www.state.gov/section-655-annual-military-assistance/ - US Defense Security Cooperation Agency – Arms Sales Announcements
https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales
Corporate Accountability & Export Records
- OpenCorporates (Company Registry Search)
https://opencorporates.com/ - Orbis (Corporate Structures and Beneficial Ownership – subscription required)
https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/capabilities/company-reference-data/orbis.html - US SEC EDGAR Database (Company Filings)
https://www.sec.gov/search-filings/edgar-search-assistance/accessing-edgar-data - SEC 10-K Report Example (Annual Filings Disclosure)
https://www.sec.gov/files/form10-k.pdf
Legal Frameworks & Treaty Texts
- Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Full Text (PDF)
https://thearmstradetreaty.org/hyper-images/file/ATT_English/ATT_English.pdf - Geneva Conventions & Additional Protocols
https://www.icrc.org/en/law-and-policy/geneva-conventions-and-their-commentaries - International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Casebook – IHL Principles
- Indiscriminate attacks: https://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/indiscriminate-attacks
- Proportionality: https://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/proportionality
- Distinction: https://casebook.icrc.org/law/principle-distinction
- Precautions: https://casebook.icrc.org/a_to_z/glossary/precautions-against-effect-attacks
- EU Common Position on Arms Exports (2008/944/CFSP)
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/compos/2008/944/oj/eng
Small Arms Control and Illicit Trafficking
- UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (PoA)
https://www.unrcpd.org/conventional-weapons/poa/ - UN International Tracing Instrument (ITI)
https://www.unodc.org/documents/organized-crime/Firearms/ITI.pdf - UN Firearms Protocol (Supplement to UNTOC)
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/firearms-protocol/the-firearms-protocol.html
Conflict Documentation and Civilian Harm
- Every Casualty Counts (Conflict Casualty Data)
https://everycasualty.org/conflict-casualties/ - Human Rights Watch – Digital Investigations Lab
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/20/inside-human-rights-watch-digital-investigations-lab - Citizen Evidence Lab – White Phosphorus Example
https://citizenevidence.org/2023/10/13/israel-opt-identifying-the-israeli-armys-use-of-white-phosphorus-in-gaza/ - Amnesty International – Armed Conflict Resources
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/armed-conflict/ - Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) – Conflict Reporting
https://www.msf.org/ - UN OHCHR Human Rights Reporting
https://www.ohchr.org/en/publications
Conclusion
Effective investigations into arms transfers and their potential role in civilian harm require access to diverse forms of evidence: visual documentation, licensing data, legal instruments, and forensic tools. This list represents a foundational toolkit for journalists and researchers seeking to document complicity and advocate for greater accountability in the global arms trade.
Researchers are encouraged to use this report alongside AOAV’s methodological resources and case studies. If further assistance is required—for example, in structuring databases, tracing components, or submitting FOI requests—please contact AOAV’s research team directly.
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