On 13JUN2019, the Iraqi army unveiled a new tank; the al-Kafeel-1. Note that it uses an M2 .50 caliber machine gun in a remote controlled mount. Russian news sources say the tank is based on Iraq’s experience fighting Islamic extremists, and Iraq’s use of the M1A1M. It is strange that most ‘western’ news sources didn’t report about the Iraqi developed tank until more than a year after its unveiling. Speculative reports say it was developed with help from China.
Inside of BTR-80. 9th Iraqi Army Division Warrant Officer explains to U.S. troops how it works.
U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Mary S. Katzenberger, 27SEP2010.
Ukrainian made BTR-94, 2018.
Ukrainian made BTR-94 blocks 14th of July bridge in Baghdad, 15AUG2004. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Jacob N. Bailey.
Ukrainian made BTR-4, reports say Iraq was not happy with the BTR-4, claiming they were not ‘new builds’ and had corroded bodies (Ukrainian investigation links the defective BTR-4s to the now infamous corruption scandal plaguing the Office of the U.S. President).
BTR-4 variants, the BSEM-4K ambulance and BTR-4 armored personnel carriers with 30mm gun turrets.
U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Kalie Jones Frantz, 06FEB2016.
A mystery modified M113 seen at Camp Taji, February 2016. It’s not a ACV or YPR765. A homegrown modification?
U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Kalie Jones Frantz, 06FEB2016.
U.S. Army photo by Specialist William Lockwood, 11FEB2016.
Camp Taji, February 2016.
M113 ACAV, U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Kalie Jones Frantz, 07FEB2016.
M113, U.S. Army photo by Sergeant David Strayer, 28APR2011.
M113, Kirkush Military Training Base, April 2011.
Notice the use of wide ‘snow’ tracks. Texas Army National Guard photo by Specialist Maria Mengrone, 12MAY2005.
MTLB, May 2005.
Texas Army National Guard photo by Specialist Maria Mengrone, 06MAY2005.
This one has the standard width tracks. Texas Army National Guard photo by Specialist Maria Mengrone, 06MAY2005.
U.S. Army photo by Specialist Sean Hanson.
March 2007. This tank is a Chinese Type 69 (Iraqi designation for Chinese Type 69 is T-55B), as denoted by the headlights on both fenders and the camera/laser sighting system on the mantlet.
Texas Army National Guard photo by Specialist Maria Mengrone, 12MAY2005.
May 2005, Type 69/T-55B.
Notice the U.S. antenna. Texas Army National Guard photo by Specialist Maria Mengrone, 12MAY2005.
BMP-1, October 2005:
Rebuilt BMP-1s on Camp Taji, 07OCT2005.
BMP-1, January 2007:
BMP-1, Camp Taji. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Jon Cupp, 17JAN2007.
Video Camp Taji boneyard, T-72 turret lift, 2009:
T-62, March 2010:
T-62s in the ‘Bone Yard’. Tennessee Army National Guard photo by First Lieutenant Desiree Pavlick, 17MAR2010.
Graveyard of T-62 and T-72, October 2005:
Camp Taji ‘boneyard’, 10JUL2005.
T-72, Camp Butler/Butler Gunnery Range, February 2006:
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Brent Hunt, 16FEB2006.
Low quality video from February 2006, supposedly it was the first time Iraqis were able to fire their T-72s since the U.S. invasion:
T-72, Forward Operating Base Hammer, October 2008:
U.S. Army photo by Private First Class Evan Loyd, 31OCT2008.
U.S. Army photo by Private First Class Evan Loyd, 31OCT2008.
2008 Besmaya Range gunnery video (by U.S. Army Specialist Neil A. Stanfield):
T-72, Besmaya Range Complex, April 2010:
U.S. Army photo by Private First Class Jared Eastman, 14APR2010.
Checking out a ‘newer’ T-72, apparently donated by NATO-Czech Republic, April 2016:
U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Paul Sale, 05APR2016.
Iraqis began training on U.S. M1A1 Abrams in 2008-09:
Besmaya Range Complex, 31MAR2009. U.S. Army photo by Captain Thomas Avilucea.
According to a U.S. Defense Department news release, between August 2010 and the end of 2011, 140 M1A1M Abrams tanks were delivered to Iraq as part of a 2008 military sales agreement.
According to the the U.S. Army, these were the last of the 140 Abrams delivered to Iraq:
U.S. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Edward Daileg, 29AUG2011.
In 2016, BMP-1s were positioned for the Mosul Offensive against so-called Islamic State:
U.S. Army photo, 18OCT2016.
In February 2018, it was revealed that an Iraqi militia unit funded by Iran acquired nine of the M1A1Ms.
Blurry image showing Iranian funded Iraqi militia hauling an M1A1.
In June 2018, Iraq announced it was trading the M1A1M for the Russian T-90S.
The first T-90S and T-90SK were delivered by November 2019.
M109A1, Firebase Saham, December 2018.
U.S. Army photo by Captain Jason Welch, 03DEC2018.
For some strange reason the official U.S. Army information that accompanied the pic states this is a “M109 Paladin”, but it is clearly not an M109A6 Paladin (which is a radical upgrade of the M109 series), it is a M109A1.
In 2008, U.S. Army officials decided to allow Iraq to refurbish several M109A1s abandoned in the ‘boneyard’ of Camp Taji: “Last fall, our brigade commander was given guidance by the 9th IA commander to pull out of the Taji boneyard roughly a battalion’s worth of M109A1 howitzers.”-Major Matthew DeLoia, Military Transition Team-Pennsylvania National Guard’s 109th Field Artillery Regiment, July 2009
VEHICLE I-D: UKRAINIAN ARMOR
VEHICLE I-D: GEORGIAN T-72 & BMP
Venezuelan Sukhoi 30 shadowing a U.S. Navy EP-3, July 2019.
Ukrainian Su-27/30, Starokostiantyniv Air Base during NATO wargame Clear Sky 2018.
F-15 Eagle taxis past Sukhoi 27s.
Su-30, the main difference between the Su-27UB and Su-30 is that the Su-30 is a fully combat capable multi-role aircraft, while the Su-27UB is a trainer.
The Su-30 is slightly longer and taller than the Su-27UB, and can also be equipped with canards and thrust vectoring afterburners.
Su-27 v B-52H, Baltic Sea, June 2017.
Su-27 v B-1B, Baltic Sea, June 2017.
Su-27 v RC-135U, Baltic Sea, June 2017.
Indian Su-30MKI on Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, May 2016. Good size comparison with the much smaller F-16.
Malaysian Su-30MKM, Singapore International Airshow, 21FEB2016.
Russian Su-27 takes part in U.S. Vigilant Eagle-13, over Alaska, August 2013.
Su-27, Canadian F-18 (CF-18) and an Ilyushin 62 over Cold Lake, Canada, August 2013. The Il-62 played the role of hi-jacked airliner, while the Su-27s and CF-18s played escorts.
Malaysian Su-30 fly with F/A-18E, South China Sea, October 2012.
Washington National Guard also showed-off its disaster response communications equipment, along with AT&T’s First Net.
