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Iraq
Iraq seeks to buy US-made F-16 fighter jets
2011-07-12
Iraq wants to buy an initial squadron of American F16 fighter jets this year to help to guard against perceived threats from Iran and Syria after US forces leave, the head of the Iraqi Air Force said yesterday.

Lieutenant-General Anwar Ahmed said that he hoped to sign a contract for 18 F16s, manufactured by the technology company Lockheed Martin, as the centrepiece of billions of dollars that Iraq is expected to spend on arms in coming years. "This is very important to us," he said during a visit to Washington. "It is a priority."

He said that if funds were made available by the Iraqi parliament his goal was to acquire up to 96 F16s by 2020.

"We need this aircraft for defence of our country," General Ahmed said. He mentioned Iran as a potential threat along with Syria, which he said had been a gateway for terrorists who wanted to destabilise the Government of Nouri al-Maliki, the Prime Minister. If the deal is completed this year the first two Iraqi-piloted F16s would be patrolling the skies by 2012, he said. By that time all US armed forces are due to have left Iraq under a bilateral pact that was negotiated last year.

General Ahmed, 54, said that he met a US Air Force team in Baghdad on March 18 to discuss the purchase and held talks with Pentagon officials yesterday. He added that US officials supported Iraq's push to acquire the F16, which is one of the most advanced aircraft in the world.
Just don't let the Iranians get their hands on them.
Posted by:

#5  Not worth a damn is still better than the neighbors.

I was under the impression that the US was training new pilots, had rotary aircraft and fixed wing training aircraft, and something which would be like the old Bronco?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2011-07-12 17:02  

#4  Eohippus, I think Lockheed has a nice little business of export F-16 production for a decade yet. It'll take a while to fulfill all the orders in the pipeline, and the plane is a proven design (proven by the USAF and the IAF, the best provers on the planet). Not sure when the F-35 will finally make production but it too will eventually go to the export market.
Posted by: Steve White   2011-07-12 15:12  

#3  This is good for our economy. Let them spend the oil money on F16s. Its not like they will ever be worth a damn in the air. remember, Air to air and ground support is 80% pilot skills.
Posted by: 49 Pan   2011-07-12 13:11  

#2  1960's F-4s and Mig-23s still beat what Iraq currently has - nothing. 18 F-16s are a down payment to defend Iraq from air attack.

More interestingly, what will the US sell to frenemies when the F-16 goes out of production? Does the US really want them to have access to F-35 stealth technology? Even neo-caliphate wannabe Turkey should not be in the F-35 coalition.
Posted by: Eohippus Phater7165   2011-07-12 11:49  

#1  In my ignorance, this feels like ego and oil money burning holes in pockets to me. The little I know about the subject suggests that neither Iran nor Syria are capable of flying much in the way of fighter jets or anything else. Although I suppose having something pretty in Iraqi hangers would give Iran and Syria a good reason not to even try...
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-07-12 10:19  

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