This list deals with all land based equipment used by the British Armed Forces during the Cold War period. This includes small arms, artillery, AFVs, SAMs and lorries.
Small arms
Rifles
Lee–Enfield-Main service rifle till the 1950s and afterwards adapted for a variety of specialist roles. EM-2 rifle- Experimental rifle adopted very briefly. L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle-Main Cold War service rifle. SA80 L85 rifle-Adopted right at the end of the Cold War.
Sniper rifles
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare- Designated L96A1 replaced L42A1a Lee enfield variant in 1985.
Sidearms
Enfield No. 2- In service early on in the Cold War. Webley Revolver- Substitute for Enfield No 2. Browning Hi-Power- Main sidearm during the Cold War.
Machine guns
Vickers machine gun-Not declared obsolete till 1968. Bren light machine gun-L4 variant in service throughout the Cold War. FN MAG- Main British machine gun of Cold War and present day as L7.
Submachine guns
Sten- Used very early on replaced in 1960
Sterling submachine gun- Main submachine gun
Grenades
Mills bomb- In use till 1970s
M26 grenade- L2 variant replaced the Mills bomb.
Infantry anti-tank weapons
PIAT-still in use in 1950s
M20 Super Bazooka-Replaced PIAT used early on. Carl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle MILAN-standard from the 1970s for the rest of the Cold War. M72 LAW
Mortars
Two-inch mortar-Still in use till 1965
L9A1 51 mm light mortar- Main Cold War light mortar
ML 3-inch mortar- in service through to the 1960s
L16 81mm mortar- Main Cold War and present day mortar. ML 4.2-inch mortar- saw service in 1960s
Artillery
Field artillery
M116 howitzer- Saw use into 1950s in its mountain and airborne artillery role
Ordnance QF 25-pounder- Still saw active use till 1960s when they were relegated to non-combat roles. OTO Melara Mod 56-Saw short service as L5 pack howitzer from 1960s to mid 1970s. L118 light gun-entered service in mid 1970s and today is main field artilley piece.
Self propelled artillery
Sexton (artillery)- Saw service till 1956
FV433 Abbot SPG- Main light SPG
M109 howitzer- Main heavy SPG
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System- acquired late in the Cold War
Heavy anti-tank weapons
120 mm BAT recoilless rifle-Replaced in 1970s
Anti-aircraft weapons
Anti-aircraft guns
Bofors 40 mm gun- L/70 variant used till 1977 in low altitude air defence
Surface to air missiles
Thunderbird (missile)- In use till 1977 for mobile high altitude air defence. Bloodhound (missile)-Fixed air defence in UK from 1958 till 1991. Blowpipe (missile)- Man portable surface to air missile from 1975 til 1985 Rapier (missile)-Came into service at start of 70s and at the end replaced bofors and thunderbird. Used until 2022. Javelin (surface-to-air missile)- Man portable surface to air missile replacing Blowpipe in use from 1984 to 1993.
Armoured fighting vehicles(AFV's)
Tanks
Centurion- main British early Cold War tank. Conqueror- used from mid 50s to mid 60s to give long range anti-tank support to Centurions. Built to counter IS-3. Chieftain- main British tank of Cold War and mid Cold War. Challenger 1- Main British tank late Cold War or 1980s.