The Daily Iraq errors report

[Marcello]

In regards to artillery.
As remarked several times in this thread there has been no artillery in service in the iraqi army since the fall of Saddam in 2003 and probably there won’t be any till some point in 2011. An handful of still usable guns were captured and stored in 2003
but that’s it.
I I believe that the most elegant solution and the one requiring the least work is to make some US artillery organic to the iraqi OOB.
US artillery would and has been used to support iraqi army anyway.

1) Importing from the US OOB unit 90: 155mm Howitzer
Its weapon is already available in the iraqi OOB: weapon 168 155mm M198 FH.
Availability dates would be 5/2003-12/2020.
Chances are some will be left to the iraqi army anyway.

2)Unit 87: 105mm M102 FG
Final availability date to be restricted to 4/2003.

3)Unit 843: 155mm M198 Pl
Initial availability date to be changed to 5/2003 from current 1/2005.

4) Units 840-841-842 to be deleted/renationalized

5) Formation 251: Med Howitzer Bn
Formation 256: Medium Battery
Final availability date to be restricted to 4/2003

[Marcello]

Formation 292 : Inf Bn Sup't Co
I suggest it to be modified by replacing the existing components with the following ones, to represent the nominal allotment of support weapons for an infantry battalion.

1) a rifle section or an AT team
2) formation 225 Mortar Battery
3) formation 156 AA-Gun Platoon
4) formation 205 Inf-AT Section (x 2)
5) formation 320 AGL Platoon

Sources
Iraq Country Handbook
http://www.specialoperations.com/For...q/Mountain.htm

[Marcello]

Formation 33: D/M RGuards Co
According to the "The Iraqi Army: Organization and Tactics" it had a support weapons platoon composed by four MGs and three 60mm mortars, like the regular infantry company.
I suggest deleting the support formations in slots 5 thought 8 and replacing them with one weapons platoon in slot 5. That could be made up by a couple of machine guns sections, picked from units 100-104 and three 60mm mortars , picked from units 425-426.


Formation 42 : Mech Sapper Co
Should be replaced by a mechanized platoon along the lines of formation 118 RG Sapper Pl/M. As it is there is a (poorly organized) mechanized sapper company but not a mechanized sapper platoon for the regular army forces.

Unit 426: 60mm Mortar
It should have its weapon n.2 SKS replaced with weapon n.8 AK47 Rifle
Its final availability date should be extended to 12/2020.

Some notes on the mountain units

Formation 100: Mountain Co
Should have formations in slots 7 (mortar squad) and 8 (Inf-SAM Platoon) deleted

Formation 105: Mountain Pl
Should have one of its two scout sections replaced by a 60mm mortar picked from units 425-426
Source: http://www.specialoperations.com/For...q/Mountain.htm

Some notes on the reserve units

Formation 26: Reserve Company
Final availability date should be restricted to 4/2003
There are no reserve formations in the new iraqi army. All units are active for the time being. Something along the lines of reserves might be organized later on but there is nothing for the moment.

Unit 502 : Reserve Section
Final availability date should be restricted to 4/2003

Formation 46: Reserve Platoon
Final availability date should be restricted to 4/2003
Source: www.longwarjournal.org

[Marcello]

A reconnaissance platoon with six scout vehicles (class 32 ones, like unit 290) should be added
Availability date 1/1960-4/2003

A mechanized versions of the support weapons platoon should be added, composed by:
1) Two APCs
2) 2 MGs sections
3) 3 60mm mortars
Availability date 1/1975-4/2003

Formation 166: SPAA Batallion
Should have its number of units cut back to nine from the current twelve.
Also final availability date should be restricted to 4/2003


Formation 305: Combat Sup't Co
It looks like could be reorganized in a more rational manner
1)Unit 350 in slot 1
2)Formation 1286 in slot 2
3)Formation 1186 in slot 3
4)Formation 1186 in slot 4
Also final availability date should be restricted to 4/2003

Two formations that should be deleted
Formation 310: Bn Weapons Co
Formation 311: Bn Weapons Co
Properly configured formations 290-291-292 make them redundant

Source: "The Iraqi Army: Organization and Tactics"

[Marcello]

Formation 345: ILAV Platoon
I suggest the current units to be deleted and replaced by:
1) Three sapper sections (template unit 440)
2) Three ILAVs

Formation 344: ILAV Company
Unit 1 Motor secction should be replaced by a sapper section(template unit 440).

In the iraqi army ILAVs are issued primarily to the engineer units.

Sources: http://www.longwarjournal.org/multim...page13-TOE.pdf

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archiv...neering_fo.php

[Marcello]

Unit 410-411-412-413-414: Rifle Section.
I had, previously in this thread explained how the current arrangement in the infantry organization is not correct, with the infantry platoon split between rifle sections and weapons teams (units 400-401-402-403). In reality this was not the case and conventional squads arrangements were used. Thus the Rifle sections should be treated in the same way I suggested earlier for the Motor Sections: renationalized (they are used in too many scenarios to modify them) and new squads created incorporating the LMGs and the AT weapons.

Formation 731: Mercenary Co
Formation 730: Mercenary Plt
What are they and their associated units (units 785-786-787-788-789) supposed to represent?
If they are security contractors their armament should be changed. If they are experienced foreign jihadists then they are OK but formation names are misleading.
I suggest renaming them “jihadist band” and “jihadist group” or something similar would be the quickest fix.

Unit 82: 160mm Mortar
Final availability date should be restricted to 4/2003

[Marcello]

Unit 12: Type 69-II
I suggest an icon change to its proper icon n. 1606, like already is for unit 618

Unit 392: MT-Lbu
I suggest icon change to its proper icon n. 3219

[DRG]

Icon 3219 is an ACRV and a MT-Lbu is not an ACRV.

Don

[Marcello]

Originally Posted by DRG

Icon 3219 is an ACRV and a MT-Lbu is not an ACRV.
Don

Yes and no. From what I have read MT-Lbu is the name of the basic chassis upon which several artillery command & control vehicles (and other variants) are based, ACRVs among them.

See this for example:

"MT-LBu (IV12 series) ACRV M1974"
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/mt-lbu.htm

So indeed not all MT-LBu are ACRVs.
However this unit is a FO and is called MT-LBu, so it is most likely meant to be a MT-LBu based ACRV or similar.
In any event even if it was not an actual ACRV its icon, being that vehicle built on the MT-LBu, is more appropriate than the standard MT-LB.
The iraqis certainly had them:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24449660@N04/2703322125/

[DRG]

EDIT:

Good catch on that. I should have dug deeper but I've been busy.

Those vehicles are split about 50/50 in various OOB's as either MT-LBu or ACRV and they are now all MT-LBu and the photos have been corrected to show the correct vehicle

Don