October 11, 2007: The Iraqi armed forces has placed
another order for American weapons and munitions. This one is worth $2.2 billion, and includes 135,000 M-16 and M4 assault rifles,
along with 142 million rounds of ammo. All ordered were 18 million rounds of
7.62mm ammo, 760,000 12.7mm rounds, 10,000 40mm grenades, 74,000 mortar shells
(most of them 60mm), plus stun and smoke grenades, shotgun shells and signal
flares.Â
Also ordered were over 12,000 radios (about 35
percent hand held), as well as long range radio equipment (including tower and
microwave based systems. Also, 32 refurbished UH-1 helicopters, 55 blast
resistant vehicles for bomb clearing teams, about a thousand hummers, over
4,000 trucks of various sizes, and 336 BTR-3 amphibious armored vehicles (a
variant of the BTR-80) and over a thousand sedans. Also spare parts, uniforms
and training equipment. Also numerous training and support services.
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The Iraqis are converting to largely American
weapons and tactics. When Iraq was formed in the 1930s, British equipment and
tactics were used. That changed to Russian gear and procedures by the 1970s.
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