Abrams tanks, 6 M3 Bradley cavalry fighting vehicles and 6 M106A2 mortar carriers. The two tank battalions of the 155th Armored Brigade were also equipped with M1A1 Abrams tanks. The division's and 155th brigade's mechanized battalions fielded 54 M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 12 M901 ITV anti-tank vehicles, 6 M3 Bradley cavalry fighting vehicles, 6 M106A2 mortar carriers. The authorized strength for an armored J-Series division was 17,027 men, 348 M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, 316 cavalry/infantry fighting vehicles, 72 M109 155mm self-propelled howitzers, 9 M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, 12 M110 203mm self-propelled howitzers (transferred in 1986 to field artillery brigades at corps level), 50 to 44 attack helicopters (50 for an all AH-1S Cobra combat aviation brigade, 44 for an all AH-64 Apache combat aviation brigade), 38 to 28 utility helicopters (38 if the Assault Aviation Company was equipped with UH-1H Iroquois helicopters, 28 if the Assault Aviation Company was equipped with UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters; in the first case 2 were assigned to the aviation intermediate maintenance company as reserve), and 54 OH-58 Kiowa observation helicopters (4 assigned to divisional Aviation Office). The divisional air defense artillery battalion was to be equipped with 18 MIM-72 Chaparral and 36 M247 Sergeant York (DIVAD) systems, but with the cancelation of the York air defense battalions retained a mix of MIM-72 Chaparral, M163 Vulcan and FIM-92 Stinger systems, until the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger could be fielded, with the 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery receiving the first systems in 1989. Middle East in 1990s Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm The 1st Cavalry next fought as a heavy division, during Operation Desert Storm in January and February 1991. It participated in the Battle of Norfolk. The 1st Cavalry Division deployed in October 1990 as part of XVIII Corps. The division's 'round-out' formation, the 155th Armored Brigade was not deployed in a surprise political decision. It was planned to augment the division by attaching the Tiger Brigade from the 2nd Armored Division, but that brigade was attached to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (1st & 2nd Marine Divisions) to add heavy armor support to that force. Consequently, the 1st Cavalry Division was assigned the role of CENTCOMs' reserve. During the Ground war, was assigned to VII Corps and was crucial in the movement of ground forces to the Kuwaiti and west Saudi Arabian theaters by making two assaults into