Iraq to purchase 2,000 T-72 Russian tanks

[sabra]

Source: Azzaman (Iraq Daily)

In a bid to boost combat readiness of its new army, the government is said to be negotiating a massive arms deal with Russia to buy 2,000 battle tanks.

But the T-72 model the government mulls purchasing is an old and outdated version of which the former army had hundreds.

They proved ineffective and highly vulnerable against modern M1 Abrams and Challenger 1 which U.S. and British troops used during the Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003.

Former army officers say some 400 T-72 tanks were knocked out during the 2003-U.S. invasion and the rest were smuggled to neighboring states.

It is not clear why the government is opting for T-72 while Russia has manufactured much better and more battle-efficient models such as T-82 and T-92 which are specifically designed for modern warfare.

Read more: http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news/200...

[Massacure]

1. They are probably cheap and Iran probably does not have anything better.

[Winterblues]

4. Iran and Iraq are no longer enemies

Both are dominated by Shiite Muslims and seem to becoming close friends. Iran does though have quite modern armor purchased from Russia and China. These tanks are not for fighting a foreign nation though, but for suppressing their own people.

[berni_mccoy]

2. Buy American?

[Aristus]

3. I sense Bush Administration string-pulling behind the scenes.

The day Iraq stops selling us oil, we will invade them again, and the Bushies need to make sure they don't have tanks that can go up against the Abrams. Thank God these assholes are leaving office.

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. Far more likely that they'll see near-immediate use...

..in an Iraqi civil war, to keep Kurdistan in line, and/or keep the Basra area in line.

Quantity in that scenario trumps quality.

[Aristus]

12. When you have tanks, and your opponents don't, any quality is high quality.

The T-72 isn't a bad tank, when utilized properly; it's just no match for any model of Western tank. Against unarmed civilians or guerilla fighters (I'm thinking the Kurds here), it will be devastating. It will be interesting to see the Iraqi government go after the Kurds, when one of the reasons the Bushies used to justify the war was that Saddam was slaughtering Kurds. It's very obvious that this war was started by people who didn't know jack-shit about the U.S.'s role in making the Middle East what it is today.

[xchrom]

6. lol -- perfect! -- now that's some gratitude for ya. nt

[madrchsod]

7. cheap and easy to fix

there`s probably tons of spare parts to fix them...iraq is`t going to invade anyone any time soon....

[saigon68]

11. They can put down any uprisings with these

The civilians will have to "Toe the Line"

LOL






Prague, end of August of 1968. Molotov Cocktails are launched into the Soviet tank as an expression of disapproval for the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 21, 1968. (This is a T-62)

The T-62 is a Soviet main battle tank, a further development of the T-55. Its 115 mm gun was the first smoothbore tank gun in use.

The T-62 was produced between 1961 and 1975. It became a standard tank in the Soviet arsenal, partly replacing the T-55, although that tank continued to be manufactured in the Soviet Union and elsewhere after T-62 production was halted. The T-54/55 and T-62 were later replaced in front-line service by the T-64 and T-72.

[madrchsod]

16. yup ..did`t think about that.

[snooper2]

8. In 18 years

we will be bombing them

[Diclotican]

9. sabra

sabra

To get 2000 T72 Main Battle tanks is crazy, because the T72 the russian are selling to others, are not the same the Russian have them self, The T72 The Russians made for themsef was better than the american was hitting as hitting duck in the Golf war of 1991 and in 2003, when for the most part the iraqi military forces just vanished before the US could destroy them...

If I was in the government in Iraq, and had to rebuild the military forces, then I would, if money was not the bother opt for the far better T99 Main Battle tanks, who with the right gear should be a something to be tell the enemies that is not to play with anymore - Or as some have pointed out, The 82 and T92 would be far better than the old, badly energied T72, who even the russians them self hated because of all the shortcomings with it.. And in any cases, the russian made T72, Who them self had was in the end rebuild almost from scratch to get into something better than orginaly...

But I guess, the Russian have a Yard Sale when it came to this old tanks, and just want them out of stock. And then Iraq can get them to a bargain price

But, the irony about this is that the Iraqi government, would NOT get the western weapon the outgoing Administration believed that Iraq should get because they are all so thankfully for the liberation... I doubt the irony about this is something the administration who is out now even are thinking about when everything is up... The Iraqi want russian made weapon instead of american made weapon...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language.

[daleo]

10. Target practice for the U.S. military

In case some future president wants to invade again. You can be the U.S. controlled Iraq regime wouldn't be allowed much scope in this decision.

[Posteritatis]

13. Still plenty dangerous to most of the neighbors

Two thousand of the things; damn.

Of course, these days two thousand of those are probably cheaper than five hundred T-80s or T-90s, and can be in four times as many places. Buying a bunch of cheaper models would probably leave more cash aside to actually pay the people who run the things, which couldn't hurt too much, seeing as a lot of the insurgency in Iraq was originally set off by that whole brilliant "let's fire the entire army and let them keep their equipment!" decision.

Now that they're looking to lock that barn door, any subsequent horses will be less likely to get stolen!

[2QT2BSTR8]

14. Hmmm...maybe they can't afford the new ones?

Oh WAIT! Their oil revenues are at what....$64 FREAKIN' BILLION buck-a-roos.

Surprising though that Iraq is getting its materials from Russia. I have a bad feeling about that for some odd reason.

[JCMach1]

15. Dangerous to all neighbors but Israel...

and of Course US forces...

Makes perfect sense

[jmowreader]

17. This is a big "fuck you" to Shrub

Also consider: when the New Iraqi Army tank corps is formed, they're going to have to go to the Old Iraqi Army (the ones we're calling insurgents) to get tank officers, tank NCOs and tank instructors--all of whom, in the OIA, cut their teeth on T-72s.

[wartrace]

18. ANY tank is useless without air superiority.

If you don't control the air above your tanks are just targets.

[Regret My New Name]

19. Unless you're fighting a group without air power...

Such as internal insurgencies.

[FarCenter]

20. These are to give the central govt more firepower than the Shiite, Sunni or Kurd factions have

Advanced form of crowd control.

But can they take an RPG hit?

[Mika]

21. Can they take an explosive formed projectile IED?

I think that some EFPs took out US M1 Abrams tanks.