Iraqi Army Begins M1A1 Tank Training

Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Lt. Col. Christopher Delarosa, USA

[SandRat]

In this Oct. 31, 2008 file photo, Iraqi Soldiers are introduced to the tanks their Army will use in the future. Photo by Spc. Chase Kincaid, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.

TAJI — The Iraqi Army Armor School here hosted an M1A1 tank orientation for the first group of 28 Iraqi Army M1A1 tank crewmen, Dec. 21.

The crewmen, selected from the cadre of current Iraqi Army Armor School instructors and Iraqi Army 9th Mechanized Infantry Division, will continue their orientation through Jan. 2. 

Final selectees will then participate in a three month train-the-trainer course with U.S. Army instructors at the CombatTraining Center.

Once their training is complete, the graduates will serve as instructors for the remaining Iraqi Army crews, building basic M1A1 skills prior to the arrival of their own M1A1 tanks.

This approach will allow the Iraqi Army to significantly accelerate the fielding of its new armor regiments.  The Government of Iraq purchased 140 advanced M1A1 Abrams Integrated Management Situational Awareness tanks scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2010.

“The M1A1 tank is the future of Iraq; the Soviet equipment is our past….the M1A1s will lead us into the future,” said Iraqi Army Col. Ghazi, Iraqi Army Armor School Commandant.

[chessplayer]

We have`nt even let Israel have the M1A1, but we`ll let the Arabs have them. Wonderful. How long will it be after the first delivery before Russia, China, Iran, and who knows who else will be building them?

[DJ Elliott]

We started exporting M1s to the Mid-east in the 90s.
Egypt, Saudi, and Kuwait have had them for a decade now.

The Chobham armor is not US origin.
It is UK built under license in the US.

In the Challenger too...

[DJ Elliott]

PS The 120mm gun on the M1 is German.

Israel builds thier own tanks.
They do not need ours.

[DJ Elliott]

PSS Did you know that the key item in the M1 Tank, the Chobham armor was offered to Iran in the 70s?

Deal for upgraded Chieftan (Shir 2) tanks equipped with Chobham armor was canx with the fall of the Shah in 1979.

This armor was compromised decades ago to anybody who wanted it. The reason most countries do not use it is because it is too expensive, not because of any claimed restrictions.

The M1A1 tank is British Armor, German main gun, and a US engine. All of those components have been available to those that can afford them since the 70s...