Libreria Militare ARES



Iraqi Army

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|Active |1917 - 2003, 2003 - present |

|Size |some 160,000[1] |

|Headquarters |Baghdad |

|Anniversaries |January 6[2] |

|Engagements |Yom Kippur War, Iran-Iraq War, Gulf War, Iraq War |

|Commander of the Army[1] |Lieutenant General Ali Ghaidan Majid[3] |

The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I. Today, it is a component of the Iraqi security forces tasked with assuming responsibility for all Iraqi land-based military operations following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Because of the ongoing Iraqi insurgency, the Iraqi Army is designed to be an objective counter-insurgency force for a period of time until the insurgency is diminished to a level that the police can handle.[4] Thereafter, the Iraqi Army will undergo a modernization plan which includes purchasing more heavy equipment. The Army is currently being developed by the Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq (MNSTC-I) commanded by US Army Lieutenant General Michael D. Barbero.

History From 1533 to 1918, Iraq was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Iraqis fought as part of the Ottoman Army. After 1917, Britain took control of the country. The first Iraqi military forces established by the British were the Iraq Levies, several battalions of troops tasked to guard the Royal Air Force bases from which the British controlled Iraq. The threat of war with Turkey, who claimed the Ottoman vilayet of Mosul as part of their country, led the British to form the Iraqi Army proper on the 6th of January 1921. The Musal Al-Kadhum Brigade consisted on ex-Iraqi-Ottoman Officers, whose Barracks were located in Al Kazemiyah, and an air force six years later.[5]

Royal Iraqi Army In August 1921, the British established Hashemite King Faisal I as the client ruler of the British Mandate of Iraq. Faisal had been forced out as the King of Syria by the French. Likewise, British authorities selected Sunni Arab elites from the region for appointments to government and ministry offices in Iraq. The Kingdom of Iraq was granted official independence in 1932 in accordance with the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty signed by the United Kingdom in 1930, whereby the United Kingdom would end its official mandate on the condition that the Iraqi government would allow British advisers to take part in government affairs, allow British military bases to remain, and a requirement that Iraq assist the United Kingdom in wartime.[6] Upon achieving independence in 1932, political tensions arose over the continued British presence in Iraq, with Iraq's government and politicians split between those considered pro-British politicians such as Nuri as-Said who did not oppose a continued British presence and anti-British politicians, such as Rashid Ali al-Gaylani, who demanded that remaining British influence in the country be removed.[7] From 1936 to 1941, five coups by the Royal Iraqi Army (RIrA) occurred during each year led by the chief officers of the Army against the government to pressure the government to concede to Army demands.[7] During the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état Prime Minister Taha al-Hashimi resigned and Rashid Ali al-Gaylani took his place. Ali did not overthrow the monarchy, but installed a more compliant Regent, and attempted to restrict the rights of the British under the treaty from 1930.

Anglo-Iraqi War Notable early RIrA operations included the May 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War, during which the Iraqi Army had four infantry divisions[8] with some 60,000 men.[9] At full strength, each division had three brigades. The Iraqi 1st and 3rd Divisions were stationed in Baghdad. Also based within Baghdad was the Independent Mechanized Brigade comprising a light tank company, an armoured car company, two battalions of "mechanized" infantry transported in trucks, a "mechanized" machine-gun company, and a "mechanized" artillery brigade. The Iraqi 2nd Division was stationed in Kirkuk, and the 4th Division was in Al Diwaniyah, on the main rail line from Baghdad to Basra. As noted above, all these "mechanized" units were transported by trucks. On April 30 the RIrA established itself on the high ground to the south of RAF Habbaniya. An Iraqi envoy was sent to demand that no movements, either ground or air, were to take place from the base. The British refused the demand and then themselves demanded that the units of the RIrA leave the area at once. After a further ultimatum given in the early hours of May 2 expired, at 0500 hours the British began bombing the Iraqi troops threatening the base. Hostilities lasted from 2 May to 30 May 1941. Rashid Ali al-Gaylani fled and, after his departure, the British would continue to occupy Iraq for many years afterward.[citation needed] After the Anglo-Iraqi War ended, Nuri as-Said returned as Prime Minister and dominated the politics of Iraq until the overthrow of the monarchy and his assassination in 1958. Nuri as-Said pursued a largely pro-western policy during this period.[10]

1948 Arab-Israeli War In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War the Iraqis deployed an expeditionary force which peaked at 15-18,000 men.[11] In 1948, Iraq had an army of 21,000 men in 12 brigades and the Royal Iraqi Air Force had 100 planes, mostly British. Initially the Iraqis committed around 3,000[12] men to the war effort including four infantry brigades, one armoured battalion and support personnel. These forces were to operate under Jordanian guidance[13] During the first truce the Iraqis increased their force to about 10,000.[14] Ultimately, the Iraqi expeditionary force numbered around 15,000 to 18,000 men.[15] The first Iraqi forces to be deployed reached Jordan in April 1948 under the command of General Nur ad-Din Mahmud. On 15 May, Iraqi engineers built a pontoon bridge across the Jordan River and attacked the Israeli settlement of Gesher with little success. Following this defeat Iraqi forces moved into the Nablus-Jenin-Tulkarm strategic triangle, where they suffered heavy casualties in the Israeli attack on Jenin which began on 3 June, but they managed to hold on to their positions. Active Iraqi involvement in the war effectively ended at this point.[16]

Republic Declared The Hashemite monarchy lasted until 1958, when it was overthrown through a coup d'état by the Iraqi Army, known as the 14 July Revolution. King Faisal II of Iraq along with members of the royal family were executed. The coup brought Abd al-Karim Qasim to power. He withdrew from the Baghdad Pact and established friendly relations with the Soviet Union. When Qāsim distanced himself from Abd an-Nāsir, he faced growing opposition from pro-Egypt officers in the Iraqi army. `Arif, who wanted closer cooperation with Egypt, was stripped of his responsibilities and thrown in prison. When the garrison in Mosul rebelled against Qāsim's policies, he allowed the Kurdish leader Barzānī to return from exile in the Soviet Union to help suppress the pro-Nāsir rebels. The creation of a new division, the fifth, of mechanized infantry, was announced on 6 January 1959, Army Day.[17] Qāsim was also promoted to the rank of general. In 1961 an Army buildup close to Kuwait, in conjunction with Iraqi claims over the small neighbouring state, led to a crisis, with British forces (land, sea, and air) deployed to Kuwait for a period. In 1961, Kuwait gained independence from Britain and Iraq claimed sovereignty over Kuwait. As in the 1930s, Qasim based Iraq's claim on the assertion that Kuwait had been a district of the Ottoman province of Basra, unjustly severed by the British from the main body of Iraqi state when it had been created in the 1920s.[18] Britain reacted strongly to Iraq's claim and sent troops to Kuwait to deter Iraq. Qāsim was forced to back down and in October 1963, Iraq recognized the sovereignty of Kuwait. Qāsim was assassinated in February 1963, when the Ba'ath Party took power under the leadership of General Ahmed Hasan al-Bakr (prime minister) and Colonel Abdul Salam Arif (president). Nine months later `Abd as-Salam Muhammad `Arif led a successful coup against the Ba'ath government. On 13 April 1966, President Abdul Salam Arif died in a helicopter crash and was succeeded by his brother, General Abdul Rahman Arif. Following the Six Day War of 1967, the Ba'ath Party felt strong enough to retake power (17 July 1968). Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr became president and chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC).

Six Day War During the Six Day War, 100 Iraqi tanks and an infantry division were readied near the Jordanian border. The Iraqis were supposed to be the main Arab strength on the Jordanian front, but the strong Iraqis columns never reached their destination in time. Repeated Israeli airstrikes held them up so that by the time they did reach the Jordan River the entire West Bank was in Israeli hands. During the course of the Jordanian Campaign ten Iraqis were killed and 30 Iraqis were wounded, especially as the main battle was in Jerusalem. Fighting also raged in other areas of the West Bank, where Iraqi commandos and Jordanian soldiers defended their positions.[19] Barzānī and the Kurds who had begun a rebellion in 1961 were still causing problems in 1969. The secretary-general of the Ba`th party, Saddam Hussein, was given responsibility to find a solution. It was clear that it was impossible to defeat the Kurds by military means and in 1970 a political agreement was reached between the rebels and the Iraqi government. Following the Arab defeat in 1967, Jordan became a hotbed of Palestinian resistance. During this time PLO elements attempted to create a Palestinian state within Jordan caused the Jordanians to launch their full military force against the PLO. As they were doing this Syria invaded Jordan and Iraq moved a brigade in Rihab, Jordan.[citation needed] Otherwise the only Iraqi activity was that they fired upon some Jordanian aircraft. In July 1979, President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr resigned, and his chosen successor, Saddam Hussein, assumed the offices of both President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. He was the de facto ruler of Iraq for some years before he formally came to power.

Iran-Iraq war Later, Saddam Hussein, looking to build fighting power against Iran soon after the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War doubled the size of the Iraqi army from 1981, when it numbered 200,000 soldiers in 12 divisions and 3 independent brigades, to 1985, when it had 500,000 men in 23 divisions and nine brigades. The war came at a great cost in lives and economic damage - a half a million Iraqi and Iranian soldiers as well as civilians are believed to have died in the war with many more injured and wounded - but brought neither reparations nor change in borders. The conflict is often compared to World War I,[20] in that the tactics used closely mirrored those of the 1914-1918 war, including large scale trench warfare, manned machine-gun posts, bayonet charges, use of barbed wire across trenches and on no-mans land, human wave attacks and Iraq's extensive use of chemical weapons (such as mustard gas) against Iranian troops and civilians as well as Iraqi Kurds.

Invasion of Kuwait and Gulf War By the eve of the Invasion of Kuwait which led to the 1991 Gulf War, the Army had 1,000,000 men, 42 infantry and seven armoured divisions, and 20 special forces brigades, grouped in seven corps, plus six Iraqi Republican Guard divisions.[21] Although it was said at the time in Western media that Iraqi troops numbered approximately 545,000 (even 600,000) today most experts think that both the qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the Iraqi army at the time were exaggerated, as they included both temporary and auxiliary support elements. Many of the Iraqi troops were also young, under-resourced and poorly trained conscripts. Hussein did not trust the army; among counterbalancing security forces was the Iraqi Popular Army. The widespread support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war meant Iraq had military equipment from almost every major dealer of the world's weapons market. This resulted in a lack of standardization in this large heterogeneous force, which additionally suffered from poor training and poor motivation. The majority of Iraqi armoured forces still used old Chinese Type 59s and Type 69s, Soviet-made T-55s from the 1950s and 1960s, and some T-72s from the 1970s in 1991. These machines were not equipped with up-to-date equipment, such as thermal sights or laser rangefinders, and their effectiveness in modern combat was very limited. The Iraqis failed to find an effective countermeasure to the thermal sights and the sabot rounds used by the M1 Abrams, Challenger 1 and the other Coalition tanks. This equipment enabled Coalition tanks to effectively engage and destroy Iraqi tanks from more than three times the distance that Iraqi tanks could engage. The Iraqi tank crews used old, cheap steel penetrators against the advanced Chobham Armour of these US and British tanks, with disastrous results. The Iraqi forces also failed to utilize the advantage that could be gained from using urban warfare — fighting within Kuwait City — which could have inflicted significant casualties on the attacking forces. Urban combat reduces the range at which fighting occurs and can negate some of the technological advantage that well equipped forces enjoy. Iraqis also tried to use Soviet military doctrine, but the implementation failed due to the lack of skill of their commanders and the preventive air strikes of the USAF on communication centers and bunkers. The exact number of Iraqi combat casualties is unknown, but known to be heavy. Immediate estimates said up to 100,000 Iraqis were killed. Some now estimate that Iraq sustained between 20,000 and 35,000 fatalities. However other figures still maintain fatalities as high as 200,000.[22] A report commissioned by the U.S. Air Force, estimated 10,000-12,000 Iraqi combat deaths in the air campaign and as many as 10,000 casualties in the ground war.[23] This analysis is based on Iraqi prisoner of war reports. It is known that between 20,000 and 200,000 Iraqi soldiers were killed. According to the Project on Defense Alternatives study,[24] 3,664 Iraqi civilians and between 20,000 and 26,000 military personnel were killed in the conflict. 75,000 Iraqi soldiers were wounded in the fighting.

Between the Gulf Wars The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) estimated the Army's composition immediately after the 1991 War as 6 'armoured'/'mechanised' divisions, 23 infantry divisions, 8 Republican Guard divisions and four Republican Guard internal security divisions.[25] Jane's Defence Weekly for 18 July 1992 stated that 10,000 troops from 5 divisions were fighting against Shia Moslems in the southern marshlands. The IISS gave the Iraqi Army's force structure as of 1 July 1997 as seven Corps headquarters, six armoured or mechanised divisions, 12 infantry divisions, 6 RGF divisions, four Special Republican Guard Brigades, 10 commando, and two Special Forces Brigades.[26] It was estimated to number 350,000 personnel, including 100,000 recently recalled reservists.

Second Gulf War In the days leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the following Iraq War, the Army consisted of 375,000 troops, organized into 5 corps. In all, there were 11 infantry divisions, 3 mechanized divisions, and 3 armored divisions. The Republican Guard consisted of between 50,000 and 60,000 troops (although some sources indicate a strength of up to 80,000). In January 2003, before the beginning of the Second Gulf War, the force was primarily located in eastern Iraq. The 5 corps were organised as follows:

• 1st Corps, near Kirkuk consisted of the 5th Mechanized Division, 2nd Infantry Division, 8th Infantry Division and the 38th Infantry Division.

• 2nd Corps, near Diyala, had the 3rd Armored Division, 15th Infantry Division, and 34th Infantry Division.

• 3rd Corps, near An Nasiriyah, had the 6th Armored Division, the 51st Mechanized Division, and the 11th Infantry Division.

• 4th Corps, near Amarah, included the 10th Armored Division, 14th Infantry Division and 18th Infantry Division.

• 5th Corps, near Mosul, had the 1st Mechanized Division, and the 4th, 7th, and 16th Infantry Divisions. In addition, there was an armored infantry division or battlegroup in western Iraq.

The Iraqi Army was disbanded by Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2 issued by U.S. Administrator of Iraq Paul Bremer on May 23, 2003 after its decisive defeat during the Second Gulf War.[27] Bremer said that it was not feasible to reconstitute the armed forces. His justifications for the disbandment included postwar looting, which had destroyed all the bases; that the largely Shiite draftees of the army would not respond to a recall plea from their former commanders, who were primarily Sunnis, and that recalling the army would be a political disaster because to the vast majority of Iraqis it was a symbol of the old Baathist-led Sunni ascendancy..."[28]

Reformation of the Army Based on Bush administration expectations that coalition forces would be welcomed as liberators after the overthrow of the Hussein regime, prewar planners had only been expecting minimal if any resistance from the Iraqi people. Thus the new army was initially focused on external defence operations. The new Army was originally intended to comprise of 27 battaions in 3 divisions numbering 40,000 soldiers in 3 years time. Vinnell Corporation was engaged to train the first nine battalions. The Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, headed by Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, was the organization set up by the United States military with the responsibility of training and development of the new army. On August 2, 2003, the first battalion of New Iraqi Army recruits started a 9-week training course at a training base in Kir Kush. They graduated on October 4, 2003.[29] On April 5, 2004, several Iraqi battalions refuse to fight as part of the force engaged in the First Battle of Fallujah.[citation needed] In June 2004, the CMATT was dissolved, and passed on its responsibilities to the MNSTC-I (initially headed by Lt. Gen. David Petraeus) with the new focus on providing security for the Iraqi people from the emerging threat posed by the Iraqi insurgency.[30] While the regular army was being formed, U.S. commanders around the country needed additional troops more quickly, and thus the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, later to become the Iraqi National Guard was formed. Coalition commander formed these militia-type units separately in each area; only later were they gradually brought together as one force. There were several instances where they have refused to take military action against fellow Iraqis, such as in Fallujah, deserted, or allegedly aided the resistance. It is alleged that most guardsmen were drawn from the Shia majority in Southern Iraq or the Kurdish majority in northern Iraq, rather than from the Sunni area which they were ordered to attack. In September 2004, a senior member of the National Guard, General Talib al-Lahibi was arrested on suspicion of having links with insurgent groups.[4]. In December 2004, it was announced that the Iraqi National Guard would be dissolved [5]. At this time its strength was officially over 40,000 men. Its units became part of the Army. On August 14, 2004, the NATO Training Mission - Iraq was established to assist the Iraqi military, including the Army. On September 20 the provisional Fallujah Brigade disbanded after being sent in to secure the city. On May 3, 2006 a significant command-and-control development took place. The Iraqi Army command and control center opened in a ceremony at the Iraqi Ground Forces Command (IFGC) headquarters at Camp Victory.[31] The IGFC was established to exercise command and control of assigned Iraqi Army forces and, upon assuming Operational Control, to plan and direct operations to defeat the Iraqi insurgency. At the time, the IFGC was commanded by Lt. Gen. Abdul-Qadar. In 2006 the ten planned divisions began to be certified and assume battlespace responsibility: the 6th and 8th before June 26, 2006, the 9th on June 26, 2006, the 5th on July 3, 2006, the 4th on August 8, 2006, and the 2nd on December 21, 2006. After divisions were certified, they began to be transferred from U.S. operational control to Iraqi control of the IGFC. The 8th Division was transferred on September 7, 2006,[32] and the 3rd Division on December 1, 2006. Another unspecified division also was transferred to IGFC control.[33] Also transferred to the Iraqi chain of command were smaller logistics units: on November 1, 2006, the 5th Motor Transport Regiment (MTR) was the fifth of 9 MTRs to be transferred to the Iraqi Army divisions. 2007 plans included, MNF-I said, great efforts to make the Iraqi Army able to sustain itsself logistically.[34] As of June 26, 2006, three Iraqi divisions, 18 brigades and 69 battalions were in control of battlespace (including two police commando battalions).[35] Transfers of divisions to IGFC control continued in 2007: the 1st Division on February 15, the 10th Division on February 23, and the 7th Division on November 1. The new 14th Division also held its opening ceremony in Basrah on November 14, 2007.[36]

2008 On March 25, 2008, the Iraqi Army launched its first solely planned and executed high-profile division-level operation, Operation Charge of the Knights in Basra. They received Coalition support only in air support, logistics and via embedded advisors. Also, a British infantry brigade, part of Multi-National Division South-East, and stationed in Basra, were ready in a tactical overwatch role but did not need to intervene.

• April-June – Two brigades of the Iraqi Army 11th Division, supported by US forces, move into the southern third of Sadr City in an attempt to stop rocket and mortar attacks on US bases and the Green Zone. Following the Siege of Sadr City - a month of fighting - the Mahdi Army agrees to let Iraqi forces into the remaining portion of the city. On May 20, troops from the Iraqi Army 3rd Brigade of the 1st QRF division and a brigade from the 9th Division move into the northern districts of Sadr City and begin clearing operations.

• May – Iraqi army forces launch Operation Lion's Roar (later renamed to Operation Mother of Two Springs) in Mosul and surrounding areas of Nineva province. Iraq became one of the top current purchasers of U.S. military equipment with their army trading its AK-47 assault rifles for the more accurate U.S. M-16 and M-4 rifles, among other equipment.[37]

In June 2008 the Army moved troops to the southern Maysan province. Following a 4 day amnesty for insurgents to turn over weapons, the Iraqi Army moved into the provincial capital Amarah.

Structural capacities still lacking within the Army include the lack of any formalized apparatus for the collection of military intelligence. Currently it must rely on intelligence provided by the United States for the majority of its operations. Developing a professional intelligence corps to augment the effectiveness of the Iraqi Army remains an ongoing challenge. In addition, the Army presently must rely on US logistical support to conduct the majority of its operations[38]. It currently lacks critical support services such as transportation, medevac capabilities, and medical logistics. Until the Iraqi Army can develop these capabilities, it will continue to depend on US forces for support. A military justice system also remains to be developed. Two further problems are infiltration and an insufficient U.S. advisory effort. The Army is widely known to have been infiltrated by a multitude of groups ranging from local militias to foreign insurgents. This has led to highly publicized deaths and compromised operations (perhaps the most prominent being the 2004 attack on a US military base near Mosul in December 2004. More than 20 people, including 13 American servicemen, were killed when a suicide bomber wearing an Iraqi military uniform detonated his vest inside a dining tent.[39]).

Structure

The Plan According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Iraqi Army will in the end state be an approximately 300,000-person force based around an Army with 10 infantry divisions and 6 mechanized infantry division consisting of 36 brigades and 113 battalions (91 infantry, 12 special forces, 5 mechanized infantry, 60 armored battalions, 1 security). Nine Motorized Transportation Regiments, 5 logistics battalions, 2 support battalions, 5 Regional Support Units (RSUs), and 91 Garrison Support Units (GSUs) are intended to provide logistics and support for each division, with Taji National Depot providing depot-level maintenance and resupply. Each battalion, brigade, and division headquarters will be supported by a Headquarters and Service Company (HSC) providing logistical and maintenance support to its parent organization. The Army will also include 17 SIBs and a Special Operations Forces Brigade consisting of two special operational battalions.[4]

Current Status The Iraqi Army has 14 divisions, 56 brigades, and 185 combat battalions. The 6th Division, 12th Division, and the 17th Division are still missing their fourth maneuver brigades. Three of the 56 brigades are not Iraqi Ground Forces Command combatant brigades and are not assigned to a division. They are the Baghdad Brigade formed in the fall of 2008, the 1st Presidential Brigade formed in January 2008, and the new 2nd Presidential Brigade formed in the spring of 2009. These three independent “praetorian” security brigades are still building and only have six combat battalions between them. Budget problems are continuing to hinder the manning of combat support and combat service support units. The lack of soldiers entering boot camp is forcing Iraqi leaders at all levels to face the dual challenge of manning and training enabler units out of existing manpower. Divisions are forming engineer, logistics, mortar, and other units by identifying over-strength units, such as the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) battalions and other headquarters elements, and then transferring them as needed. Recently, the Ministry of Defense issued an order to all Iraqi Army divisions requiring analysis on the effect of dissolving the 4th Battalion in each brigade and using those soldiers to man enabler units throughout the IA. The new army continues preparation for the fielding of 120mm mortar batteries and 81mm mortar platoons. The start of unit mortar fielding was planned in July 2008. The Iraqi Special Operations Forces are a Ministry of Defence (Iraq) funded component that reports directly to the Prime Minister of Iraq. The new Army excludes recruits that are former regime security and intelligence organizations members, personnel of the Special Republican Guard, top-level Ba'ath Party members, and Ba'ath Party security and militia organizations. [40]

Deployment As of August 2009, the 253,000 soldiers of the Iraqi Army were organized as follows:

• Four regional commands. The Baghdad Operational Command falls under the direct command of the prime minister in the National Operations Center, while the other three commands fall under the command of the Iraqi Ground Forces Command.

• 13 divisions (1st-14th, the designation 13 not being used).[41] Each Iraqi army division has four line brigades, an engineering regiment, and a support regiment. In 2009, a field artillery regiment will be added to each division, with an artillery battalion added to each brigade.[42]

• 105 combat battalions.

• National Operations Center – Baghdad

o Baghdad Operational Command – Baghdad[43]

▪ Karkh Area Command (KAC) - Western Baghdad. Responsible for the Kadhimiyah, Karkh, Mansour, Bayaa, and Doura Security Districts.

▪ Rusafa Area Command (RAC) - Eastern Baghdad. Responsible for the Adhamiyah, Rusafa, Sadr City, New Baghdad, and Karadah Security Districts.

▪ 6th Motorized Division: – Western Baghdad – previously commanded by Major General Mubdar Hatim al-Dulaimi (killed 2006)

▪ 1 (Cobras) Motorized Bde

▪ 2 Brigade. Now not listed as active. Established October 2004 by Jawad Rumi Daini (ref at article).

▪ 3 (Muthanna) Motorized Bde [44] - Commanded by Staff Brigadier General Nassir al-Hiti.

▪ 4 (Baghdad Eagles) Commando (AAslt) Bde

▪ 5 (Defenders of Baghdad) Infantry (AAslt) Bde

▪ 9th Armored Division – Taji – Division certified and assumes responsibility of the battle space of north Baghdad Governorate June 26, 2006.[45]

▪ 1 (Desert Lions) Mech Bde

▪ 2 Armored Bde - Attached to 2nd Division, Mosul

▪ 3 Armored Bde - Attached to 14th Division, Basra

▪ 4 Cavalry Bde - Attached to 2nd Division, Mosul

▪ 11th Infantry Division (Probably planned to become an Armored Division) – East Baghdad

▪ 1 (Tigers) Infantry Bde - Adhamiyah (NE Baghdad)

▪ 2 Infantry Bde - Western Baghdad

▪ 3 Infantry Bde - Sadr City

▪ 4 Infantry Bde - Eastern Baghdad

▪ 15th Division – South of Baghdad (forming)Ramadi

• Iraqi Ground Force Command (IGFC)[46]

o Northern Operational Command - Samarra

▪ Ninewa Operational Command[47] - Mosul

▪ 2nd Infantry Division – Mosul – certified and assumes operational responsibility for counter-insurgency operations in the city of Mosul on December 21, 2006.[48]

▪ 1 (Citadel) Motorized Bde

▪ 2 (Scorpions) Infantry (AAslt) Bde

▪ 3 Infantry Bde

▪ 4 Infantry Bde

▪ 2nd Motor Transport Regiment

▪ 3rd Motorized Division – Al-Kasik

▪ 1 Motorized Bde

▪ 2 (Desert Lion) Motorized Bde

▪ 3 Motorized Bde

▪ 4 Bde (forming)

▪ 3rd Motor Transport Regiment

▪ 16th Division – Ibril or Dohuk (transfer from KRG/Forming)

▪ 17th Division – Ibril or Dohuk (transfer from KRG/Forming)

▪ Diyala Operational Command - Sulamaniyah, Diyala, Kirkuk, Salahadin[49]

▪ 4th Division (Probably being upgraded to Mech) – Tikrit – certified and assumed responsibility for most of Salah ad Din Governorate and At-Ta'mim Governorate provinces, including the major cities Samarra and Tikrit, August 8, 2006.[50]

▪ 1 Motorized (AAslt) Bde

▪ 2 (Eagles) Motorized Bde

▪ 3 Infantry Bde

▪ 4 Bde (Samara brigade) (forming)

▪ 4th Motor Transport Regiment

▪ 5th Infantry Division (Iron) – Diyala Governorate – Division is certified and assumes responsibility for the battle space July 3, 2006.[51]

▪ 1 Infantry (AAslt) Bde

▪ 2 (Desert Lions) Infantry (AAslt) Bde

▪ 3 Motorized Bde

▪ 4 Motorized Bde

▪ 5th Motor Transport Regiment

▪ 12th Light Infantry Division (Probably planned to become Mech) – Tikrit

▪ Splitting off from 4 Div in mid-2008

▪ 1 Light Infantry Brigade (former 1 Strategic Infrastructure Bde)

▪ 2 Light Infantry Brigade (former 2 Strategic Infrastructure Bde)

▪ 9 Light Infantry Brigade (former 9 Strategic Infrastructure Bde)

▪ 4 Bde

o Southern Operational Command - Nasiriyah

▪ Basrah IGFC Sector - Basra, al-Muthanna, Maysan, Dhi Qar[52]

▪ Basrah Operational Command – Basrah

▪ 10th Division – An Nasiriyah[53]

▪ 1 Motorized Bde

▪ 2 Infantry Bde

▪ 3 Motorized Bde

▪ 4 Motorized Bde

▪ 10th Motor Transport Regiment

▪ 14th Division (Probably planned to become Mechanised) – Basrah[54]

▪ 1 Motorized Bde

▪ 2 Motorized Bde

▪ 3 Motorized Bde

▪ 4 Bde (forming mid 2008)

▪ 14th Motor Transport Regiment

▪ Mid-Euphrates IGFC Sector - Karbala

▪ 8th Infantry Division – Al Kut

▪ 1 Motorized Bde

▪ 2 Motorized Bde

▪ 4 Motorized Bde

o Western Operational Command

▪ Ramadi IGFC Sector – Al-Anbar

▪ Anbar Operational Command – Ramadi

▪ 1st (Iraqi Intervention Force) Infantry Division – Fallujah – transferred to the Iraqi ground forces command, February 15, 2007.[55]

▪ 1 Infantry Bde - Ramadi

▪ 2 Infantry Bde - Lake Thar Thar

▪ 3 Motorized Bde - Temporarily assigned to 5th Division in Diyala

▪ 4 Bde - forming

▪ 7th Infantry Division – Ramadi, West Al Anbar Province – transferred to Iraqi Ground Forces Command, November 1, 2007.[56]

▪ 1 Infantry Bde

▪ 2 Infantry Bde

▪ 3 Infantry Bde

▪ 4 Light Armored Cavalry Bde (forming, delayed??)

• ISOF Div –

o Under training in the US.

Training Training of Iraqi forces was initially done by private contractors, transitioned to coalition forces, and is now done by three Iraqi training battalions. Training has been impeded by domestic instability, infiltration by insurgents, and high desertion rates.[citation needed] Since June 2004, the partnership between Coalition forces and Iraqi forces has increased due to the growing number of battalions in the Iraqi army, which then stood around 115. Out of this number, it was deemed that 80 of them were able to carry out operations in the field with Coalition support limited to logistics and strategic planning, whilst another 20-30 battlions still needed major Coalition support to carry out their operations. As of October 5, 2005 the New Iraqi Army had 90 battalions trained well enough to be "deployed independently", i.e. without the help of others such as the United States.[57] There are three levels of troop capability in the New Iraqi Army: one, two, and three. Level three refers to troops that have just completed basic training, level two refers to troops that are able to work with soldiers, and level one refers to troops that can work by themselves. Members of NATO's training mission in Iraq (NTM-I) opened a Joint Staff College in ar-Rustamiya in Baghdad on September 27, 2005 with 300 trainers. Training at NATO bases in Norway, Italy, Jordan, Germany, and Egypt have also taken place and 16 NATO countries have allocated forces to the training effort.[58] MNF-Iraq are also conducting ongoing training programs for both enlisted men and officers including training as medics, engineers, quartermasters, military police, and so forth. Outside of the various courses and programs being held in-country, both American staff colleges and military academies have begun taking Iraqi applicants, with Iraqi cadets being enrolled at both the United States Military Academy and the US Air Force Academy.[59]

Recruits and enlisted men Iraqi Army recruits undergo a standard eight week [60] basic training course that includes basic soldiering skills, weapons marksmanship and individual tactics. Former soldiers are eligible for an abbreviated three week "Direct Recruit Replacement Training" course designed to replace regular basic training to be followed by more training once they have been assigned to a unit. Soldiers later go on to enroll in more specific advanced courses targeted for their respective fields. This could involve going to the Military Intelligence School, the Signal School, the Bomb Disposal School, the Combat Arms Branch School, the Engineer School, and the Military Police School.

Officers The Iraqi Armed Service and Supply Institute located in Taji plays a significant role in training aspiring Iraqi non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers. The training is based on a Sandhurst model due to its shorter graduation time compared to West Point. CMATT's main recruiting stations are located in Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. The most desired recruits are individuals who have prior military service or are skilled in specific professions such as first aid, heavy equipment operation, food service and truck driving. A recruitment target of approximately one thousand men is desired to eventually form a 757-man battalion. Soldier fallout usually occurs due to voluntary withdrawal or failure to meet training standards. Due to the current demand for these battalions to become active as soon as possible, the first four battalions' officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men are being trained simultaneously (in separate groups). Notable differences in training between CAATT and former training under Saddam's regime include schooling in human rights, the laws of land warfare, and tolerance in a multi-ethnic team. Based on the philosophy used by the U.S. military to boost its own size in response to World War II — that an army can be built faster by focusing on the training on its leadership rather than enlisted men — CMATT has pursued a similar strategy of focusing recruitment and training on commissioned and non-commissioned officers for the remaining 23 Iraqi battalions. Upon successful completion of officer training, these groups of officers will form the battalion's leadership cadre, which will then be responsible for overseeing its own recruitment, training, and readiness of its enlisted men. It is hoped that having the Iraqi leadership train its own will overcome problems faced by CAATT's training process; namely recruitment, desertion, and unit loyalty.

Military Transition Teams All Iraqi Army battalions have embedded U.S. Military transition teams, according to the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq. The MiTTs advise their Iraqi battalions in the areas of intelligence, communications, fire support, logistics and infantry tactics. Larger scale operations are often done jointly with American battalions. This operational training aims to make the battalion self-sustainable tactically, operationally and logistically so that the battalion will be prepared to take over responsibility for battle space. The level of the U.S. advisory effort is insufficient. The DOD (as of March '07) reported that 6000 advisors arranged in 480+ teams were embedded with Iraqi units.[61] However, in April, the Congressional Research Service reported that only around 4000 U.S. forces were embedded with Iraqi units at a rate of 10 per battalion.[60] Defense analyst Andrew Krepinevich argued that the roughly twelve advisors per Iraqi battalion (approximately 500 troops) is less than half the sufficient amount needed to efficiently implement the combat advisory effort [62]. Krepinevich argues that officers try to avoid taking on advisory tasks due to the US Army's practice of prioritising the promotion of officers that have served with a U.S. unit over ones that have served with foreign forces.[44]

Equipment

|Military Strength  [pic] |

|Small Arms |100,000 - 200,000 AK-47, |

| |25,000 M4, 80,000 M16A4, Kbk wz. 1988 Tantal, AKM, Sa vz. 58, SKS, Benelli M4 Super 90, Pistol Mitralieră model 1963/1965, |

| |Zastava M70, 20,000 CZ-99, 2,000 Zastava M21, 1,000+ Zastava M84, PK machine gun, Zastava M72, Beretta 92, RPK, RPD, M2 |

| |Browning machine gun, DShK, NSV (machine gun), KPV heavy machine gun, RPG-7, Type 69 RPG, 2,550 M203, 150 M79 Rocket Launcher, |

| |160 M90 Rocket Launcher, Tabuk Sniper Rifle, M24 Sniper Weapon System, SVD (rifle), Type 56 assault rifle, Glock pistol, SIG |

| |P226, AT4, Beretta M 1951, Škorpion vz. 61, PM-84 Glauberyt, RGD-5, Mk 19 grenade launcher, F1 hand grenade, M16 mine, Valmara |

| |69, PROM-1, M18A1 Claymore Antipersonnel Mine, Lee-Enfield, Karabiner 98k, Mosin-Nagant, SPG-9 24 M134 7.62mm Mini-Gun |

|Tanks |72 T-55 [63], 210 T-72[63], 280 M1A1M on order. |

| |Total: 282 |

|Armoured |10,000+ HMMWV, 1,050 Cougar H, 100 Spartan[63], 98 BTR-80[63], 50 BTR-94[63], 61 MT-LB[63], 233 M-113, 60 Saxon (vehicle), 573 |

|Personnel |Otokar Akrep, 600 Otokar Cobra, 44 Panhard AML , 3961 M1114 [64], 400 M1151 [64], 44 Al-Talha, 200 Reva APC, Mohafiz, 400 |

|Carriers |Stryker, EE-11 Urutu |

| |Total: 18,193 |

|Armoured |600 DZIK-3[63], 72 Defender-110[63], 13 BRDM-2, 35 EE-9 Cascavel, 106 M1117 Armored Security Vehicle 80 more ordered. |

|fighting |Total: 1,218 |

|vehicles | |

|Infantry |434 BMP-1 [63] |

|Fighting | |

|Vehicles | |

|Artillery |565 M120 120 mm mortar, 665 M252 Mortar |

|Aircraft |16 UH-1H, 22 Mil Mi-17, 3 C-130 Hercules, Mil Mi-24, 6 Antonov An-32 |

|Trucks |140 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, 80 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck |

Virtually all of the equipment used by the former Iraqi Army was either destroyed by the U.S. and British during Operation Iraqi Freedom or was looted during the chaotic aftermath shortly after the fall of the Hussein regime. Four T-55 tanks however have been recovered from an old army base in al-Muqdadiyah and are now in service with the 1st Mechanized Division. On February 2, 2004 the U.S government announced that Nour USA was awarded a $327,485,798 contract to procure equipment for both the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi National Guard; however, this contract was canceled in March 2004 when an internal Army investigation (initiated due to complaints from losing bidders) revealed that Army procurement officers in Iraq were violating procedures with sloppy contract language and incomplete paperwork. On May 25, 2004 the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) stated that they would award a contract worth $259,321,656 to ANHAM Joint Venture in exchange for procuring the necessary equipment (and providing its required training) for a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 35 battalions. The minimum bid would begin to be delivered immediately and further orders could be placed until the maximum of 35 battalion sets or September 2006 after the first order was fully delivered. In May 2005, Hungary agreed to donate 77 T-72's to the Iraqi Army, with the refurbishment contract going to Defense Solutions to bring the tanks up to operational status for an estimated 4.5 million dollars US.[65] After a delay in the payment of funds from the Iraqi government[66], Iraq's 9th Army Mechanized Division received the tanks at its headquarters in Taji over a three day period starting on November 8, 2005.[65] On July 29, 2005, the United Arab Emirates gained approval to purchase 180 M113A1 APCs in good-condition from Switzerland, with the intent to transfer them to Iraq as a gift. Domestic political opposition successfully froze the sale, fearing that the export would violate the country's longstanding tradition of neutrality as well as perhaps make Switzerland a target for terrorism.[67] 173 M113s, 44 Panhards, and 300 Spartans donated by Jordan, Pakistan and UAE. 600 Dzik-3 (Ain Jaria) APCs were ordered in Poland (option 1200) for delivery by Jan 2007. 573 Akrep APCs for delivery by Jan 2007. 756 Cougar H APCs (option 1050) for delivery by November 2008. 713 M1114s and 400 M1151s purchased for IA with delivery complete by end July 2006. Serbia has signed a US$230m deal with Iraq to sell weapons and military equipment, the defence ministry said in March 2008. It did not specify the weapons but Serbian military experts believe they include Serbian-made CZ-99 hand guns, Zastava M21 5.56 mm assault rifles, Zastava M84 machine guns, anti-tank weapons (M79 "Osa", Bumbar, and M90 "Strsljen"), ammunition and explosives and about 20 Lasta 95 basic trainer aircraft. Iraq's defence Minister Abdul-Qadir al-Obaidi visited Belgrade in September and November to discuss boosting military ties with Serbia.[68][69] In August 2008, the United States has proposed military sales to Iraq, which will include the latest upgraded M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, attack helicopters, Stryker armored vehicles, modern radios, all to be valued at an estimated 2.16 billion dollars.[70] In December 2008 the United States approved a 6 billion dollar arms deal with Iraq that included 140 M1A1 Abrams tanks and 400 Stryker combat vehicles for elite Iraqi army units.[71] In January 2009 U.S. defense companies and Pentagon officials announced that the Iraqi Army is planning to buy up to 2,000 retrofitted Soviet-era T-72M tanks. Redesignated as T-91s, the tanks would form the heavy core of a reconstituted force meant to be able to defend its country after most U.S. forces leave in 2011. The tanks would be bought from Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine and Slovakia, and then stripped to their frames and rebuilt under a contract managed by Defense Solutions of Exton, Pa with advanced gun systems, modern armor, and fire control systems to levels almost similar to the M1A1 Abrams. This proposal has since been discredited by Pentagon sources.[72] In February 2009 the US military announced it had struck deals with Iraq that will see Baghdad spend 5 billion dollars on American-made weapons, equipment and training.[73]

Uniforms and personal weapons The average Iraqi soldier is equipped with an assortment of uniforms ranging from the Desert Camouflage Uniform, the 6 color "Chocolate Chip" DBDU and the woodland pattern BDU to the US MARPAT or Jordanian KA7. Nearly all have a PASGT ballistic helmet, generation I OTV ballistic vest and radios. Their light weapons consist of stocks of AKM and Type 56 assault rifles, and American M16A4 rifles and M4 carbines, the latter two to become the standard rifle. Old Soviet PKM machineguns are still used by machine/support gunners and AT soldiers use old and/or captured RPG-7s. However weapons registration is poor. A 2006 report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) notes that out of the 370,000 weapons turned over to the US since the fall of Saddam's regime, only 12,000 serial numbers have been recorded[74]. The lack of proper accounting for these weapons makes the acquisition of small arms by anti governmental forces such as insurgents or sectarian militias much easier.

New Equipment

|Vehicle[22] |

|1st Division* |

|9th Mechanized Division |

|1st Mechanized Brigade (4 Bns) |

|2nd Brigade (4 Bns) |

|3rd Brigade (4 Bns) |

|Special Operations Forces |

|SOF Division |

|36th Commando Battalion |

| |

|Iraqi Counterterrorism Battalion |

|Support Battalion |

|Indvidual Units |

|Special Security Battalion |

|Marine Battalion |

|Engineer Training Battalion |

|Training Battalion |

|Strategic Infrastructure Brigades |

|Brigade |

|Division |4th Division |8th Division |

|SYSTEMS |Inventory |

| |

|HELICOPTERS |

| |

|The new Iraqi Army of 40,000 persons require basing facilities at 18 locations. |

|XXX |XX |X | |

| | |Al Hillah Recruiting Station |

| | |Al Kasik Military Base |

| | |Al Taji Military Base |

| | |An Numaniyah Military Base |

| | |Ar Rustimiyah |

| | |Baghdad IAP |

| | |Baghdad Muthenna Recruiting Station |

| | |Baqcuba Recruiting Station |

| | |Camp Ashraf |

| | |Kirkuk Recruiting Station |

| | |Kirkuk Army Base |

| | |Kirkush Military Training Base (KMTB) |

| | |MEK Training Camp |

| | |Tallil Military Base |

| | |Tikrit Military Base |

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