Empire Conquest-Chapter 699 - 24 Armored Assault

"What are they waiting for!?"

Could it be that the tanks of the Marine Corps are not well concealed?

With this thought, Ding Zhennan specifically observed the tanks and combat vehicles that were using the terrain for cover.

This concern obviously seemed a bit superfluous.

If anything, the darkness of night and distance were the best cover.

Even though it was developed and produced by the Luosha Democratic Republic and co-marketed with the Tiaoman Empire, the T-72, which was also known as a third-generation main battle tank, the export version T-72M, was available to many third-party countries on the international market as the best-performing main battle tank, for example, it was equipped with a powerful 125 mm smoothbore tank cannon and had decent mobility. However, the T-72 itself was a low-equipped version of a spare tire, and the export model was even more inferior.

In many respects, it was not even comparable to modernized second-generation main battle tanks such as the "ZT-80DG."

For example, to cut costs, a mechanical ballistic computer that had long been phased out was still used. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

More importantly, due to the lack of a reliable two-way stabilization system, the firing capability while moving was almost zero, and it also lacked credible night combat capability.

On the exported T-72M models, active infrared night vision devices developed by the Luosha Democratic Republic were used, without the infrared imaging night vision devices developed through cooperation between Tiaoman and Locke enterprises. Thus, the T-72M’s combat capability at night was more of a publicity stunt.

Relying on infrared spotlights, their night observation distance would not exceed 1000 meters.

Interestingly, tanks equipped with infrared imaging night vision devices could observe radiation emitted by infrared spotlights at twice that distance.

Clearly, the T-72M had night blindness and was simply not suitable for night combat.

The Iraqis certainly had not noticed the "ZT-99AL" lurking 2000 meters away.

As for aerial reconnaissance, it was even less likely.

After the daytime battle, the Iraqi Air Force had already become prudent, and very few Iraqi reconnaissance aircraft could be deployed at night.

Obviously, the commander of the Iraqi armored forces had surely received orders early on.

Their task was merely to show force at the border line, essentially a gesture, not an actual invasion of Saudi Arabia.

In fact, this was completely understandable.

Having lost air superiority, it was impossible to gain an advantage in ground warfare, let alone to advance the armored forces hundreds of kilometers without support.

Hundreds of kilometers south of the border line lay vast stretches of unpopulated desert.

Even if there were a few oases and towns along the way, they were not sufficient to support the armored forces, not even for basic water supply.

Stationing armored forces near the border served more to demonstrate a military presence, which was a challenge to the no-fly zone set by the Joint Force Headquarters.

To put it more directly, even if the commander of the Iraqi armored forces was told that there were no enemies to the south, he would not lead his troops across the border.

It seemed there was nothing to worry about.

"Sir, look quickly!"

As Ding Zhennan was hesitating about whether to head back, a staff officer from the camp suddenly shouted loudly.

In fact, even before the staff officer shouted out, Ding Zhennan had already noticed the fast-moving and glaringly bright spot to the right front.

However, by the time he picked up the night vision binoculars, the light spot had disappeared.

An illusion?

The staff officer saw it too, so it definitely wasn’t an illusion.

That was a heavy anti-tank missile fired from a cavalry chariot.

The missile used a solid-fuel rocket motor with only a few seconds of working time, propelling the missile to 250 meters per second before stopping.

That’s why the light spot existed for just a few seconds.

The missile had been launched and was now flying towards its target.

Judging from the location of the missile’s appearance, it was a cavalry chariot that had moved forward to perform reconnaissance and was located on the northern side of the battle line.

Why would the cavalry chariot open fire, and at whom?

"Over there, a BMP vehicle!"

Following the staff officer’s direction, Ding Zhennan quickly spotted the infantry fighting vehicle that was speeding along and was clearly farther forward.

It was a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle also imported from the Luosha Democratic Republic.

On the outside, the most conspicuous feature of this infantry vehicle was the anti-tank missile launcher mounted on the barrel of its 73 mm low-pressure smoothbore cannon.

Crucially, the vehicle was racing northward.

Evidently, that Iraqi infantry vehicle had likely already crossed the border line before, although it had not penetrated deeply into Saudi Arabian territory.

Perhaps the situation over the border was unclear, or maybe it was just to complete the task handed down from above, symbolically crossing the border.

Perhaps, it was just probing around the border area.

In any case, the Iraqi vehicle had immediately turned back after crossing the border.

"Sir!"

"I see it!"

Across the border, several Iraqi tanks that had been lined up fired in the direction where the anti-tank missile had appeared.

Clearly, the enemy had seen the missile.

In theory, if they could destroy the missile-launching vehicle in time, they could cause the missile to miss its target, because the heavy anti-tank missile employed wire-guided control.

Without vehicle control, the missile would only fly straight.

Faster than the missile and able to destroy the vehicle, only the tank cannon firing a shell could do that.

There was no need to use armor-piercing bullets, armor-piercing shells, or even high explosive shells would do.

But the problem was, the Iraqi tank fire had no accuracy whatsoever.

To put it bluntly, the Iraqi tanks definitely had not seen the cavalry chariot, because the aimed positions were actually all in front of the cavalry chariot.