The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

The decision to launch a decisive battle against the joint ground forces was not only Rashid's decision, but also Saddam's, or the Iraqi army's entire decision.

At this point in the war, Iraq has clearly understood that if it simply relies on wasting time, the joint forces with air superiority will inevitably be no match for the ground forces after they have consumed Iraq's air defense weapons.

The gap between the two sides is not in weapons and equipment, but in the entire system.

Although Iraq's weapons are considered to be very advanced, they are not systematic, and weapons, equipment and ammunition have to be purchased.

More importantly, whether in training or combat, Iraq is unable to take advantage of its advanced weapons and equipment.

No matter how advanced weapons and equipment are, they are just equipment, and equipment depends on people to use and operate it. The performance of weapons and equipment is a ceiling, but the people who use them determine how much combat effectiveness they can exert.

The more advanced the weapons, the more importance is placed on the overall quality of the army, because a higher level of education is required to bring out the performance of the weapons and equipment.

Furthermore, there is a gap in the command system. There is no doubt that the command system of the Iraqi army is far from that of the joint forces system, or the command system of the US military.

The mercenaries actually had the right to speak against Rashid, because although Iraq seemed to be far superior to the joint forces in terms of ground forces, Rashid, the commander of the northern theater of Iraq, or other generals, were not qualified to command such a large-scale campaign-level decisive battle.

The joint forces have over a million ground troops, but only over 300,000 in Iraq, because the area is too small to accommodate so many people.

However, by breaking through the defense line and controlling Mount Kumchat and Mount Fishchapur, the joint ground forces will be able to continuously enter Iraq and support the front line.

Moreover, Iraq now has air defense weapons and air force, but the joint forces still have an absolute advantage in the air force. If the joint forces get angry, it won't take long before these air defense weapons and air force will be completely consumed.

But Iraq decided to take a gamble and block the air superiority of the coalition forces while it still had air defense weapons and air force, and then use the advantage of its ground forces to defeat the ground forces of the coalition forces and drive them out of Iraq.

As long as we can recapture the two important places of Kumchat Mountain and Fishchapur Mountain and rebuild the defense line, we can end the war.

After all, in the previous battles of Kumchat Mountain and Fishchapur Mountain, the joint forces paid a heavy price and suffered heavy casualties.

Moreover, in order to continue fighting after its air defense weapons and air force were exhausted, and thus defeat the joint forces, Iraq decided to set fire to some oil fields in the north!
The oil fields were set on fire, thick smoke filled the air, and the air force of the joint forces was useless!

It has to be said that this is the cruelty of war. In order to win the war, people will use any means necessary.

After all, if Iraq loses the war, it will have nothing!
It was hot on a hot day, and it was very hot at 9 o'clock in the morning.

But in the northern Iraqi theater, the war reignited as Iraq launched an offensive.

Although it was very hot and the sun shining on the tanks and armored vehicles was enough to roast the soldiers inside, Iraq used Type 80 main battle tanks, Type 80 self-propelled artillery, Type 81 medium tanks, Type 81 light tanks and other armored vehicles.

These new equipment are all equipped with refrigeration systems and do not affect combat.

This is Rashid's strategy. When it is hot during the day, these new weapons are used. When it is not hot, Type 59 main battle tanks, Type 59 modified main battle tanks, as well as Soviet tanks and armored vehicles are used.

On the joint forces side, the tanks and armored vehicles do not have refrigeration systems.

Because the refrigeration system consumes electricity, it will also increase infrared characteristics, making it easy to become a target.

But in the midsummer of the desert, tanks and armored vehicles have no refrigeration system, which is fatal. People will be steamed in the tanks and armored vehicles, let alone fighting.

Once the war started, when the Joint Forces Air Force was unable to gain air superiority, the Joint Forces' defense line was shaky. When the temperature soared to 44 degrees Celsius at noon, the hottest time, it seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The defense line of the joint forces' ground forces was actually breached.

The high temperature had already caused many soldiers of the joint forces to suffer from heatstroke. They had heatstroke even before fighting, and many of them suffered from heatstroke during this battle.

This largest tank and armored battle between the two sides since World War II ended with the victory of the powerful joint forces.

The news that the joint ground force's defense line had been breached quickly spread throughout the world, and the whole world was shocked!
Before this, military experts around the world generally believed that when the fighting on the Iraqi battlefield reignited, Iraq would be defeated easily in the face of the fierce attack of the joint forces.

But this scene now was beyond everyone's expectations.

After breaking through the defense line, the Iraqi forces did not choose to stop, but chose to continue fighting, determined to drive the joint forces out of Iraqi territory in one go.

But the joint forces were no pushovers. Individual anti-tank missiles, anti-tank guns, and anti-tank mines also killed and destroyed a large number of Iraqi tanks and armored forces.

The anti-tank mines temporarily deployed by the coalition forces slowed the progress of Iraqi tank and armored forces.

By the time night fell, Iraq's tank and armored forces had already replaced their tanks with Type 59 tanks, modified Type 59 main battle tanks and Soviet-made tanks and armored vehicles.

Even in the dark, the two sides were fighting a tank and armored battle.

With the current level of weaponry, night combat is fully possible.

Tanks and armored vehicles on both sides were constantly destroyed!

During the day, Iraq had the advantage, but at night, the joint forces had the advantage.

Because the joint forces have air force and helicopters, their advantage is further expanded.

Even if Iraq's air defense forces provide air defense, even anti-aircraft missiles cannot ensure a 100% hit rate.

"Boom~~"

A T62 main battle tank was destroyed after being hit by a Leopard 2 tank.

Leopard 2 tanks move positions.

As one of the top three main battle tanks in the world, the Leopard 2 tank is an excellent tank.

到现在，豹2坦克经过不断改进，已经形成了豹2A1型、豹2A2型、豹2A3型、豹2A4型、豹2A5型、豹2A6型，各型豹2坦克生产总量已经突破5000辆。

Among them, the German army is equipped with 3000 Leopard 2 tanks, and other countries such as the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, Switzerland, Canada, etc. are equipped with 2000 Leopard 2 tanks.

For example, Canada originally did not have Leopard 2 tanks, but purchased 30 Leopard 2 tanks for the Afghanistan War, and 80 Leopard 2 tanks for the Iraq War.

Turkey, in the face of Iraq's advantage in main battle tanks during the Turkey-Iraq conflict, began to purchase Leopard 2A4s. In addition to the increase in purchases during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, Turkey now has 298 Leopard 2 main battle tanks. (End of this chapter)