The video that will chill the blood of every American tank crew: ISIS obliterates M1 Abrams tank with handheld Russian missile - showing just how vulnerable US armor is

  • Clip shows Russian Kornet anti-tank guided missile home in on tank 
  • It hits the back of an Iraqi M1 Abrams tank which erupts into flames
  • National security analyst says it shows US-made tanks are all but obsolete 
  • Incident makes an irrefutable case for the US Army to acquiring active protection systems, Dr Dan Goure says
  • Turkey purchased 800 of the missiles in 2008 for $70m - delivery was completed before the current crisis in Syria
  • That put the price for one missile at approximately $87,500  
  • An American M1 Abrams tank is estimated to cost $5m per unit  

By Khaleda Rahman For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:24 EDT, 2 November 2016 | Updated: 20:03 EDT, 2 November 2016

This video shows a Russian-made missile fired by ISIS completely destroying an American-made tank.

The clip shows a Kornet anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) striking the back of an Iraqi M1 Abrams tank, according to Dr Dan Goure, a national security analyst who is the vice president of the Lexington Institute.

The missile is seen homing in on the tank and when it hits, the tank erupts into flames and is completely obliterated.

Dr Goure claims the incident illustrates to an alarming extent how the United States' armored vehicles have become almost obsolete on today's battlefield. 

A video shows a Russian-made missile fired by ISIS homing in on an American-made tank

'A YouTube video of an M-1 tank being destroyed by an ISIS-fired anti-tank guided missile makes an irrefutable case for the U.S. Army acquiring active protection systems (APS) now,' Dr Goure said.

'The Army says all the right things about wanting APS, but its current program does not reflect the urgency of the requirement. Congress needs to push the Army to deploy an existing system as soon as possible.

The clip doesn't reveal the fate of the tank's five-man crew, but Dr Goure says it is 'unquestionable' that they were killed.

The US's M1 Abrams was first introduced in 1979 and has undergone numerous updates over the decades.

The Russian Kornet anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) strikes the back of a Iraqi M1 Abrams tank

The incident illustrates to an alarming extent how the United States' armored vehicles have become almost obsolete on today's battlefield

National security analyst Dr Dan Goure says it shows US-made tanks are all but obsolete

It lags behind in a vital area – active protection, according to Business Insider.

Meanwhile, in Syria alone, there are eight different ATGMs that can damage any type of armored tank.

The Russian Kornet ATGM was first produced for the Red Army in 1998.

It reportedly fired a tandem round which can destroy US versions of Abrams tank that even have explosive reactive armor – sensors that see missiles coming and counter them with an explosion.

And the terror group's victory would mark another loss for the Iraqis who are trying to reclaim Mosul - the last major ISIS stronghold in Iraq.

Driving the militant group from the city would be a major blow to the survival of its self-declared 'caliphate' that stretches into Syria.

The clip doesn't reveal the fate of the tank's five-man crew, but Dr Goure says it is 'unquestionable' that they were killed

 


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