[stylin19a]

In the all-out battles of the 1991 Gulf War, only 18 Abrams tanks were lost and no soldiers in them killed.

But since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, with tanks in daily combat against the unexpectedly fierce insurgency, the Army says 80 of the 69-ton behemoths have been damaged so badly they had to be shipped back to the United States.

No stinking perspective. 1991 gulf war ground war lasted what ? 4 days ?

[Tallguy]

A damaged tank can often be recovered & repaired. The IDF will put many of these hulls back into action eventually.

[FlipWilson]

Quote: "But since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, with tanks in daily combat against the unexpectedly fierce insurgency, the Army says 80 of the 69-ton behemoths have been damaged so badly they had to be shipped back to the United States. "

I have to snicker at the MSM's lack of understanding. Of course armor is going to be damaged. There is NO armor out there that can withstand a well designed charge. The real measure of the effectiveness of armor, however, is not how damaged the vehicle is, but crew survivability. I think the Army would trade a tank for the crew everytime.