9th Division (Iraq)
| 9th Armoured Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1975–82 August 2005 – present |
| Country |
 Ba'athist Iraq (1975–82) Iraq (2005–present) |
| Allegiance |
Iraq
|
| Branch | Iraqi Army |
| Type | Armoured |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Camp Taji, Iraq |
| Equipment |
M1 Abrams tanks M113 APC's T-72 BTR-4 BM-21 Grad EE-9 Cascavel |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Lieutenant-General Qassim Jassem Nazal |
The 9th Armoured Division is a formation of the Iraqi Army, originally formed probably around 1975, but disbanded in 1982. It was reformed after 2004.
The division was formed as part of the buildup of the Iraqi Army after the Yom Kippur War. It appears to have seen its first action in the initial Iraqi invasion of Khuzestan, which began the Iran–Iraq War. It fought in several battles in 1980–81, but then was so badly beaten in the First Battle of al-Basrah (Operation Ramadan), in July 1982, that it was disbanded. The 9th Division was the only Iraqi division to be disbanded without being reformed during the war.
The Division was reformed after the recreation of the Iraqi Army began after 2003. It was certified and assumed responsibility of the battle space of north Baghdad Governorate June 26, 2006. One of the division's commanders has been Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, who was eventually promoted to Lieutenant General and took over the Ninevah Operational Command. Other divisional commander have included Major General Bashar Mahmood Ayob (2006) and, as of April 2009, Major General Qassim Jassem Nazal.
The 9th Armoured Division has a territorial security mission in the region north of Baghdad, but it is also one of the principal reaction rapid units of the Iraqi Army. After the renumbering of brigades of the army, its subordinate formations include:
The artillery is a mix of M198, M109, and BM21s in the 9th Armoured Division. As the 9th Armoured Division upgrades, its older armor [T55/T72/BMP1/MTLBs] has been redistributed to other Iraqi Divisions:
Of note, 9th Division provides armor instructors to the Iraqi Armor School. The presence of BTR-4s in 9th Divisions has never been confirmed as anything except training elements. Its 4th Brigade received 35 refurbished EE-9 Cascavel armoured cars from the United States in January 2008; these are now operated by the 37th Mechanized. In the prelude to the American withdrawal from Iraq, additional purchases of LAV-25s and parts for mothballed French Panhard AML-90s were also reported – presumably to supplement the other reconnaissance vehicles already in service.
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Wikipedia