Gulf War Tank Power: The M1A1 Abrams Vs T-72 | Battlezone | War Stories

We’ve learned that the T-72 in the hands of Putin’s Siberian youths can be abandoned 3 times faster than any Western competitors

I was a M1A2 tank engine mechanic and tank recovery specialist, i was deployed to the Gulf War from Aug 24th 90’ to March 24th 91’. 63E H8 HHC 4/64 AR Delta Team Maintenance 24th Infantry Division Fort Stewart GA 89’ to 93’

As Iraqi I know we were going to lose no matter but let me tell you two tanks commanders told me ….. “ we received orders from the high command (saddam) to prepare for exercises …..they didn’t tell us what was blowing the tanks far from us until we knew it was not exercises “

Shows the importance of world class training

Desert Storm was a textbook modern combined arms warfare plan right out of the book. It was executed against an enemy that didn't know there was a book. A lot of what the Iraqi Army did was like World War One or the interwar years in the twenties. They dug their tanks in making them sitting ducks. You can't just be stationary like that. Iraq only had to look back to 1973 the Yom Kippur War, that would have told him what their fixed fortifications were worth. Some fix fortifications are okay as long as you got a tank and infantry screen around to protect them from direct assault. It's pretty much got to the point now if you can see it you can kill it.

Anyone else here after the US announced its sending Abrams to Ukraine to once again devastate inferior soviet tanks?

Air campaign of this war was crazy also I watch some footage of it the other day

Turret launch Olympics, brought to you by the T72!

Very impressive capabilities by 1991 standards. The Gulf War was revolutionary and would prepare the world for modern warfare in the 21st century.

If we (and I include myself because I was a tank commander during Desert Storm) didn’t have GPS to assist us with location and movement, it could have been much worse for the coalition forces. The air campaign decimated a great deal of their armor as well. All that being what it is, the T-72 was not even in the same league as the Abrams, especially in the dark…and it’s DARK in the desert at night, no ambient light for passive IR. Things have changed since then obviously and now thanks are more vulnerable from drones and more advanced anti-tank missiles. Head to head their equipment was not close to ours, but the real differences were tactics and training.

T-72 is old & "long in the tooth," but a friend of mine who's a former tanker told me on a good day the T-72 can still be a formidable tank in battle, it depends on how good her crew is. He calls the Abrams the finest main battle tank money can buy.

Amazing that a drone hasn’t been developed to detect mines.

Terrific video. As mentioned by Morris, the T-72 is an outdated model, but still remains as the backbone of Russian forces, as the T-90 (basically a T-72 with reactive armor pasted onto it, as well as other more innovative countermeasures against ATMs). Sorry to see that the involvement of the US Cavalry divisions weren't on more display. My dad was at Benning when his 2 Inf Div was integrated to incorporate the First Air Cavalry (Air Mobile). Dad was there, as a green LT, as the flags changed. He eventually became part of 1/7 Cav - Garryowen - and fought in Ia Drang alongside Col. Hal Moore - and a Maj. Norman Schwartzkopf. I mean this literally as my dad was assigned mostly to being a staff officer, but in Ia Drang, everyone showed their ground-pounder heritage. They had to. (Dad was awarded a Bronze Star for his efforts.) The 4th Cav was a spearhead during Desert Storm. This was an armor-heavy battle group, and they used their M1A1s very efficiently. On a side note, I have heard that the main battle zones are now slightly irradiated due to the military's use of depleted uranium sabot rounds. Small cost in the big picture. God bless all of y'all - whatever service branch you call home - for your dedication and willingness to sacrifice. I was never in the military (I did try to apply for the CT Air National Guard, but was aged out; they drive Hogs, my favorite plane - perhaps influenced by my dad being Infantry and relying on loitering, deadly aircraft), but y'all have my utmost respect. God bless.

Did anyone make it all the way through this documentary. I did.

"The M1-A1 was more thickly armored" < What about thinner/lighter ceramic composite armor on the M1-A1?

The t72 going against the Abrams is like a Stuart fighting a Tiger 1

What a massive mismatch. Iraq had no helicopters, no MRLS, they never heard of GPS, etc

Russia is not even close to what USA can do and capability’s and this was 30 years ago

This is awesome

Awesome content, as always