Military Model Scene

Title: Coalition Armour vs Iraqi Forces
Author: Chris McNab
Publisher: Osprey
ISBN: 978-1-4728-5574-9

Number 133 in the Duel series from Osprey Publishing, Iraq 2003-06. An 80-page soft-cover book, with artwork by Adam Hook.
As ever with this series, it kicks off with an introduction to set the scene, along with a chronology of events. Design & Development looks at the changes to the main types of armour used by both sides, such as updates to the M1 Abrams and Bradley IFV, while the UK had changed from Challenger I to the newer Challenger II. The Iraqi armour however still had Type 59 and 69 as well as some T-72 and various other vehicles, but most well worn and aging. It moves on to consider the Strategic Situation, as this time the Coalition forces were aiming at regime change in Iraq. What come next is a series of comparisons of the Technical Specifications of the various AFV types, such as T-72M vs M1A2 Abrams, M2A2 Bradley vs BMP-2 and Warrior vs RPG plus more. The Combatants explores the opposing sides before getting to Combat, where some specific actions are examined. It also clarifies how the war changed, from a conventional war with two heavily armed sides fighting in wide open spaces. After the military defeat of Iraq the fighting changed, it became a war of insurgency, with urban fighting and the use of the RPG and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) became the main threat. The two final sections provide detail of an Analysis and the Aftermath of the war.
The war changed and has led to a continued debate on whether the day of the tank has passed. I'll let you read the book to see how the author views it all. I found it interesting reading, bearing in mind this is really a complex subject, with many aspects to it all. One thing that is said is that Technical Superiority, Tactics and Training were all significant factors in the success of the Coalition effort. A good addition to the Duel series, and equally good value for money in my view.
Thanks to Osprey for the review copy.

Robin