The Daily Iraq errors report

[Marcello]

Some notes about formations.
According to “The Iraqi Army: Organization and Tactics" US Army National Training Centre and the US Army “Iraq Country Handbook”
The standard iraqi infantry company, at least from the Iran Iraq war to OIF, was composed by:
1) three rifle platoons with three infantry squads each
2) weapons platoon with three 60mm mortars and four MMG/HMG.

This basic structure applied to regular army non mechanized and mechanized infantry as well as to Republican Guard non mechanized infantry.

I suggest formation 24 Rifle Company to be modified along the following lines:
1) One rifle squad in the first slot
2) Three rifle platoons in slots 2-3-4, each with three squads (the weapons squad should be eliminated, as discussed previously).
3) One weapons platoon in slot 5. That could be made up by a couple of machine guns sections, picked from units 100-104 and
three 60mm mortars , picked from units 425-426.

[Marcello]

According to http://www.longwarjournal.org/oob/index.php the new iraqi army infantry company, available since the beginning of 2005 is composed by:
1) Command element
2) Mortar section with two 60mm mortars
3) Four rifle platoons with three squads each

I therefore suggest the introduction of a new infantry company composed by:
1) One rifle squad in slot 1
2) Unit 804 2x60mm Mortars in slot 2
3) Four rifle platoons (with three squads each) in the following slots

Such infantry company would be available in the 1/2005-12/2020 timeframe.


Formation 25 : Rifle Company +
Based on the information contained in the Iraq Country Handbook I suggest it to be modified along the following lines:

1) One rifle squad in the first slot
2) Three rifle platoons in slots 2-3-4, each with three squads.
3) One weapons platoon in slot 5, (four mmg/hmg and three 60mm mortars).
4) a mortar section picked from units 75-79 in slot 6
5) a couple of recoilless (unit 266 or similar) in the following slots.

Essentially it would be structured like formation 24 discussed previously and reinforced with some battalion weapons.
According to the handbook such a formation would be a typical setup for an infantry company deployed in static defense.
Final availability date would be 4/103.

[Marcello]

Unit 283: Jararaca EE-3
Wrong armament : it is currently armed with an autocannon in the first slot, weapon 247 20mm Rh 202 AC,
and weapon 248 12.7mm M2HB BMG. I suggest weapon 248 to be deleted.

Typically it is actually armed 12.7mm MG in an exposed mount or a protected 7,62mm MG or ATGMs
or combination of such weapons, as can be seen in all the pictures of it.




Still at least one variant, at least on paper, was indeed armed with a 20mm gun in turret.
I doubt it was actually produced and delivered to Iraq but that is hard to verify, so for the moment the 20mm can be left.
Definitively no bow 12.7mm MG was present though. Weapon 248 could be changed in AAMG version of the PKM machine gun.
That would be eventually useful to arm several iraqi vehicles.


Unit 365: SA-2 Dvina
Suggested changes:
1)Initial availability date should be changed 1/1962 or 1/1963. SIPRI lists 1963 and indeed giving the timing of the coup which paved the way for soviet- iraqi military collaboration SIPRI chronology makes sense. Early 1960 would have been too soon for such a demanding weapon system to be put in iraqi hands.
2)The current icon should be changed to n. 4548.
3)The vision rating should be reduced to zero

In light of the above.
Formation 180: SAM Battery
Availability date should be changed from current 1/1960-6/2003 to 1/1963-4/2003

[Marcello]

Some notes about SAMs

Unit 374: SA-6 Kub
Wrong initial availability date: now it is 1/1970 but it should be 1/1978. The formations which use it are available from 1/1978
and the system was indeed delivered about that date. Final availability date could be restricted to 12/110
(unit 46 Avenger HMMWV is available from 1/2011)

Unit 376: SA-13 Strela-10
Wrong initial availability date: now it is 1/1991 but according to SIPRI the system was delivered in 1985. That seems about right.

Unit 380: SA-9 Strela-1
Wrong initial availability date: now it is 1/1978 but according to SIPRI the system was delivered in 1982.

Unit 379: AMX-30 Roland
Wrong availability dates: now it is 1/1970-12/2004. It should be something like 1/1985-12/1998
According to SIPRI they were delivered in 1985 and in 1970 Roland was still under development anyway
(IOC was 1977-1978 by most sources).
The number these of units delivered was apparently rather low and given the issues with spare parts (not a whole lot of AMX-30
to cannibalize in the iraqi Army) it was probably discarded at some point in the 90’s.
Truck mounted Roland (like unit 381) were much more numerous and sill in active service in 2003 of course.

[Marcello]

Unit 550: BM-13 Katyusha
Wrong initial availability date: currently it is 1/1950. It should be 2/1959, like the initial availability dates of the formations
which use it (formations 245-246-247) .

Unit 553: Impr SP RL
Some suggestions for change:
1) Final availability date be extended to 12/2010 or 12/2020
2) Rearm it with weapon n. 215, 107mm rockets (smaller, easier to conceal and more common in Iraq)

Here is a real world example for inspiration.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/r...f/fbc2.jpg?o=0

Formation 245: SP Rocket Bn
Formation 246: SP Rocket Bty
Final availability date is currently 12/2004. It should be changed to 4/2003. Insurgents rocket launchers were used piecemeal.
Also formation 246 initial availability date should be extended back to 2/1959 from current 1/1960.

Formation 247: SP Rocket Pl
Final availability date is currently 12/2004. It should be changed to 12/2010 or 12/2020

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Marcello

Unit 550: BM-13 Katyusha
Wrong initial availability date: currently it is 1/1950. It should be 2/1959, like the initial availability dates of the formations
which use it (formations 245-246-247) .

Unit 553: Impr SP RL
Some suggestions for change:
1) Final availability date be extended to 12/2010 or 12/2020
2) Rearm it with weapon n. 215, 107mm rockets (smaller, easier to conceal and more common in Iraq)

Here is a real world example for inspiration.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/r...f/fbc2.jpg?o=0

Formation 245: SP Rocket Bn
Formation 246: SP Rocket Bty
Final availability date is currently 12/2004. It should be changed to 4/2003. Insurgents rocket launchers were used piecemeal.
Also formation 246 initial availability date should be extended back to 2/1959 from current 1/1960.

Formation 247: SP Rocket Pl
Final availability date is currently 12/2004. It should be changed to 12/2010 or 12/2020

Marcello

Just one comment here. If the formation start date or end date is correct and the unit start or end dates spill over those limits it's not an issue from a game POV but I can understand it from a "keep it tidy" POV

Also, the Rocket Bty ( formation 246) in this case has a start date 10 months later than the Rocket Pl for the same reason the Bn is later than the Bty becasue it's assumed the larger formations didn't develop the moment the rocket launchers were unloaded.

Don

[Marcello]

Originally Posted by DRG

Marcello

Just one comment here. If the formation start date or end date is correct and the unit start or end dates spill over those limits it's not an issue from a game POV but I can understand it from a "keep it tidy" POV

Largely true, but they still do show up as upgrade options in campaigns. OK maybe no big deal, but it also helps while going throught the OOB checking what is right and what isn't.
However if you are hard pressed for time leave them alone, they are not a big deal.

Originally Posted by DRG

Also, the Rocket Bty ( formation 246) in this case has a start date 10 months later than the Rocket Pl for the same reason the Bn is later than the Bty becasue it's assumed the larger formations didn't develop the moment the rocket launchers were unloaded.
Don

Agree about the battalion but in regards to the battery, which was the one I suggested to be modified, I would doubt. Batteries are the basic unit for artillery organizations in general (even if split in platoons in some TOEs) and MRLS are typically used in in numbers anyway. Still no big deal, given it's just a few months.

[Marcello]

Originally Posted by Marcello

Some notes about SAMs
Unit 380: SA-9 Strela-1
Wrong initial availability date: now it is 1/1978 but according to SIPRI the system was delivered in 1982.

Sorry I just realized misread my notes on it.Leave it 1978.

[Marek_Tucan]

Originally Posted by Marcello

Some notes about SAMs

Unit 374: SA-6 Kub
Wrong initial availability date: now it is 1/1970 but it should be 1/1978. The formations which use it are available from 1/1978
and the system was indeed delivered about that date. Final availability date could be restricted to 12/110
(unit 46 Avenger HMMWV is available from 1/2011)

Are there plans to retire Kub (if it is still in IA service)? I would think it can be relatively cheaply upgraded same way as Czech or Polish Kubs, IE better ECM resistance, Western IFF etc...?

[Marcello]

Originally Posted by Marek_Tucan

Are there plans to retire Kub (if it is still in IA service)? I would think it can be relatively cheaply upgraded same way as Czech or Polish Kubs, IE better ECM resistance, Western IFF etc...?

It isn't in service. There are no SAMs in service in the current Iraqi Army, just like there are no artillery pieces beyond 120mm mortars, no ATGMs (and for certain periods in the past, no tanks, no APCs, no armored cars etc.). Something will be fielded at some point but what and when is unknonw.
In game terms that means that would mean new sets of formations for almost everything, often set at speculative dates subject to constant modifications, and revised picklists.
That is a lot of work for the guys in charge, so some units are left as gap fillers in some formations.
In real life at least some seemingly intact SA-6 systems and missiles were captured in 2003, but they were destroyed by the EOD guys. See link:

http://www.defenseimagery.mil/assetD...afa5ed8812cd41