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Iraqi Field Artillery: The missing link
The Long War Journal ^ | January 21, 2009 | DJ Elliott

Posted on 01/22/2009 12:39:32 PM PST by DJ Elliott

The most significant deficiency of the Iraqi Security Forces is its missing artillery. Artillery is called the "King of the Battlefield" because it is the single largest casualty maker in conventional war. Currently, The Iraqi Army's largest indirect fires is its company's 60mm mortar sections. While the current emphasis has been on fielding more infantry to the detriment of supporting elements, the Iraqi Army plans to fill out the artillery component from 2009 through 2011. Until that is complete, US forces will have to remain to provide support and training to Iraqi forces.

(Excerpt) Read more at longwarjournal.org ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: arms; army; artillery; iraq

1 posted on 01/22/2009 12:39:36 PM PST by DJ Elliott
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To: DJ Elliott

I don’t know much about their equipment, but it would seem to me they’d have a number of 155 guns somewhere, considering the number of 155 shells buried here and there in the sand.


2 posted on 01/22/2009 12:43:31 PM PST by DBrow
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To: DJ Elliott

I wonder if the missing Field Artillery is the missing link
to Iraq’s WMD program.


3 posted on 01/22/2009 12:43:40 PM PST by Perdogg (Only the hypnotized never lie)
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To: DJ Elliott

Kind of an interesting twist, considering how much high-end artillery the Iraqis prior to the 1st Gulf War. South African G5’s, Soviet-made 130 mm guns, buttloads of BM-21 rocket launchers, etc.


4 posted on 01/22/2009 12:48:12 PM PST by DemforBush (Somebody wake me when sanity has returned to the nation.)
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To: DemforBush

Then consider how much of it we blew up. :D


5 posted on 01/22/2009 12:50:10 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: DJ Elliott

Whatever they had as far as large guns was more than likely destroyed.

If anything they’ll probably get 105’s.


6 posted on 01/22/2009 12:50:29 PM PST by 2CAVTrooper (Man is not free unless government is limited.)
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To: DJ Elliott

Artillery requires some engineering or at a minimum some strong math skills. In Saddam’s Iraq that usually meant Bath party membership.


7 posted on 01/22/2009 12:50:29 PM PST by SeeSharp
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To: DJ Elliott

This is the Iranian deterent component that has to be built quickly before Irans Ally - Obama- can complete our forced retreat. Shameful Democrats.


8 posted on 01/22/2009 12:52:21 PM PST by FreeAtlanta (Join the Constitution Party)
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To: DJ Elliott
Hold it a minute DJ,

During the war with Iran, the Iraqis had many thousands of pieces of field artillery of all sorts...the whole COMBLOC Catalog from 23MM to 155. Where's all that stuff?

Is it buried somewhere with the poison gas shells? Something ain't right here.

9 posted on 01/22/2009 12:59:34 PM PST by Kenny Bunk (Obama campaigned in Kenya for Jihadist Church-Burner Odinga. Didn't McCain know?)
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To: DBrow

The 155mm rounds are left overs from when they still had artillery. With the exception of a half-dozen pieces, they lost what was left in 2003...


10 posted on 01/22/2009 1:09:23 PM PST by DJ Elliott
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To: Kenny Bunk

1991 and 2003.
- In 1991 we specifically targeted the IA artillery component. Special attention.
- We did the same in 2003.

As it says in the article, artillery is a major killer.
That means it got serious attention...

The only artillery they have, is non-operational.


11 posted on 01/22/2009 1:16:09 PM PST by DJ Elliott
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To: SeeSharp

Hopefully we will sell new artillery to them (vs. giving it away).


12 posted on 01/22/2009 1:23:38 PM PST by neocon1984
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To: neocon1984

The USG is not funding ISF artillery.

I have heard unconfirmed reports of shopping in western Europe, South Africa, and South Korea.

We only funded 20% of the ISF last year and most of that was transfering used US Army HMMWVs to the ISF. This year’s budget is even less.

The US Iraqi Security Fund was used to purchase used US Army HMMWVs already in Iraq at new prices. The US Army used that money to buy new ones in the states. As MRAPs replaced HMMWVs in our units, the HMMWVs are transfered. 8,500 total with the last transfers done by July.

This accelerated delivery of HMMWVs to the Iraqis, while the US Army got new ones. And the price of shipping was saved since they are already there. They got around the congressional restrictions by removing the restricted items. Radios and weapons. The Iraqis are buying a lot of radios and .50 Cal MGs seperately with their money.

The weapons purchases are all GoI now.
Which makes the low oil prices a problem.
99% of GoI’s revenue is from oil sales.


13 posted on 01/22/2009 3:05:24 PM PST by DJ Elliott
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To: DJ Elliott

Why can’t we interest them in some of our older, second tier artillery? Given all we’ve done, the USA ought to be the first place they shop for new stuff.

Screw the Europeans. They don’t want to do the hard work, just collect the rewards.

Think we can sell them the “Palladin” plans that were scrapped?


14 posted on 01/22/2009 3:36:57 PM PST by neocon1984
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To: neocon1984

The US is not disposing of all that much artillery that is still servicable.
The barrels do wear out over time.
Just as aircraft airframes and cars have a service life, so does artillery.

The Iraqis are looking for good new artillery at a decent price.

Not rip-offs.

Not used junk.

They are also looking at co-production deals.

At 72 Howitzers/MLRS per Division, 14 existing Divisions (not including MoI), that is a big purchase.


15 posted on 01/22/2009 4:50:24 PM PST by DJ Elliott
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To: neocon1984

PS Most of the European countries that Iraq has bought from were coalition members, you know, the countries that did back US and sent troops...

That is one of the reasons they are looking at the Korean A-50 as well as their artillery.

I realize the MSM like to potray the Iraq fight as exclusively US and the GoI as just puppets, but you do not need to assist them with their bogus claims...


16 posted on 01/22/2009 4:54:42 PM PST by DJ Elliott
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To: neocon1984

Don’t you think the approx 25 billion of Iraqi purchases thru US FMS in 2008 is enough? That was a third of the entire GoI budget in 2008.

And you want to rip them off by selling junk?

Interesting technic to gain allies: Steal from them.

If you use that technic with your friends, I take it you don’t have many...


17 posted on 01/22/2009 5:00:38 PM PST by DJ Elliott
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To: DJ Elliott

Chill out dude,

We are on the same side.

I appreciate your fund of information. You have something to offer. You just need to know how to offer it more effectively.


18 posted on 01/22/2009 6:03:45 PM PST by neocon1984
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To: neocon1984

Sorry.

You caught some irritation from my also moderating comments at LWJ...


19 posted on 01/22/2009 6:17:14 PM PST by DJ Elliott
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