The Houthis and War in Yemen I keep hearing things about this war in Yemen but I had not actually read up on it until today. Some interesting facts that raise more questions for me: "Saudi Arabia lost at least 42 tanks during the conflict, the total losses of armored vehicles exceed 300. The UAE lost at least 150 armored vehicles." Doesn't Saudi Arabia use the M1 Abrams? What are the Houthis using to destroy them? I always assumed the M1 was the best of the best.
yep they use the M1A2S which is the Saudi export version This is an export version not our version It is still among the best of the best currently available 20 M1A2S MBTs have been lost in Yemen iran is supplying the houthis with modern weapons including ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles plus anti-tank missiles among other weapons the houthis fired anti-ship missiles against our ships, the took out the launchers the houthis have fired ballistic missiles against the Saudi capital and other targets a bunch of times
The export version doesn't get the latest generation of super secret squirrel armor. Who knows they could have used huge road side bombs or just knocked the tracks off more tanks than tank recovery vehicles and burned the ones left behind.
even the US version has trouble holding up to an IED - 1K kg command detonated bomb will do ya in... Then there is outright BS This one is famous "Cojone Eh", it was disabled by SPG-9 hit in the engine, there was fuel leak that started small fire and soldiers were unable to extinguish it, with fire in engine area it was dangerous to tow vehicle, so it was stripped from all valuable equipment, then crew opened ammunition storage blast doors, thrown inside MG ammo and white phosphorus to prevent capture of still intact vehicle. Also one M1 tank from column fired APFSDS in to turret bustle rear bulkhead. Later tank was towed by Iraqis from place to place for propaganda purposed (they claimed to destroy numerous american tanks, actually most pictures of "destroyed" M1 tanks in Baghdad were different photos of "Cojone Eh"), civilians completely vandalized it. In the end US command ordered air assets to destroy vehicle even more, AH-64's fired at least two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, one definetly hit turret side armor (right side of turret), it was also hit by AGM-56 Maverick missile (~50 kg HEAT warhead is big... very big) at turret front, but it appears that armor was not perforated but penetration was at high angle and shaped charge jet got through front turret armor cavity bottom plate and in to hull top plate and probably also turret race ring area, at least well informed people says so and it looks that way on photos. In the end tanks was also hit by at least one JDAM bomb.
ATGM's, based on Russian design. Wire guided, basic launch system much like the old M47 I was trained on 25 years ago. Highly effective against armor within a couple thousand meters, but the one firing the missile has to scoot with a life expectancy of time of flight and not much more. Still a reasonable trade for taking out a MBT and crew. Arguably, the best armor is Russian, with their reactive plates. But, any armored vehicle out in the open is vulnerable, especially when their forward facing armor (the heaviest) isn't properly aligned. Modern warfare isn't going to have high use for armor, it will be dominated by air superiority and drone technology, with long range weaponry coming into play. Heavy armor will therefore only serve the role of defensive posture.