Tanks of Iraq
Overview
Iraq originally had tanks from Italy which were involved in the Anglo-Iraqi War when two mechanised battalions, with a number of L3/35 light tanks surrounded the British at RAF Habbaniya. Later Iraq got tanks from Great Britain it received after its independence in 1947. From these beginnings the modern Iraqi Armoured forces grew and procured modern armoured fighting vehicles from Russia and Soviet Bloc that served during the Cold War, and various operations. One of the main Iraqi operations using armor was during the Iraq-Iran war, and the Gulf War.
History
It is estimated that 16 L3s were purchased by Iraq from Italy before World War II.[2] On 22 March 1941, two of these Iraqi L3s were reported to have been put out of action near Fallujah during the Anglo-Iraqi War. Later, Iraq received WWII tanks from the British after they left, and then turned to the Soviet Bloc for more modern designs of the time such as the T-55, T62, T69, T72.
Iraq began the Iran–Iraq War confident their new tanks from the Soviet Bloc would allow them victory. The Iraqis could mobilize up to 12
Iraqi-operated many T-62s but it lacked high powered optics, thermal sights and ballistic computers compared to their adversaries in the Gulf War. The Iraqi
The
imported during early stages of the war with Iran.In the late-1980s plans were made to produce new T-72M1 tanks in Taji. These tanks were to be assembled from knockdown kits delivered by the Polish state-owned company Bumar-Łabędy.[4] The assembly was to start in 1989 and the tanks would receive the name Asad Babil (Lion of Babylon). According to Polish officials not a single T-72M1 was finished, even though in 1988 a T-72M was displayed on an Iraqi arms show, which was claimed to be locally produced.[4] The local assembly of the T-72 started in Taji in early 1989 as suggested by Iraqi officials.[3] A number of Iraqi officials such as Lt. General Amer Rashid however did not like the idea of being dependent on knockdown kits supplied by another country and pushed for the complete production of the T-72M1 tank instead.[3][4] In 1991 the Taji plant was destroyed by an airstrike while being upgraded by Bumar-Łabędy.[4]
During the 1980s, China sold hundreds of
According to battle reports from the
After the war, the Iraqis received American tanks such as the M1 Abrams which were used in the fight against ISIS. The
It was certified and assumed responsibility of the battle space of north
One of the division's commanders has been General Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, who was eventually promoted to Lieutenant General and took over the Ninevah Operational Command.[10] Other divisional commander have included Major General Bashar Mahmood Ayob (2006)[11] and, as of April 2009, Major General Qassim Jassem Nazal.[12]
The 3rd Armoured Division was the elite unit of the army, and had fought
In 2014, the 6th Brigade of the 3rd Division was described as 'the first line of Mosul's defence' against
Iraq became to look for adding more tanks for its army during its fight with ISIS, and had 73 T-90S/SK tanks ordered in 2016, reportedly followed by another in 2017. The total sum of the contract for the tanks may exceed one billion U.S. dollars confirmed by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin.[16][17][18][19] Deliveries reportedly began in November 2017.[20][21] The first deliveries were confirmed in February 2018.[22][23] 75 tanks delivered as of June 2018.[24][25] Two more parties were delivered as of April 2019.[26]
Iraq also used tanks captured in various conflict such as M4 and M4/105 Shermans, M51 Shermans , M36 tanks destroyers, and some captured ex-Iranian Chieftains, M47, M48, and M60 Pattons.
Iraq organization of armored forces
Saddam Hussein ousted Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, and began a build up of Soviet-built armored vehicles, MBTs, APCs, IFVs and the army was trained by foreign (Soviet) instructors.
As he consolidated his government, Saddam built up the number of tanks for the army. Iraqi armored forces were organized at first to defend the revolutionary Iraqi state, and later enable intervention in foreign military conflicts. The regular army with its armored forces was built up with considerable Soviet military assistance and reached its peak in 1980, when it began a war with Iran. In offensive action in the conflict, tanks, reconnaissance armored vehicles, armored personnel carriers and artillery pieces of the first echelon unit normally attack using Soviet military doctrine, which if defending the tanks are dug in with the armored units and soldiers, while the heavy artillery forms up behind to support them.
Overview of Tanks
Light and medium tanks
Name | Country of origin | Quantity | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
L3/35 | Kingdom of Italy | ||
M.13/40 |
Kingdom of Italy | ||
Cruiser A15 Crusader Mk I | United Kingdom | ||
Light Tank Mk VI |
United Kingdom | ||
M24 Chaffee | United States | ||
Churchill Mk VII |
United Kingdom | ||
Centurion Mk 5/1 |
United Kingdom | ||
M4A2 Sherman | United States | ||
M4A3 Sherman | United States | ||
M50 "Super Sherman" | Israel | ||
T-34-85 | Soviet Union | 2 | [27] |
Heavy tanks
Name | Country of origin | Quantity | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
IS-2Ms | Soviet Union | 41 |
Main battle tanks
Name | Country of origin | Quantity | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
T-54/55 |
Soviet Union | 72 | 1850 tanks delivered from soviet Union and other countries between 1958-1985 T-55Ms active[27] |
T-62 | Soviet Union | 100 | 2850 tanks delivered from soviet union between 1973-1989 |
WZ-121/Type 69 | China | 100 | Around 1500 delivered from china between 1983-1988 |
T-72 | Soviet Union | 100 | A total of 1038 received before gulf war, many destroyed in the war, around 776 tanks were in service in 1996 until 2003. Iraqi government in 2009 was reported to buy 2000 more T72 tanks from Russia |
Lion of Babylon (tank) |
Iraq | 100 | |
M-84/M-84A | Yugoslavia | 9 | |
Chieftain Mk-5P | United Kingdom | 75 | |
Vickers MBT Mk1 | United Kingdom | 75 | |
M47M Patton | United States | 30 | |
M48A5 Patton | United States | 20 | |
PT-76 | Soviet Union | 245 | |
T-90S | Russia | 73[28] | According to the SIPRI,Russia has delivered 73 T-90S/SK MBTs in 2018-2019.[28][29][30] |
M1 Abrams | United States | 321 [31][32] |
See also
References
- ^ "Iraqi Tanks". 12 September 2015.
- ^ "Carro Veloce L3/33 (CV-33)". 30 November 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-395-59305-9
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84603-432-9.
- ISBN 0-595-38816-7
- ISBN 0-674-01280-1
- ARMY Magazine(September 2006): 31.
- ^ "This Week in Iraq – MNF-I Newsletter" (PDF). Mnf-iraq.com. June 26, 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- ARMY Magazine(September 2006): 32.
- ^ "In Mosul, New Test Of Rebuilt Iraqi Army". Military-quotes.com. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- ^ "DVIDS – News – ISF, MND-B leaders discuss Shaab, Ur phase of Operation Together Forward". DVIDS. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- ^ "DVIDS – News – Iron Brigade hosts luncheon to say goodbye to Mada'in Qada Leaders". DVIDS. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- ^ United States Department of Defense, Transcript of discussion with Commander Multinational Division North, 1 December 2006
- ^ Reuters/Business Insider Australia, An Iraqi General Says that Baghdad is Wrong about How Mosul Fell to ISIS,' 14 October 2014.
- ^ Mitchell Prothero, 'Baghdad breakdown', Jane's Defence Weekly, 30 July 2014, p.22
- ^ "Russia's defense contractor to supply tanks to Iraq and Vietnam in 2017". TASS. Moscow. 5 July 2017. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ "Russia to supply big batch of tanks to Iraq, confirms Russian presidential aide". TASS. Moscow. 20 July 2017. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ "Iraq Is The Latest Customer Of The T-90S". 21st Century Asian Arms Race. 22 July 2017. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ Binnie, Jeremy (20 July 2017). "Iraqi T-90 tank order confirmed". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ Fadel, Leith (15 November 2017). "Russia begins deliveries of T-90 tanks to Iraq". Al-Masdar News. Beirut. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- ^ "Russia starts T-90S main battle tank deliveries to Iraq". Dubai. TASS. 15 November 2017. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
- ^ Bingham, James (19 February 2018). "T-90 MBTs delivered to Iraq". IHS Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "Iraq has received first batch of T-90S tanks MBT from Russia". Army Recognition. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "Iraq receives new batch of Russian T-90 battle tanks". 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news". Archived from the original on 2018-06-11. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
- ^ "ЦАМТО / Главное / ВС Ирака получили новую партию российских танков Т-90С". Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
- ^ a b "Iraqi Tanks". 12 September 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Iraq plans to create new tank brigade with Russian T-90S main battle tanks | Defense News February 2022 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2022 | Archive News year". www.armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
- ^ "T-90 MBTs delivered to Iraq". Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ "Iraq Receives 36 T-90S Tanks From Russia". DefenseWorld. Archived from the original on 2018-02-21. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ "SIPRI". Stockholm Int’l Research Institute. Archived from the original on 2010-04-14. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ "Iraqi Ground Forces Equipment". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
Further reading
- Jane's Intelligence Review, June 1993