With the world by a thread: Iraq simultaneously operates BRAM from five countries

In the modern Iraqi army, probably like nowhere else in the world, a large number of armored evacuation vehicles of various types are operated. Currently, the units of the ground forces present samples of Russian, Chinese, American, Ukrainian and Polish production.

For example, the BRAM-1M produced in Nizhny Tagil and the American M88A2 Hercules. The former are designed to interact with the T-72M, T-72M1 and T-90S, the latter serve to work together with the much heavier M1A1M.

There are also Type 653 manufactured by China, which were purchased during the war with neighboring Iran along with Type 69 tanks.

Ukrainian repair companies, through intermediaries from the United States, also managed to supply BTS-5, which are, in fact, copies of Russian BRAM-1. All this equipment quite often got into the lenses of photo and video cameras, at the same time, the Polish WZT-2 are less well known.

Such tracked vehicles were created in the first half of the 70s. The T-55 medium tanks served as the basis. With their own weight of 34,000 kg, they are able to tow equipment weighing more than 41,000 kg. Engine power In-55 - 580 hp.

The maximum speed on the highway is 50 km/h. Over rough terrain - 27 km/h, with a damaged car on a trailer - 15 km/h.

Special equipment is available to overcome water obstacles along the bottom. The fuel reserve is 300 km.

A 12.7 mm DSHKM machine gun is installed for self-defense.

A crew of four people can use a hydraulically driven crane, electric welding equipment, and a winch. Roads are cleared using a bulldozer.

WZT-2 were actively used during the Iran-Iraq conflict, during the fighting in Kuwait, as well as in the events of 2003. It is reported that at present the surviving samples have been returned to service again.

Alexey Moiseev