2003 Iraq War

MT-LB in the 2003 Iraq War

U.S. National Archives imagery from Operation Iraqi Freedom documents Iraqi Army MT-LB vehicles in the 2003 Iraq War, including a destroyed MT-LB near At Tubah Hamra, a guarded MT-LB found in a dirt revetment, and a Baghdad MT-LB modified with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun.

Weapon profileMT-LB
SideIraqi government and security forcesRoleMobility & LogisticsAir DefenseCaptured, Seized & Recovered
MT-LB, Amphibious tracked armored personnel carrier and artillery tractor, Armored Vehicles - 2003 Iraq War
Image source: Soviet MT-LB.JPEG

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Iraqi Army MT-LB vehicles were fielded during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Destroyed Near At Tubah Hamra, Iraqi Army MT-LB Guarded in Revetment

An Iraqi Army MT-LB was destroyed near At Tubah Hamra on or by 22 March 2003.

Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Destroyed Near At Tubah Hamra

A separate Iraqi Army MT-LB was found in a dirt revetment and guarded by U.S. Marines on or by 22 March 2003.

Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Guarded in Revetment

An MT-LB modified with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun was documented as wreckage in Baghdad on or by 11 April 2003.

Sources: Baghdad MT-LB with ZU-23-2 Wreck

The sources support fielding, destruction, recovery, and a modified anti-aircraft-gun carrier, but not confirmed firing incidents or fleet size.

Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Destroyed Near At Tubah Hamra, Iraqi Army MT-LB Guarded in Revetment, Baghdad MT-LB with ZU-23-2 Wreck

Timeline

MT-LB In 2003 Iraq War

  1. Destroyed Iraqi Army MT-LB photographed near At Tubah Hamra

    A U.S. National Archives image record describes an Iraqi Army MT-LB multipurpose tracked vehicle destroyed near At Tubah Hamra during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Destroyed Near At Tubah Hamra

  2. Iraqi Army MT-LB found in a dirt revetment

    Another U.S. National Archives image record shows U.S. Marines guarding an Iraqi Army MT-LB found in a dirt revetment in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

    Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Guarded in Revetment

  3. Modified MT-LB with ZU-23-2 documented in Baghdad

    A U.S. National Archives image record identifies the remains of an MT-LB modified with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun in Baghdad.

    Sources: Baghdad MT-LB with ZU-23-2 Wreck

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The MT-LB is directly documented in the 2003 Iraq War by U.S. National Archives image records from Operation Iraqi Freedom. One record dated 22 March 2003 identifies an Iraqi Army MT-LB multipurpose tracked vehicle destroyed by U.S. Marine Corps elements near At Tubah Hamra, Iraq.

A second 22 March 2003 image record shows U.S. Marine Corps personnel guarding an Iraqi Army MT-LB found in a dirt revetment. A separate 11 April 2003 Baghdad record identifies the remains of an MT-LB modified with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun.

Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Destroyed Near At Tubah Hamra, Iraqi Army MT-LB Guarded in Revetment, Baghdad MT-LB with ZU-23-2 Wreck

Dated appearances

The March 2003 records place Iraqi Army MT-LBs in the opening invasion phase. One vehicle was recorded as destroyed near At Tubah Hamra, while another was found in a prepared dirt revetment and guarded by U.S. Marines.

The April 2003 Baghdad record documents a different configuration: an MT-LB hull adapted with a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun. The source supports the existence of that modified weapons platform in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom, but it does not describe a firing incident or operational sortie.

Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Destroyed Near At Tubah Hamra, Iraqi Army MT-LB Guarded in Revetment, Baghdad MT-LB with ZU-23-2 Wreck

Narrative

The documented side for this record is Iraqi government and security forces. The available image records identify Iraqi Army MT-LBs and place them in Iraqi terrain during Operation Iraqi Freedom, with U.S. Marine Corps units encountering destroyed, guarded, or wrecked examples.

The evidence supports a narrow role statement: Iraqi forces fielded the MT-LB as a tracked armored carrier, and at least one Baghdad example had been modified into a ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft-gun carrier. The sources do not establish how many MT-LBs Iraq fielded in 2003, whether the Baghdad ZU-23-2 conversion fired during the campaign, or whether the baseline vehicles were carrying troops, ammunition, or other cargo when photographed.

Sources: Iraqi Army MT-LB Destroyed Near At Tubah Hamra, Iraqi Army MT-LB Guarded in Revetment, Baghdad MT-LB with ZU-23-2 Wreck

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Sources