|
|
От
|
Василий Фофанов
|
|
|
К
|
KGI
|
|
|
Дата
|
17.07.2001 16:52:34
|
|
|
Рубрики
|
Современность; Танки;
|
|
О воздухе у меня как раз нету, а тот эпизод - поищу (+)
Пока - вот кусок о советском сотрудничестве с враждующими сторонами.
It is indeed so, that the Soviets were Iraqi allies before the war
broke out. However, they never became especially influental in Iraq,
consequently, their interest in supporting Iraq was not especially
strong (the Soviet interestests in the Gulf were twofold: oil and
decreasing the US influence). From 1977, Baghdad was more oriented
towards the West and France for purchasing weapons. One of the
consequences was, that when Iraq invaded Iran, in September 1980, the
Soviets - officially - stopped their support of Iraq, and their
supplies of weapons and spare parts. In fact, they indeed minimised
their presence in Iraq to a very low number of instructors, but
stopped only deliveries of new equipment and spares.
In 1981 and 1982, Soviets already active in Iran, trying to establish
better connections with Tehran instead (also because the communist
party of iran, Tudeh, was one of the powers behind the Islamic
Revolution in 1979, but was subsequently destroyed by Iranian
clergy). And, by that time, at least 200 T-72s were delivered to
Iran, most probably via Syria, which was Iranian ally, and a weapons
supplier for the Pasdarans (IRGC) and similar Iranian militas.
At the time, the IRGC was still not capable of using any heavy
equipment, consequently, tanks were forwarded to the Army. Additional
examples were captured from Iraqis, especially during the series of
Iranian offensives in 1981 and 1982, which forced Iraqis out of
Khuzestan. For example, in a single engagement during the battles
around Abadan, in autumn 1981, 16 T-72s were destroyed by M-113s
equipped with TOW (BTW, do you know what is the designation of this
combination?) and six captured.
The situation changed only in late 1982, when the friendship between
Moscow and Baghdad was re-established. This haven't prevented Iran,
however, from purchasing additional T-72s. Currently, two armoured
divisions of the IRGC, 30th and 40th, are using the type. The IRNA
even published photos from one of their exercises last year.
You can read about the Irano-Soviet relationship (in general) in
Dilip Hiro's "The Longest War" (ISBN 0-415-90406-4 or 0-415-90407-2)
С уважением, Василий Фофанов, http://members.dencity.com/fofanov/Tanks