The Daily Iraq errors report

[Marcello]

Originally Posted by PlasmaKrab

Hmm, with TI and some decent EW (according to the article), this is going to be a nice addition to the post-OIF Iraqi OOB's air capability. Right now there is only F-16s starting 2011, this 'mock-Predator' should be interesting for the transition period.

This is supposed to provide a limited interim strike capability until the acquisition of some dedicated coin turboprop, Super Tucano or similar, whose negotiations are should be underway as we speak (several procurement deals appear to have been delayed and this was one of them). Next step will be the acquisition of some F-16s, not before 2013-2014 though.

[Marcello]

Also the iraqis have requested various vehicles

Abrams tanks and various logistical vehicles
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressRelease...Iraq_08-98.pdf

LAV-25s, LAV variants etc
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressRelease...Iraq_08-35.pdf

Light attack helicopters (AH-6J or equivalent) and their weapons
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressRelease...Iraq_08-95.pdf

Additional M1117s and MK19 40mm AGL
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressRelease...Iraq_08-86.pdf

Night vision equipment and assorted stuff
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressRelease...Iraq_08-44.pdf

[Marcello]

Some suggestions for the next update

Unit 25 T-62A
It should have its final availability date extended to 4/103.
I had already documented the absence of LRF fitted T-62s in iraqi service previously in this thread.

Unit 26 T-62M
As I noted it might have existed as a prototype or limited batch production only. I would suggest X3 radio code.

Unit 434 Republic Guards
The RPD in the second slot should be changed to a PKM and the RPG-16 should be replaced with an RPG-7.
The RPG-16D was a relatively rare weapon in iraqi service that should be available as separate AT team and in the special forces but not for general issue even to the guards units. And the RPD was obsolete by 2000 and there were more modern machine guns available, at least for the republican guard (PKM and RPK).

Units 432-433-434 should have the same start and end date, 1/87-4/103. It is not like the RG switched from RPG-7 to RPG-18
in 1991. Both weapons were used concurrently.

[Marcello]

Unit 400, 401, 402 and 403 Weapons Team
While the 1941 iraqi army may still have retained separate LMG teams in the rifle platoons
this typically 30's practice did not survive after WW2.
Neither the british advisors which oversaw the reconstruction of the iraqi army postwar
nor the soviet ones which took over after the 1958 coup had separate LMGs team as doctrine.
To the extent the iraqi platoons structure is mentioned in the available literature they are described as
having standard squads.

http://orbat.com/site/history/histor...qarmy1941.html
http://members.tripod.com/collinsj/i...tions_1990.htm
US Army Iraq Country Handbook
In addition I have asked around in various forums including ones specialized in arab israeli wars.
The answer was always the same: the LMGs were kept in the squad after WW2.

The weapons teams should thus be deleted from formations 45-46-50-51 while the units thmeselves
might be kept around, as they are used in various scenarios. They could be renationalized to make them unavailable for purchase
or be made available for purchase in a specialized formation only.

This of course means that the rifle sections, units 410-411-412-413-414
and the Motor sections units 420-421-422-423-424 would have to be either modified
or renationalized and replaced with new units. More on this later.

[Marcello]

As noted previously the elimination of the weapons squad would make necessary some restructuring in the infantry and motorized infantry to incorporate the support weapons currently kept in the weapons teams.

Unit 420 Motor Section
I think that it is reasonable to assume that the few units which could be mechanized with the limited number of soviet supplied APCs in that timeframe (a few tens of BTR-152s and such)
would get the best infantry weapons made available by the soviet advisors.
In the late 50's that would be SKS carabines (which are still found in Iraq), probably RPD as LMG and RPG-2.
Therefore I suggest the followin change
1) start date 2/59 to go in with the BTR-152 start date and about mid 60's as end date.
2) Rearming with
-first slot weapon n.4 SKS
-second slot weapon n.11 RPD
-third slotweapon n.16 RPG-2
-fourth slot, grenades.

Unit 421 Motor Section
It should be used to represent the introduction in service of the AK-47 and RPG-7.
1) start date mid late 60's, final date 4/103.
2) Rearming with
-first slot AK-47
-second slot weapon n.12 RPK lmg
-third slot RPG-7
-fourth slot, grenades

Unit 422 Motor Section
A variation of the above
Start date around 1970, 4/103 as final date.
-second slot PKM instead of DPM as LMG (obsolete by then)
-third slot RPG-7
-fourth slot, grenades


Unit 423 Motor Section
It should be a clone of the above but with 1/2005 as start date to represent new iraqi army units and 12/2008 (or some month of 2009)
as end date to represent the final phasing out of the AK-47.

Unit 424 Motor Section
Like the above but with the M16 instead of the AK-47 in the first slot and 7/2007 as start date.

Alternatively some or all of these units could be simply renationalized and new ones created with the described
armament.

[Marcello]

Originally Posted by Marcello

Unit 424 Motor Section
Like the above but with the M16 instead of the AK-47 in the first slot and 7/2007 as start date.

End date would be 12/120 for this one.

[Marcello]

Unit 9: M60A1Rise
Unit 10: M60A3-TTS

I had requested, previously in this thread, an initial availability date set to end 2008. That was in light of a proposed deal for the purchase of a large number of M60 tanks.
So far however no such tanks have been delivered and no further talks have been reported about it. There have also more recently been rumors about a large order of upgraded T-72s but this has quickly turned out to be just a plant by a contractor.
So at this point there are no M60s in iraqi service and no public plans to aquire them. Yet it still cannot be ruled out that some will be aquired at some point.
I suggest the initial availability date to be moved from current 10/2008 to 1/2012 or such and wait and see what happens.

In the meantime Iraq is purchasing a few more vanilla T-72M/M1
and crew training for Abrams tanks has begun.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/...or-Iraq-05013/

Some have noted that it is likely that in addition to the 140-280Abrams already ordered more will be loaned from the US Army as US forces in Iraq are reduced (that would also explain a reduced interest for gap filler vehicles like the M60).

Unit 608: M1A1 Abrams

In light of the above and following info I would suggest initial availability date to be anticipated to 1/2011 from current 1/2012.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/multim...-Equipment.pdf

According to this the newly built Abrams could be delivered as early as late 2010 and the loaned ones (if that goes on) would available soon too. So beginning of 2011 should be prudent for the moment.