Pentagon Proposes $2.7B In Iraq Arms Contracts: Moscow ‘rejects’ Saudi ‘offer’ to drop Assad for rich arms deal

Leader urges regional vigilance against foreign bids to stoke unrest Fri Aug 9, 2013 5:17AM Share | Email | Print Related Interviews: Leader’s words on US ‘very correct’'Iran election to influence Mideast'Related Viewpoints: ‘US, UK deserve to speak with Iran?’ In an address to a large crowd of worshipers attending Eid al-Fitr prayers on Tehran University campus Friday, Ayatollah Khamenei lauded the massive turnout of the Iranian people in the International Quds Day rallies, adding that their presence proved that Iranians remain steadfast in their support for one of the most pressing issues in the world and the history of Islam. The Leader further described the formation of a new administration in Iran as an important event which “took place in the best manner,” expressing hope that the new Cabinet would soon be formed with qualified ministers. Ayatollah Khamenei went on to contrast the developments in Iran with those in the North African and West Asian countries and said, “Unfortunately, unlike the gratifying events in Iran, the events in the Islamic region are worrisome.” The Leader pointed to the Zionist regime’s perpetual atrocities against the oppressed Palestinian people, and stated that one of the tragedies in today’s world is the backing of the so-called advocates of human rights and democracy for the Israeli regime’s brutalities. Like the previous rounds of negotiations, the current US-brokered talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will certainly yield no result other than the violation of the Palestinian people’s rights and further emboldening of Tel Aviv to press ahead with its crimes, the Leader said. “The US is obviously on the usurping Zionists’ side, and this concoction of arrogant [powers] will definitely be to the detriment of the Palestinians.” The Leader called on the Muslim world not to back down in the face of Israeli brutalities but to condemn the actions committed by Zionists and their allies. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called on Egyptians and Iraqis to remain vigilant in the face of foreign plots to incite unrest in their countries. Ayatollah Khamenei further expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Egypt, describing as a “catastrophe” the rising likelihood of a civil war in the country. The Leader called on the great Egyptian nation, political groups, elites and scholars to consider the “dangerous consequences” of the ongoing situation. The Leader strongly condemned the killing of the people in Egypt, warning the Egyptian groups that brutality will be counterproductive. “If a civil war breaks out, it will create the required pretext for the interference of foreign powers,” Ayatollah Khamenei added. Highlighting the importance of democracy, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the problem of Egypt should be solved by the country’s people as well as political and religious groups, elites and scholars. The Leader also described the situation in Iraq as “regrettable” and said superpowers as well as reactionary states in the region are not happy with the democratically-elected Iraqi government. “Acts of terror, events and the killing of people in Iraq are certainly carried out through the financial-political aid by certain regional and transregional countries,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated. Such efforts, the Leader added, aim to prevent the Iraqi people from enjoying a peaceful life and strip the country of tranquility and prosperity. Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the unfortunate situation in Egypt, Iraq and the other countries gripped by insecurity and conflict pleases the Zionists. The Leader urged the Iraqi politicians, political groups and people from all walks of life including Shia and Sunni Muslims as well as Kurds and Arabs to pay attention to the dangerous repercussions of a civil strife, saying, “A civil war will destroy the infrastructures and ruin the future of nations.” ============== Posted on 07 August 2013. Tags: Air Defense, Arms Contracts, Pentagon, Stinger According to Al Arabiya, the Pentagon has notified the U.S. Congress of $2.7 billion in possible new sales to Iraq of air defense and communications systems. The most recent contracts would raise the value of a series of U.S. arms sales to Iraq that have been sent to Congress over the past two weeks to nearly $5 billion, which Congress has 30 days to take action on. The largest of the contracts proposed on Monday is worth an estimated $2.4 billion, and involves the sale of 681 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, 40 truck-mounted launchers, and 3 Hawk anti-aircraft batteries with 216 Hawk missiles. “These capabilities will provide Iraq with the ability to contribute to regional air defenses and reduce its vulnerability to air attacks, while also enhancing interoperability between the government of Iraq, the U.S, and other allies,” the Pentagon said in a statement. The second contract, worth $339 million, involves the sale of 19 mobile radio systems and 10 microwave radio systems. The Defense Security and Cooperation Agency also sent Congress three other proposed arms sales to Iraq worth $2 billion on July 25. A package that included the sale of 12 Bell 412 EP transport helicopters, and 50 Stryker armored vehicles equipped for nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical warfare. Iraq also previously ordered 36 F-16 fighter aircraft at the end of 2011. Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki last year called on the United States to accelerate the delivery of arms for Iraqi troops, after signing a contract with Moscow to supply Iraq with $4.2 billion in arms. The deal with Moscow fell through, however, because of suspicions of corruption. (Source: Al Arabiya) ======================= Saudi Arabia offers US$15Billion deal to Lure Russia to Back out from Asad August 8, 2013 i Rate This JNN 8 Aug 2013 Moscow : Saudi Arabia has reportedly offered to buy arms worth up to $15 billion from Russia, and provided a raft of economic and political concessions to the Kremlin – all in a bid to weaken Moscow’s endorsement of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The diplomatic initiatives were anonymously voiced to Reuters by multiple Gulf state diplomats and senior leaders of the Syrian opposition, in the wake of last week’s meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi National Security Council chief Prince Bandar bin-Sultan. The Saudi politician has orchestrated his country’s foreign policy in recent months. “Bandar offered to intensify energy, military and economic cooperation with Moscow,” a senior Syrian opposition figure told Reuters. “Bandar sought to allay two main Russian fears: that Islamist extremists will replace Assad, and that Syria would become a conduit for Gulf, mainly Qatari, gas at the expense of Russia.” The $15 billion figure was touted by a representative of the anti-Assad opposition, which Saudi Arabia has strongly backed throughout the rebellion in Syria which has lasted more than two years. Meanwhile, a Gulf source claimed that no specific figure was involved. Moscow and Riyadh, which traditionally acquires its arms from the United States, have had a massive contract on ice since 2008. Under Saudi Arabia’s terms, Russia would supply a huge assortment of equipment, including 150 T-90 tanks and more than 100 attack helicopters. In the past, Moscow has supplied billions of dollars worth of weapons to Assad, as well as maintained a naval base in Syria. Together with China, it has consistently blocked UN Security Council resolutions, saying they do not place any demands on the opposition – only on Assad. Sources indicate that Bandar asked Putin to not oppose any future Security Council resolutions on Syria. Bandar also reportedly assured Putin that Gulf states will not challenge Russia’s dominant position in the European gas markets, and promised him that extremist Islamic forces – which have gained prominence in the conflict – will not attempt to monopolize power in a future Syrian state. While diplomats involved in the talks described them as “inconclusive,” one Lebanese emissary close to the delegation said its Saudi members were “elated.” A Western diplomat told Reuters that Russia’s position was more a matter of prestige and geopolitics, and that the country was unlikely to publicly back down for the sake of mere economic incentives. There has been no comment from the Kremlin on the outcome of the visit, other than to say that the delegates discussed a “wide range of issues” with President Putin. A long-scheduled peace conference in Geneva, proposed by Russia and the US, has been pushed back and is currently under threat of cancellation. The meeting was supposed to achieve an immediate ceasefire and govern a political transition in Syria. The conflict has largely hinged on whether President Bashar Assad will be banned from playing any political role in post-conflict Syria – a condition the opposition has demanded before it sits down at the negotiating table. More than 100,000 people have perished in the conflict, according to UN estimates. ================== Moscow ‘rejects’ Saudi ‘offer’ to drop Assad for rich arms deal Published time: August 08, 2013 19:07 Edited time: August 09, 2013 05:14 Get short URL Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, general secretary of the National Security Council of Saudi Arabia, meeting in Moscow (RIA Novosti / Alexey Druzhinin) Big deal, Military, Putin, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria Moscow has said “no” to Saudi Arabia’s alleged proposal of a rich arms deal and protection of Russia’s gas interests in the Middle East in exchange for abandoning Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to Arab and European diplomats. The proposal of $15 billion in weapons contracts was allegedly made during the July 31 meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and influential intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Reuters reported. Neither Moscow nor Riyadh has officially commented on the agenda of the talks, but a Thursday AFP report revealed new details of the negotiations. According to an undisclosed European diplomat, Prince Bandar proposed the deal and told Putin that "whatever regime comes after" Assad will be "completely" in Riyadh’s hands. The Prince reportedly stated that if the deal was accepted, Saudi Arabia would not sign any contracts damaging Russian interests by allowing Gulf countries to transport its gas across Syria to Europe. The terms included Moscow dropping its support of President Bashar Assad, as well as not opposing any future Security Council resolutions on Syria. "President Putin listened politely to his interlocutor and let him know that his country would not change its strategy," a separate Arab diplomat told AFP. Bandar bin Sultan then told Russian officials that the only option left in Syria is a military one – and that they should forget about the Geneva-2 international peace conference because the opposition would not attend, the source said. Efforts to bring about the conference – which has been put forth by the US and Moscow – have so far been fruitless, mainly because of the absence of unity within the opposition ranks. A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the presidential palace in Damascus, on February 7, 2012 (AFP Photo) Russia and Saudi Arabia - which traditionally buys its military hardware from the US – have had a massive arms contract frozen since 2008. Back then, the sides agreed that Moscow would supply a huge assortment of equipment, including 150 T-90 tanks and more than 150 attack helicopters, to the Gulf state. According to sources within Russian arms exporters, the status of the deal has not changed following the talks. The insider added that Russia has not received any offers to purchase weapons from Saudi Arabia. "We know nothing about such intentions of the Saudi side," a senior source in military-technical cooperation told RIA Novosti news agency. Some Russian experts say Saudi Arabia acted as a US proxy in the alleged proposal, as it has been doing for the past two years of the Syrian conflict. “Any direct involvement in the region by either the US or any former European colonial powers is perceived as an affront. But with the given arrangement, any initiatives by the influential, authoritarian regional super power (and Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly that) are taken for granted,” political analyst Igor Khokhlov told RT. “The situation is nothing new,” he added. “Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Afghan mujahideen in the 1980s were being sponsored by the USA and Saudi Arabia in equal shares. But the Saudi role allowed the US to present the conflict as a war of liberation – not as a clash of two superpowers in the farthest reaches of the world.” Others believe the media reports of a Saudi offer is nothing more than a hoax aimed at highlighting Russia’s stance on Syria in a negative way, adding that such a method is no way to “conduct diplomacy.” “Clearly, this is stove-piping,” director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Vitaly Naumkin, told Interfax news agency. “Its purpose is either to influence the position of the Syrian authorities or, more likely, to discredit Russia. To sow doubt on the fact that Moscow has a serious and reasoned position on Syria, and to create the impression that Russia may change its point of view in exchange for Saudi promises.” Naumkin reminded that similar attempts were made previously. There were reports in 2009 of that Barack Obama told then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that Washington would change its position on Iran if Moscow ended the halting of a US missile shield program in Eastern Europe. The meeting between Putin and Bandar came amid tension between the two states over the conflict in Syria, with Russia accusing the Saudis of "financing and arming terrorists and extremist groups" fighting against Assad.

U.S. near $10 billion arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE

U.S. near $10 billion arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE Fri, Apr 19 15:56 PM EDT By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is finalizing a complex $10 billion arms deal that would strengthen two key Arab allies while maintaining Israel's military edge, defense officials said on Friday ahead of a trip to the Middle East by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. The deal, more than a year in the making through a series of coordinated bilateral negotiations, would result in the sale of V-22 Osprey aircraft, advanced refueling tankers and anti-air defense missiles to Israel and 25 F-16 Desert Falcon jets worth nearly $5 billion to the United Arab Emirates. The UAE and Saudi Arabia also would be allowed to purchase weapons with "stand-off" capabilities - those that can be used to engage the enemy with precision at a greater distance, defense officials said. The deal marks the first time the United States has offered to sell tilt-rotor Ospreys to another country, and the "stand-off" weapons would give Saudi Arabia and the UAE a more advanced capability than they have had in the past, said the defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "This is one of the most complex and carefully orchestrated arms sale packages in American history," one of the officials said. "That's not just because of the kinds of equipment that we're providing to Israel and Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. It's also a reflection of intensive defense shuttle diplomacy." The announcement comes amid mounting concerns over Iran's nuclear program, with little progress reported at talks this month between Iran and world powers. U.S. officials concede that crippling sanctions have so far failed to force concessions from Tehran, which insists its nuclear program is peaceful. Israel has renewed warnings it reserves the right to resort to military action to stop what it says is Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. ISRAEL'S MILITARY EDGE U.S. defense officials touted the arms deals as the culmination of President Barack Obama's effort to find a way to boost the military capabilities of key Arab allies in light of the threats in the region while still fulfilling the U.S. policy of maintaining Israel's military superiority. "This not only sustains but augments Israel's qualitative military edge in the region," one of the officials said. "This package is a significant advance for Israel. ... This is about giving all three partners in the region added capacity to address key threats that they may face down the road." The announcement of the deal came as Hagel was preparing for his first trip to Middle East since taking office in February. He planned to visit Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE and was expected to continue discussions about the arms sale at stops along the way. Defense officials said the Congress had not been formally notified of the arms sale as part of the approval process. That will come once the different countries finalize their purchase decisions and submit formal letters of request. While the arms negotiations with the different countries were carried out bilaterally, defense officials said they had been transparent with all sides about the effort to boost the military capacities of all sides to address regional threats. Sources familiar with the arms sales plans said Israel had asked to buy five or six V-22 Ospreys, built by Boeing Co and Textron Inc's Bell Helicopter unit, at an estimated price of about $70 million apiece. The UAE also is interested in purchasing the tilt-rotor aircraft, which takes off and lands like a helicopter but flies like a plane, the sources said. But that sale is likely to be included in a separate deal. The United States sold Saudi Arabia 84 F-15 jets for $29 billion in 2010, planes that are now beginning to roll off the assembly line and undergo testing, officials said. (Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) ============= Pentagon in PR fight over F-35 fighter jets’ cyber vulnerabilities Get short URL Published time: April 26, 2013 18:45 Edited time: April 26, 2013 19:22 The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. (AFP Photo) Share on Tumblr Tags Military, USA, Planes, Security, Air Force, Hacking The United States Department of Defense is conducting damage control after the head of the Pentagon’s multi-billion dollar F-35 fighter jet program said he has doubts those planes could withstand a sophisticated cyberattack. The F-35 program manager, Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher Bodgan, told the US Senate Armed Service Committee on Wednesday that he was “not that confident” about the security measures that the plane’s manufacturers have allegedly implemented in the costly fleet of airships they’re supplying to the Pentagon. "I'm a little less confident about industry partners to be quite honest with you ... I would tell you I'm not that confident outside the department,” he told the panel. The fleet of F-35s is on schedule to be the most expensive weapons program in the history of the US, but has encountered numerous setbacks along the way. Speaking at a conference in February, Bodgan said that manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney were purposely attempting to get as much money possible out of the Pentagon — even if the cost for acquiring and operating the fleet stands to come to close to $1 trillion when all is said and done. “What I see Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney doing today is behaving as if they are getting ready to sell me the very last F-35 and the very last engine and are trying to squeeze every nickel out of that last F-35 and that last engine,” Bogdan said in February at the Australian International Airshow. US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) asked Bodgan this week to weigh in further, to which the F-35 program manager said relations between the Pentagon and its contractors have been better as of late — even if his suspicions remain about the cybersecurity abilities of the aircraft. “Doing business with both companies has been difficult and is getting better. I was seeing behaviors in which I thought over the next 30 or 40 years were not sustainable for us or either one of those industry partners,” Bodgan said before addressing staff changes that could explain the new attitude. “First and foremost, there have been significant leadership changes at Lockheed Martin over the last few months, all the way up and down the F-35 chain. The deputy program manager, the program manager, the president of Lockheed Martin aero and the CEO have all changed out,” he said. Bodgan’s remarks about the alleged security flaws of the fleet of fighter jets come amid heightened calls for improved national cybersecurity but also at the same time that the computer networks used onboard a $37 billion fleet of Navy warships have been called into question. RT reported earlier this week that a Navy official told Reuters that the fleet’s lead ship, the USS Freedom, was found to be vulnerable to cyberattacks during recent penetration tests. The Pentagon quickly refuted the Reuters article, and the Pentagon’s director of weapons testing said authorities acted to remedy those vulnerabilities as soon as they were discovered. Now the Defense Department is once again answering questions after yet another weapons program has been critiqued for what could be a critical security flaw. Responding to Bodgan’s remarks this week, the Pentagon says that it’s "fully aware of evolving cyber threats and is taking specific action to counter them for all fielded systems, including F-35." "The F-35 is no more or less vulnerable to known cyber threats than legacy aircraft were during their initial development and early production," spokesman Joe DellaVedova tells Reuters. Both manufacturers involved in the building of the aircraft answered questions fielded by Reuters as well, and both downplayed Bodgan’s suspicions. "We take this mission very seriously," says Lockheed spokesman Michael Rein. "We have placed special emphasis on intelligence analysis, characterization and prediction - an intelligence driven response in order to ensure agile response to attack and enhanced resilience of our systems." Matthew Bates, a spokesperson for Pratt & Whitney, adds, "We do not discuss details of our cyber security initiatives, but we have a well-established strategy in place to protect our intellectual property and company private data, as well as our customer's information, against cyber threats.” ===================

How US compensated Russia

Published on Nov 10, 2012 by RussiaToday FULL STORY http://on.rt.com/v4hvop The Iraqi Defence Minister has denied that the country has cancelled a major arms deal with Russia. It's in response to the Prime Minister's spokesman who'd earlier said corruption concerns caused the scrapping of a deal sealed only a month ago, to sell Iraq more than 4-billion-dollars' worth of military hardware. RT talks to government and business consultant, Christoph R. Horstel. Iraq buys $4.2 billion in Russian weapons-document Tue, 9 Oct 2012 19:05 GMT Source: reuters // Reuters * Big boost for Russia as arms seller * U.S. State Department says not concerned by deal By Olesya Astakhova GORKI, Russia, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Russia announced on Tuesday it has signed $4.2 billion in arms deals with Iraq, making it the largest weapons supplier to the Middle East country after the United States. The deals, disclosed in a Russian government document issued at a meeting between Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, give Russia a big boost at a time when the future of its arms sales to Libya and Syria is uncertain. Iraq had been all but off limits for Russia's defence industry after the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 which ousted Saddam Hussein, one of Moscow's biggest weapons customers. President Vladimir Putin had vocally opposed the invasion and Moscow has struggled to claw back a share of the markets in energy, arms sales and infrastructure projects in Iraq. "After the fall of Saddam Hussein, it looked like the country was lost forever" as a Russian arms customer, said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Russian security and defence think tank CAST. "This is absolutely sensational." The contracts will help Russia maintain its position as the world's second-biggest arms seller after the United States, Pukhov said. In Washington, the U.S. State Department signaled it was not overly concerned by the Russian deal. "Iraq overall has initiated some 467 foreign military sales cases with the United States. If all of these go forward, it will be worth over $12.3 billion, so obviously our own military support relationship with Iraq is very broad and very deep," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told a news briefing. The contracts were signed during visits to Russia by Iraq's acting defence chief in April, July and August, the document showed. It gave no further details and the state agency in charge of the weapons trade could not be immediately reached. The Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported late last month that contracts worth $4.3 billion were being agreed ahead of Maliki's visit. It said they included deals for 30 Mi-28NE combat helicopters and 42 Pantsir-S1 mobile rocket launchers. A spokesman for Russia's state-controlled arms exporter, Rosvooruzheniye, said it never discusses content of arms deals. The contracts comprised the third biggest package of deals for Russian arms sales since the 1991 Soviet collapse, after a $7.5 billion agreement with Algeria in 2006 and a $6 billion sale to Venezuela in 2009, CAST said. Russia delivered about $13.2 billion in weapons last year, said Konstantin Makiyenko, an expert at CAST. Pukhov said the Iraq deals showed the government there "is ready to pursue an independent foreign and defence policy", but that the United States could have tacitly supported them to appease Russia, which scrapped a deal to sell air-defence systems to Iran citing U.N. sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme. Russian officials also have said Russia lost about $4 billion in arms deals with Libya because of the fall of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, and the future of Russian sales to Syria is uncertain because of the conflict there. =========== UPDATE 3-Iraq scraps $4.2 bln Russian arms deal, cites graft Sat, Nov 10 15:35 PM EST * Maliki cancels arms deals over suspected corruption * Acting defence minister denies charges * Russian deals seen helping Iraq with US pressure By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Iraq said on Saturday it had cancelled a $4.2 billion deal to buy military jets, helicopters and missiles from Russia, citing possible corruption in the contract. In a confusing exchange, the announcement by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's office was immediately contradicted by the acting defence minister who denied the corruption charges and said the Russian arms deals were still valid. The arms agreements were a sensitive issue for Iraq. U.S. military hardware remains key for Iraq's armed forces, but the Russian deal had appeared to open a way for Maliki to push back against U.S. pressure by diversifying his arms suppliers. The Russian sale was agreed just as Washington warned Maliki, who is close to Shi'ite Iran, to curb Iranian flights ferrying weapons through Iraqi airspace to aid Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his fight against a revolt there. Maliki's media adviser Ali al-Moussawi said the decision to renegotiate the agreements was taken after the prime minister was informed about possible wrongdoing in the contract. "Our need for weapons still stands so we will renegotiate new contracts," Moussawi said. "This is a precautionary measure because of suspected corruption." But acting Defence Minister Sadoon al-Dulaimi, who negotiated with the Russians, dismissed the corruption charges and said the deals would go ahead. "We have not transferred even one dinar, there was no agent, no contract was signed. These were just technical and financial offers," he told reporters in Baghdad. Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport declined to comment. Russia's Interfax news agency reported the Russian embassy in Iraq said it had not been informed the deal had been scrapped. The initial announcement about the deal itself was unusually released in a Russian government document issued to reporters during Maliki's visit to Moscow in October. The document said deals were signed with Iraq's acting defence minister in April, July and August. Russia's daily Kommersant said the contract envisaged the delivery of surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon systems, MiG-29M/M2 aircraft as well as armoured vehicles and attack helicopters. NO. 2 IN IRAQ The deals would have made Russia the second largest military supplier to Iraq after the United States, which has sold Baghdad billions of dollars in arms including F-16 fighters and tanks since the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. But the Russian agreements fit into the wider context of Maliki's juggling interests over the war against Syria's Assad. Iran and Russia support Assad, while the rebels fighting him are backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Western powers. Maliki relies on the United States for military aid, but also depends on Iranian influence at home to keep control over Shi'ite allies in his fragile cross-sectarian government of Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds. "One should not rule out pressure from the United States, which certainly does not want to let the Iraqi government - a buyer of American arms or arms from suppliers that are U.S. allies - out of its zone of control," said Ivan Konovalov, a military expert in Moscow. News of the cancellation also came at a time when Russia has been entangled in a series of corruption scandals involving its defence ministry and its space ministry. On Friday, President Vladimir Putin fired the chief of his military staff, days after sacking the defence minister over a corruption and sleaze scandal. [ID: nL5E8M97F1] Iraq had been off limits to Russian defence contracts after the U.S.-led invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein. The Sunni dictator had been one of the biggest customers for Russian arms. ===== Iraq denies cancelling $4.2 bln arms deal with Russia over 'corruption concerns' Get short URL email story to a friendprint version Published: 10 November, 2012, 14:41 Edited: 11 November, 2012, 00:12 TAGS: Arms, Military, Russia, Iraq, Corruption, Sean Thomas, Lucy Kafanov Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (L) shakes with his Iraq's counterpart Nouri Al-Maliki during meeting in the Gorki residence outside Moscow, on October 9, 2012 (AFP Photo / RIA Novosti / Pool / Yekaterina Shtukina) (21.9Mb) embed video Iraqi Prime Minister's spokesperson Ali Mussawi told RT that the deal hasn't been cancelled, it is simply under review. He also confirmed it was because of earlier allegations of corruption from the Iraqi side. Iraqi Defense Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi also confirmed that there was no cancellation of the agreement. "The deal is going ahead," he said. Earlier, media reports claimed the deal – which would have made Russia Iraq’s second-biggest arms supplier after the United States – was cancelled.

“When Maliki returned from his trip to Russia, he had some suspicions of corruption, so he decided to review the whole deal. … There is an investigation going on, on this,”Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's spokesperson Ali Mussawi said.

The deal – which was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Maliki in October – will either be go through or be cancelled only after the Iraqi anti-corruption committee presents it findings. Officials in Moscow have not yet commented on the matter. The Russian embassy in Baghdad said it has not received word from the Foreign Ministry, and was not informed about the cancellation by Iraqi officials. The sale was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Maliki in October, and would have made Russia Iraq’s second-biggest arms supplier after the United States. The deal is one of the largest in both the modern history of Russia and for postwar Iraq. Experts speculated that the package likely would have included shipments of aircraft, helicopters, armored vehicles and air defense weapons. Though the details of the deal were kept secret, military analysts believe it was competitive enough to spark concerns in Washington, the primary arms dealer for Iraq. Military experts speculated that the deal may be cancelled due to pressure from Washington, and may result in punitive sanctions.

Director of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade Igor Korotchenko told RIA-Novosti news agency that if the deal does get axed, it would be an unprecedented event in the history of Russia's arms trade “Self-respecting states and governments don’t act this way,” Korotchenko said. RIA-Novosti also quoted an unnamed arms expert who warned that Iraq may incur harsh sanctions for the move: “If the deals were drawn up in a proper way from the legal point of view, the Iraqi side may suffer multi-million dollar losses by paying off punitive fees.” The expert went on to add that statements about suspected corruption have never been a legitimate basis for the annulment of contracts, especially in military-technical cooperation.

=== متحدث:العراق يلغي صفقة اسلحة مع روسيا قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار Sat Nov 10, 2012 12:02pm GMT اطبع هذا الموضوع[-] نص [+] 1 / 1تكبير للحجم الكاملبغداد (رويترز) - قال متحدث باسم رئيس الوزراء العراقي نوري المالكي يوم السبت ان العراق ألغى صفقة أسلحة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار مع روسيا للاشتباه في فساد لكنه يعتزم اعادة التفاوض بشأنها. وهذه الصفقة كانت ستجعل روسيا ثاني أكبر ممول للسلاح للعراق بعد الولايات المتحدة التي باعت لبغداد اسلحة قيمتها مليارات الدولارات منها طائرات مقاتلة اف 16 ودبابات منذ الغزو الامريكي للعراق عام 2003 . وقال علي الموسوي المستشار الاعلامي لرئيس الوزراء ان حاجة العراق للسلاح مازالت قائمة ولذلك سيتم التفاوض على ابرام عقود جديدة. وصرح بأن العراق اتخذ هذا القرار كخطوة احترازية بسبب وجود شبهات فساد. ولا يملك العراق سلاحا جويا حقيقيا منذ سقوط الرئيس الراحل صدام حسين وهو بحاجة ماسة للطائرات للدفاع عن حدوده ومجاله الجوي. وقالت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية في وقت سابق من العام ان الاتفاقات الروسية تشمل 30 طائرة هليكوبتر قتالية طراز ام.اي-28 ان.إي و42 قاذفة صواريخ متنقلة. ================= الدباغ: أطالب المالكي بالتحقيق بصفقة السلاح الروسية وتبرئة اسمي منها المحرر: NQ السبت 10 ت2 2012 12:48 GMT المتحدث الرسمي باسم الحكومة علي الدباغ السومرية نيوز/ بغداد طالب المتحدث باسم الحكومة العراقية علي الدباغ، الاحد، رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي بإجراء تحقيق شامل بصفقة السلاح الروسية وتبرئة اسمه المتداول "ظلما". وقال الدباغ في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، "اطالب رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي بإجراء تحقيق شامل في ملابسات صفقة السلاح مع روسيا ونشر النتائج، تبرئة لاسمي الذي تم تداوله ظلما وكيدا". وكان عضو لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حاكم الزاملي، كشف في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، أمس الجمعة، عن إلغاء الحكومة العراقية صفقة شراء الأسلحة الروسية لوجود شبهة فساد فيها، مؤكدا تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أٌرسلت الى روسيا سابقا، فيما أشار إلى أن مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة "ضخم جدا". وتناولت عدد من وسائل الإعلام المحلية، اليوم السبت (10 تشرين الثاني 2012) خبراً أكدت فيه "تورط" عدد من المسؤولين العراقيين بصفقة السلاح الروسية بينهم المتحدث باسم الحكومة العراقية علي الدباغ. وكان رئيس لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حسن السنيد قد دافع، في (13 تشرين الاول 2012)، عن عقود التسليح التي وقعها رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي مع روسيا وتشيكيا، مؤكدا أن الأسلحة التي سيتم استيرادها دفاعية وليست هجومية، كما اشار حينها إلى أن وفدا عراقيا سيزور البلدين بعد أسبوعين للتوقيع على الصيغ النهائية لتلك العقود. وأعلنت روسيا، في (9 تشرين الأول 2012)، أنها وقعت صفقات لبيع أسلحة بقيمة 4.2 مليار دولار مع العراق لتصبح أكبر مورد سلاح له بعد الولايات المتحدة، فيما ذكرت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية أن صفقة الأسلحة البالغة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار ويجري التفاوض حولها تشمل طائرات ميغ 29 و30 مروحية هجومية من طراز مي-28، و42 بانتسير-اس1 وهي أنظمة صواريخ ارض-جو. وأنهى رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي، في (12 تشرين الأول 2012)، زيارته الرسمية التي شملت روسيا وتشيكيا والتي أثارت ردود فعل متباينة من قبل الكرد حيث أبدى التحالف الكردستاني، في (13 تشرين الأول 2012)، قلقه بشأن صفقات التسليح التي عقدتها الحكومة العراقية مع روسيا وتشيكيا، داعيا إلى توضيح آليات تلك الصفقات، فيما طالب بعدم استثناء قوات البيشمركة منها. وتسعى الحكومة العراقية إلى تسليح الجيش العراقي بجميع صنوفه، حيث تعاقدت مع عدد من الدول العالمية المصنعة للأسلحة المتطورة منها الولايات المتحدة الأميركية لغرض تجهيز الجيش من مدرعات ودبابات مطورة وطائرات مروحية وحربية منها الـF16 والتي أعلن مكتب القائد العام للقوات المسلحة نوري المالكي، في (13 أيار 2012)، أن العراق سيتسلم الدفعة الأولى منها عام 2014. =========== Kurdistan Rejects Maliki’s Demand For Control of Kurdish Peshmerga Forces 8.11.2012 By Bassem Francis and Mohammad al-Tamimi. Al-Hayat (Pan Arab). More Sharing Services Share | Share on facebook Share on myspace Share on google Share on twitter Kurdish Peshmerga troops prepare 122-mm howitzers during a deployment in the area near the northern Iraqi border with Syria, which lies in an area disputed by Baghdad and the Kurdish region of Ninawa province, August 6, 2012. Photo: Reuters/Azad Lashkari. • See Related Articles November 8, 2012 ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq',— A senior official at the Ministry of Peshmerga in Iraq’s Kurdistan region has called the demand of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to place the Peshmerga forces under the jurisdiction of the federal government an “illusion.” He vowed to make an official response in the next week to the accusations by Maliki. Meanwhile, a Kurdish lawmaker accused the prime minister of obstructing the ongoing negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil. In an interview with Al Sumaria TV on Monday evening [Nov. 5], Maliki declared his willingness to release funding for the Peshmerga forces if they place themselves under the jurisdiction of the federal authorities, since the constitution prohibits the financing of the Peshmerga, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). He accused the KRG of “violating the constitution by controlling the weapons left behind by the former Iraqi army, including tanks, artillery and rocket launchers, while the other federal [entities] are getting armed with light weapons.” He revealed that he has “evidence supported by figures and copies [of transactions] belonging to the persons who [sign] contracts and buy weapons in the region.” Maliki described the objections to the formation of the Tigris Operations Command as “unconstitutional, because the federal army has the right to have a presence in Basra or Zakho, and no one has the right to prevent it constitutionally. There are implicit intentions and a lack of desire for the federal authority to have control or a presence.” He said that the army “is more [entitled] than the Turkish troops to have a presence [in Iraq’s Kurdish region].” He wondered about “the reasons behind the silence over the continued presence of Turkish troops in the al-Amadiyah and Bamarni bases since 1995 until today, while these bases are equipped with tanks, armored vehicles and aircraft, and convoys enter and exit them amid complete silence.” He warned the Peshmerga against “committing a mistake by attacking the Iraqi army.” Spokesman for the Ministry of Peshmerga Lt. Gen. Jabbar Yawar told Al-Hayat that the ministry “will hold a press conference next week to provide clarifications on Maliki’s recent statements.” Deputy Minister of Peshmerga Anwar Haji Osman told Nawkho news agency, which is affiliated with the KRG Ministry of Interior, that “demanding placing the Peshmerga under the control of the Iraqi army is an illusion and pure fantasy.” The Iraqi government has refused to include the Peshmerga budget in the 2013 federal budget considering that it is not part of the Iraqi defense system. This happened despite the negotiations conducted by two Kurdish delegations — one partisan and the other governmental — with the Maliki government last month. Chuan Mohammad Taha, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi parliament representing the Kurdistan Alliance, told Al-Hayat that “the negotiation phase requires wisdom and avoiding escalation. Unfortunately, Maliki's remarks are seen as escalatory with the aim of obstructing the negotiations.” He added: “As for the deployment of the Iraqi army, it is normal provided that the army’s loyalty is to the nation, not a person or particular faction. We have remarks on the mentality of managing the defense system in light of the loss of balance within the army and involving it in the political conflicts.” With regard to the Turkish military presence in the region, Taha said that “this presence is inherited according to an agreement between Ankara and the former regime,www.ekurd.net but what surprises us is why they are raising the issue now and did not discuss it with the Turkish officials during their visits to Baghdad.” He noted that the Peshmerga forces “possess old weapons, and the Iraqi government is evading the responsibility of arming these forces, which have the right [to armament] according to a constitutional article. We seek to include the Peshmerga in the defense system in terms of armament, rehabilitation and management, but have it under the command of the General Commander of Armed Forces and the Kurdistan region’s presidency.” Nawshirwan Mustafa, leader of the Kurdish opposition Movement for Change, said that the objective of his visit to the province of Kirkuk Tuesday [Nov. 6] was to support the decisions of the local government. He called for distancing the military from political disputes. Mustafa said in a press conference that his movement supports the province of Kirkuk, its management and components through their representatives in the Iraqi parliament and the Iraqi Kurdistan parliament. Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Omar Karim reiterated his opposition to the “formation of the Tigris Operations Command” in Kirkuk as a result of Maliki’s accusation to him that he breached the constitution. The local administration announced its refusal to cooperate with the Tigris Operations Command following the prime minister's decision to assign to it the security files in the provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahuddin. Also, the Ministry of Peshmerga threatened to confront it if it enters the Kurdistan region. Kirkuk is witnessing political and ethnic differences as a result of the Kurds’ demand for the implementation of Article 140 of the constitution, which calls for the provision of financial compensation to the Arabs who were recruited in the 1980s, returning the expelled Kurds after providing them with financial compensation and holding a referendum on appending Kirkuk to the Kurdistan region in the future. Translated from Al-Hayat (Pan Arab). al-monitor.com Copyright ©, respective author or news agency, al-monitor.com | alhayat.com Kurdistan, Iraq ============== Dabbagh and al-Dulaimi and the grandson of Badri and Lebanese broker involved in the Russian arms deal corruption and abolish monarchy and form a committee to negotiate a new 10 تشرين الثاني (نوفمبر) 2012 November 10 (November 2012) وبعد تحقيقات سريعة في موسكو اكتشف المالكي أن "الاخصائي بالمرجعية" والناطق بأسم مجلس الوزراء علي الدباغ، بالإضافة إلى "ابو الوزارتين" وزير الدفاع ووزير الثقافة سعدون الدليمي والمستشار في رئاسة الجمهورية عبد العزيز البدري (نجل رجل الدين السني الذي اعدمه صدام عبد العزيز البدري) فضلا عن سمسار لبناني مقرب من "حزب الله" هو حسن فياض ، هم من رتبوا أمر النسبة التي تبلغ أكثر من 200 مليون دولار. After prompt in Moscow discovered Maliki that "specialist points of reference", the spokesman for the Council of Ministers Ali al-Dabbagh, in addition to the "Abu ministries" Minister of Defense and Minister of Culture Saadoun al-Dulaimi and adviser in the Presidency Abdul Aziz al-Badri (son of the Sunni cleric executed by Saddam Abdel Aziz al-Badri) as well as a broker to close to the Lebanese "Party of God" is Hassan Fayad, are arranged is the percentage of more than $ 200 million. فيما وصفت لجنة النزاهة في مجلس النواب، صفقة السلاح العراقية الروسية بـ"المشبوهة"، مطالبة رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي بإيقافها، وإعادة التفاوض بشأنها من خلال لجنة يتم اختيارها بدقة، ابلغت مصادر مطلعة على الصفقة، ان الرئيس الروسي بوتين فاجئ المالكي أثناء المفاوضات وهو يشير له بأن حصته البالغة 5 % مضمونة، فما كان من المالكي إلا التساؤل عن ذلك... As described Integrity Committee in the House of Representatives, arms deal Iraqi Russian as "suspicious", demanding Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki halted, and renegotiated through a committee to be selected carefully, informed sources familiar with the deal, Russian President Putin surprised Maliki during the negotiations which indicates him that its 5% stake guaranteed, what was the Maliki only wonder about that ... ويضيف المصدر بأن بوتين قال للمالكي أثناء اللقاء أن مسؤولاً كبيراً في الوفد العراقي هو من رتب كل شيء بخصوص نسبة (عمولة) المالكي وفريقه. The source adds that Putin said the owners during the meeting that a senior official in the Iraqi delegation is arranged everything on the proportion of (commission) al-Maliki and his team. وبعد تحقيقات سريعة في موسكو اكتشف المالكي أن "الاخصائي بالمرجعية" والناطق بأسم مجلس الوزراء علي الدباغ، بالإضافة إلى "ابو الوزارتين" وزير الدفاع ووزير الثقافة سعدون الدليمي والمستشار في رئاسة الجمهورية عبد العزيز البدري (نجل رجل الدين السني الذي اعدمه صدام عبد العزيز البدري) فضلا عن سمسار لبناني مقرب من "حزب الله" هو حسن فياض ، هم من رتبوا أمر النسبة التي تبلغ أكثر من 200 مليون دولار. After prompt in Moscow discovered Maliki that "specialist points of reference", the spokesman for the Council of Ministers Ali al-Dabbagh, in addition to the "Abu ministries" Minister of Defense and Minister of Culture Saadoun al-Dulaimi and adviser in the Presidency Abdul Aziz al-Badri (son of the Sunni cleric executed by Saddam Abdel Aziz al-Badri) as well as a broker to close to the Lebanese "Party of God" is Hassan Fayad, are arranged is the percentage of more than $ 200 million. اللافت في الموضوع هو اقدام الرئيس الروسي على إقالة وزير دفاعه أناتولي سيرديوكوف "على خلفية فضيحة احتيال بعدة ملايين من اليورو تورطت فيها شركة تابعة لوزارة الدفاع"، دون ذكر المزيد من التفاصيل في موسكو. Interesting topic is the feet of Russian President sacked his defense minister Anatoly Serdyukov "against the backdrop of a fraud scandal multimillion euro involving a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defense", without giving further details in Moscow. ويربط مراقبون بين قرار الإقالة هذا وخفايا صفقة الأسلحة العراقية التي كثرت التحليلات بشأنها. Observers links between the decision to dismiss this Khvaya Iraqi arms deal that abounded analyzes them. ساحات التحرير Liberation squares ................................................. ................................................. كشف عضو في لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية، الجمعة، عن إلغاء الحكومة العراقية صفقة شراء الأسلحة الروسية، مؤكدا تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أٌرسلت الى روسيا سابقا، فيما أشار إلى أن مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة "ضخم جدا". A member of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary Friday, the cancellation of the Iraqi government deal to buy Russian weapons, confirming the formation of a new committee to negotiate is sent to Russia earlier, as pointed out that the amount of corruption in the deal "very large." وقال حاكم الزاملي في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "الحكومة ورئيس الوزراء بينوا أن صفقة شراء الاسلحة الروسية فيها شبهة واضحة وفساد يصل الى 195 مليون دولار"، مبينا أن "رئاسة الوزراء ألغت هذه الصفقة وتم تشكيل لجنة جديدة للتفاوض غير التي أُرسلت الى روسيا سابقاً". The governor said Zamili said in an interview for "Alsumaria News", "The government and the Prime Minister indicated that the purchase of Russian arms where suspicion and clear and corruption up to $ 195 million," noting that "the prime minister canceled the deal was formed a new committee to negotiate is sent to Russia previously. " وأضاف الزاملي وهو نائب عن كتلة الاحرار أن "زيارة رئيس الوزراء الى روسيا سبقتها زيارات متكررة لبعض المسؤولين"، مشيرا إلى أن "هناك وسطاء وبعض العلاقات الجانبية والتدخلات التي أثارت حفيظة الجميع". He Zamili, a deputy from the Liberal bloc that "Prime Minister's visit to Russia was preceded by frequent visits to some officials," adding that "there are brokers and some side relationships and interventions, which raised the ire of everyone." وأوضح عضو لجنة الأمن والدفاع أن "مبلغ الفساد في الصفقة ضخم جدا وهناك تورط لبعض الأشخاص"، لافتا إلى أن "الصفقة تم رفضها من قبل الكثير من أعضاء لجنة الأمن والدفاع النيابية الذين تيقنوا من وجود فساد فيها". The member of the Security and Defense Committee that "the amount of corruption in the deal so huge and there's involvement to some people," pointing out that "the deal was rejected by many members of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary who are certain about the existence of corruption in it." واعتبر الزاملي أن "الجيش العراقي يحتاج الى التسليح و التدريب لوجود أخطار واستهداف للعراق"، مبديا رفضه أن "تكون اغلب الأموال التي تخصص للتسليح تذهب الى جيوب المفسدين". Zamili considered that "the Iraqi army needs to arming and training of the existence of the dangers and the targeting of Iraq," expressing his refusal to "most of the funds that are allocated to the arm goes into the pockets of the corrupt." وكان رئيس لجنة الأمن والدفاع البرلمانية حسن السنيد قد دافع، في (13 تشرين الاول 2012)، عن عقود التسليح التي وقعها رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي مع روسيا وتشيكيا، وفي حين طمئنا أن الأسلحة التي سيتم استيرادها دفاعية وليست هجومية، أكد أن وفدا عراقيا سيزور البلدين بعد أسبوعين للتوقيع على الصيغ النهائية لتلك العقود. The Chairman of the Commission on Security and Defense parliamentary Hassan Sinead has defended, in the (October 13, 2012), for armament contracts signed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki with Russia and the Czech Republic, while Tmina that the weapons will be imported defensive rather than offensive, confirmed that an Iraqi delegation will visit the two countries Two weeks after the signing of the final versions of those contracts. وأعلن عضو اللجنة حاكم الزاملي، في (20 تشرين الأول 2012)، عن قرب تشكيلها لجنة لمتابعة عقود التسليح التي أبرمتها الحكومة العراقية مؤخرا، مشيرة إلى أن تشكيل اللجنة يأتي استجابة لدعوة زعيم التيار الصدري مقتدى الصدر وللكثير من المطالبات الأخرى. Committee member announced of quitting, (20 October 2012), closely formed a committee to follow up the armament contracts concluded by the Iraqi government recently, noting that the formation of the committee comes in response to a call cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and many of the other claims. وأعلنت روسيا، في (9 تشرين الأول 2012)، أنها وقعت صفقات لبيع أسلحة بقيمة 4.2 مليار دولار مع العراق لتصبح أكبر مورد سلاح له بعد الولايات المتحدة، فيما ذكرت صحيفة فيدوموستي الروسية أن صفقة الأسلحة البالغة قيمتها 4.2 مليار دولار ويجري التفاوض حولها تشمل طائرات ميغ 29 و30 مروحية هجومية من طراز مي-28، و42 بانتسير-اس1 وهي أنظمة صواريخ ارض-جو. Russia announced, in (9 October 2012), it has signed deals to sell weapons worth $ 4.2 billion with Iraq to become the largest arms supplier to him after the United States, as reported Vedomosti, Russian arms deal valued at $ 4.2 billion and is being negotiated include MiGs 29 and 30 attack helicopter Mi -28, and 42 Pantsir - S 1, a missile systems - atmosphere. =============== Washington offers deploying its troop in the disputed areas Sunday, 18 November 2012 09:49 Shafaq News /An informed Kurdish source said on Sunday, that Washington entered on crisis line after forming Dijla forces between Baghdad and Erbil to end it, while offered to re-deploy the U.S. troops in the disputed areas and considered the armed clash with Peshmarga troops as a “red line." The source said in remarks quoted by a Kuwaiti newspaper, and briefed by "Shafaq News", that" U.S. diplomats in Baghdad have begun contacts and meetings with the two parties, (Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki )and (Kurdistan Region’s President Massoud Barzani) to end the problem and reach a joint agreement to manage the disputed areas. " "One of the submitted solutions is to re-deploy the U.S. forces in the disputed areas to ensure there are no clashes between the army and between the Kurdish Peshmarga", adding that "al-Maliki rejected this proposal." He added that "Washington does not oppose to re-deploy its military forces in the region if the disputes parties wanted that," stressing that "U.S. Vice President , Joe Biden responsible of the Iraqi file is excited for this step because the U.S. administration will not allow the outbreak of any fighting between Baghdad forces and Erbil forces on the basis that any development represents a severe strike to the United States, which supported the political process in Iraq for nearly ten years. " The source pointed out that "Biden told Maliki that the armed clash with Kurdish Peshmarga is a red line", warning that "U.S. forces will intervene in the event of the outbreak of fighting in Kirkuk and any other area." "The U.S. National Security Chancellery is convinced that the movements of al-Maliki to impose his military control on Kurdistan is due to the Iranian and Syrian regimes," adding that "moving in this period under the name of Dijla Operations Command established by Iraqi Prime Minister aims to undermine the Turkish influence and countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council’s influence, which has grown dramatically in Kurdistan Region recently . " The disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad witnessed major security tensions after the government announced the formation of Dijla Operations Command, which has subjected the army and police forces in Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahuddin provinces and Erbil’s rejection of these forces because no one discussed the matter with it when it was formed. The armed clash occurred between the guards of one of the headquarters of Kurdish parties in Tuz Khurmatu district in Salahuddin province and a force of the federal police on Friday, killing one civilian and wounding ten policemen. http://www.shafaaq.com/en/news/4093-washington-offers-deploying-its-troop-in-the-disputed-areas-.html

Iraqi & Israeli Air defence: A work in progress to cope IRAN

Iraq makes first payment in $3 bln F-16 deal-U.S.

27 Sep 2011 17:34
Source: Reuters // Reuters

WASHINGTON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Iraq has made the first payment in a deal to buy 18 F-16 warplanes worth a total of about $3 billion, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.

"These aircraft are going to help provide air sovereignty for Iraq and to protect its territory," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"They also, as a significant military sale between us, are a symbol of the commitment that we've made to the Iraqi government to have a long-term strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq," Nuland said.

===========
27 Sep 2011 14:31
Source: Reuters // Reuters

* New U.S. warplanes are years in the future

* Only 60 percent radar coverage when U.S. leaves

* Air Force a small part of Iraqi military

By Jim Loney

BAGHDAD, Sept 27 (Reuters) - - Saddam Hussein once commanded one of the most powerful airforces in the Middle East with 40,000 personnel and 1,000 aircraft including Soviet MiG and French Mirage fighters.

Now its combat capability lies largely in three Cessna propeller planes armed with Hellfire missiles.

In a move to redress the balance in the face of an Islamist insurgency and regional turmoil, Iraq on Monday said it had signed a multibillion-dollar contract to buy 18 Lockheed Martin F-16s warplanes [ID: nL5E7KQ3WQ].

But their delivery is several years away and both U.S. and Iraqi officials say Iraq will need help to control its airspace.

"They will tell you, as will I, that (air defence) is their number one priority when it comes to gaps," said U.S. Brigadier General Tony Rock, who is helping rebuild Iraq's air force.

"When we leave here...there will not be air intercept capability until they (have) a multi-role fighter like the F-16."

Eight years after Saddam was toppled Iraq's two airborne units, the Air Force and Army Aviation Command, comprise 158 aircraft, including helicopters, and about 7,500 personnel, according to U.S. figures. That's just over 1 percent of Iraq's 650,000-strong military and security forces.

REFUELING DEPOTS, RADAR COVER

Its not just the lack of aircraft which is problematic. When the Army Aviation Command dispatches a helicopter to hunt Islamic militants, it often needs to refuel at one of the dozens of fuel depots installed and run by the U.S. across Iraq.

But with the U.S. military dismantling its bases and just three months from leaving Iraq, many of the Forward Arming and Refueling Points (FARPs) the Iraqis have relied upon to extend their aerial range against the insurgency are disappearing.

"I have found that the fuel truck is more important than the aircraft. We don't have enough mobile trucks to provide fuel for the Air Force and the Iraqi Army," said General Hamid al-Maliki, head of the Army Aviation Command.

"We can operate without the Americans. But we still need them."

To ease Iraqi worries the U.S. military has ordered eight HEMTT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck) fuel trucks and is turning over some of its far-flung fuel stations.

But a shortage of timely fuel is hardly the only deficiency in Iraq's air defence.

By the time U.S. forces pull out, Iraq will be able to monitor only 60 percent of its air space, mostly the heavily populated eastern areas, via two long-range radars stationed at Tallil in southern Nassiriya and at Taji northwest of Baghdad.

The air force wants two more long-range radars to cover more of the north, northwest and west, as well as ground-based air defence systems. Those are years away.

While it waits for its F-16s, the Air Force relies on what Rock called "nascent but credible capabilities" with 69 aircraft including three missile-equipped Cessnas, three reconnaissance Cessnas capable of capturing and downlinking real-time video, as well as C-130E transports, training and other planes.

The Army Aviation Command runs 89 rotary aircraft including Russian Mi-171s and is beefing up with 27 Bell 407 helicopters, most of them fitted with weapons. Delivery had been expected by Dec. 31 but has been pushed back until March or April.

DEFENCE DELAYED

It could be late 2014 or 2015 before the first F-16s are delivered. But even when the warplanes arrive, Iraq will lag far behind its neighbours.

"Having these fighter jets will not mean Iraq is about to stand at the same level of neighbouring countries' air forces," said an Iraqi ex-military commander who asked not to be named.

"If you compared the level of the Iraqi air forces with the time before 2003, I can say, if it is not zero percent, it does not exceed 10 percent," he said. "This is a long term mission."

The U.S. military will hand over six major air bases to Iraqi control in the next few months -- Tikrit, Kirkuk, Taji, Balad, al-Asad and Ali --- in addition to leaving behind some of the fueling stations and other hardware as Washington draws down from its current 43,000-odd troops to zero by year-end.

"You'll see what I call a tsunami of stuff coming their way in the next few months," Rock said.

Iraq shares borders Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iran and Kuwait. Unrest in Syria threatens the government there, and Turkey and Iran regularly launch air or artillery strikes on Kurdish rebels along Iraq's northern border.

But in spite of the region's instability, General Nasier Abadi, the Defence Ministry vice chief of staff and a military pilot, said Iraq was capable of deterring internal threats from the insurgency and has no current external enemies.

"I think we are ready now to go solo. We will have lots of problems but in the end that's the way it has to be." (Additional reporting by Suadad al-Salhy and Waleed Ibrahim; Editing by Matthew Jones)

===


Iraq signs F-16 deal with US
Tue Sep 27, 2011 9:58AM GMT

Reddit

F-16 warplanes (file photo)
Iraq has signed an agreement with the United States to buy eighteen F-16 warplanes and has paid for a part of the deal in advance, an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister says.


"Iraq has signed [a deal] with Washington to buy the F-16s," Ali Mussawi said.

"This agreement, for which Iraq has already paid some of the money, is for 18 F-16s in the first phase," AFP quoted him as saying on Tuesday.

Mussawi did not give any details about the price of the contract or the warplanes' delivery date, but reports have cited officials in Washington that Baghdad has already paid USD 1.5 billion in advance.

Earlier this year, Iraq and the US were close to sign the deal, however, Baghdad decided to re-route USD 900 million from the contract's allocated budget to a welfare plan.

The agreement is expected to be worth billions of dollars, and it may take years to be implemented since it needs time for training of Iraqi pilots and manufacturing the planes.

According to head of the US air forces in Iraq General Russ Handy, ten Iraqi pilots are receiving training in the US and their course will finish before the F-16s are delivered to Iraq.

The United States and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003, citing concerns over alleged weapons of mass destruction wielded by the executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist government.

No such weapons were ever found in Iraq. However, nearly 50,000 American troops still remain in the country.


====

Sticker Shock: Iraqi F-16s $165 Million Each
Posted by MARK THOMPSON Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 9:24 am
3 Comments • Related Topics: air force, arms sales, iraq, military, military spending, national security, pentagon, weapons


F-16s perform the "Delta Burst" over Florida / Air Force photo by Larry E. Reid Jr.

Think of it as a military-industrial complex two-fer -- first we invade Iraq, eight years later we're selling it F-16s. "Iraq has now made its first transfer payment for the purchase of 18 F-16 fighter aircraft," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday. "These aircraft are going to help provide air sovereignty for Iraq and to protect its territory and deter or counter regional threats." They represent "the cornerstone of the kind of cooperation that we hope to have in the future to support the secure, peaceful, democratic development of Iraq."

Iraqi jet jockeys can't wait. "It was a dream come true to fly in the F-16," Iraqi air force Brigadier General Ali al-Aaragy said after taking one of the fighters for a test ride at Arizona's Luke Air Force Base nearly three years ago. The first flock of F-16s is slated to arrive in Iraq in 2014. The U.S. is selling Iraq 18 of the "low end" of the Pentagon's famed "high-low mix" -- F-15s were the more costly "high end." But these 18 F-16s are no bargain.

The planes are going to cost $3 billion (extra spares and services could drive the total cost to $4.2 billion). That base price, without the options, works out to more than $165 million a plane -- more than the current estimated $154 million price tag on the much more modern -- so-called fifth generation -- F-35. (The Pentagon stopped buying F-16s back in 1995; it paid an average of $17 million per plane).

The good news is the deal will likely keep the Lockheed's F-16 plant in Fort Worth running perhaps a year longer.

The bad news is that only 70% of Iraqis have access to clean water, and only 25% have clean sanitation.



Read more: http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2011/09/28/sticker-shock-iraqi-f-16s-165-million-each/#ixzz1ZJMewMyK

===

AIRSHOW-Iraq eyes F-16 buys on road to new air force

12 Nov 2011 11:36
Source: Reuters // Reuters

By Mahmoud Habboush

DUBAI, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Iraq is planning to expand its fleet of aerial reconnaissance planes "in the near future" and is hoping to sign a deal for a second batch of F-16 warplanes by next year, the country's air force chief said on Saturday.

The moves, laid out by Lt. General Anwer Amin on the sidelines of a conference ahead of Sunday's Dubai Airshow, are part of Iraq's efforts to move gradually away from dependence on U.S. air support.

"We have projects to buy UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) in the near future," Amin told reporters on the sidelines of the air marshals conference.

He said the Iraqi air force was looking into several options.

"One of the leading countries in the region is the United Arab Emirates, there is also the United States," he said.

The United States will withdraw its remaining 40,000 troops in Iraq by the end of this year, but Iraqi officials say it will take years before they are able to defend their airspace.

"Building an air force is a very complicated process that depends on several factors, including securing financial cover and human capabilities as well as time," Amin said.

Military experts say that Iraq's lack of a strong fleet of combat planes means that it will rely on the U.S. air force to shoulder this responsibility for some years.

"Certainly the United States air force will be there for the Iraqi air force if that that's what the two governments agree to," Gen. Norton Schwartz, commander of the U.S. air force, said on Saturday.

Amir said he hoped a deal would be signed next year on the second batch of 36 F-16 warplanes Iraq plans to acquire.

"Eighteen planes have been bought, the contract has been signed, and the other 18 planes hopefully next year," he said.

Iraq made the first payment in the deal to buy the first set of warplanes worth a total of about $3 billion in September.

Amin said the Iraqi air force already runs an advanced fleet of reconnaissance planes that very few countries in the region have.

"These are planes that we are proud of using over the past few years to detect terrorist activities," he said.

====

F-18 jet crashes into apartments in Virginia next to elementary school (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
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Published: 06 April, 2012, 21:03

F-18 fighter jet crashes into apartment builings in Virginia (PHOTOS)
(2.6Mb) embed video

TAGS: Military, Accident, USA, Planes

Commander Rosi with the Navy said two aircrew safely ejected from the plane that was based in Oceana. Both pilots have been taken to a nearby hospital, according to reports from the scene.

Witnesses say two apartment buildings near the crash site are on fire, and rescue workers are searching for potential casualties. Military police is also on site. Interstate 264 has been closed down. Thick black smoke can be seen rising from the scene.

A spokesperson from the Virginia Fire department has told reporters the fire has been contained. Reports about potential casualties are conflicting, as some people say at least one person was carried out on a stretcher from one of the apartment buildings that caught on fire after the crash. Beach General Hospital has also reportedly confirmed both pilots and five civilians were being treated for injuries, but nothing was known about the severity of their condition so far.

One of the first peope on the scene told CBS news that he helped move one of the pilots to a safe distance from the blaze. According to the witness, the pilot was conscious and apologized profusely for crashing into the apartment complex.

Reports also suggest at least one apartment building has burnt down completely. Overall, at least 5 buildings and 20 apartment units have been affected by the fire.

Several people have also claimed the fighter jet was seen dumping fuel just before the crash, in order to avoid an explosion upon impact.
Zack Zapatero′s photo from the scene of the FA-18 crash in Virginia Beach.
Zack Zapatero's photo from the scene of the FA-18 crash in Virginia Beach.
F18 crash site, tweeted by @INFOen140.
F18 crash site, tweeted by @INFOen140.
The plane′s ejected seat (photo by Ross Grogg @wrossgrogg).
The plane's ejected seat (photo by Ross Grogg @wrossgrogg).
"Image from a friend who lives near the apartments in Virginia Beach that the F-18 crashes into," says @Andrew_Brandt in Twitter.
"Image from a friend who lives near the apartments in Virginia Beach that the F-18 crashes into," says @Andrew_Brandt in Twitter.
Photo from the scene of F18 crash in Virginia Beach, via WAVY, tweeted by @nycsouthpaw.
Photo from the scene of F18 crash in Virginia Beach, via WAVY, tweeted by @nycsouthpaw.
Ladder truck up and running from birdneck village apts parking lot (photo by Ross Grogg @wrossgrogg)
Ladder truck up and running from birdneck village apts parking lot (photo by Ross Grogg @wrossgrogg)

Added by Branden Sherman to WTKR NewsChannel3 account in Facebook.
Added by Branden Sherman to WTKR NewsChannel3 account in Facebook.

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F18 descending over birdneck road just before it crashed. Taken on hwy 264 while it passed me. Jet was dumping fuel everywhere and blowing white smoke out.
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BREAKING: Navy F/A-18 from Oceana crashes into Beach apartment building

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BREAKING: Navy F/A-18 from Oceana crashes into Beach apartment building

2:49 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2012
Updates: Crews are advising residents in the area to close their windows and to stay away from the area because of air quality concerns caused by the jet fuel.

According to Dale Gauding, Corporate Communications Consultant at Sentara Healthcare, around five civilians were admitted to the hospital. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related
Photos: F/A-18 crashes in Virginia Beach Photos: F/A-18 crashes in Virginia Beach
Raw Video: Apartments on fire after the crash
Raw Video: A second F-A-18 circles the crash scene
Video Video
Raw Video: Smoke from the crash scene
Topics
Motorvehicle Accidents
Transportation Accidents
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An F/A 18D Navy jet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 has crashed into an apartment building in Virginia Beach on Birdneck Road. Two pilots have been transported to the hospital. There has been no word on injuries according to Tim Riley of the Virginia Beach Police Department. He stated that the two pilots ejected from the jet.

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It has been confirmed that the jet is a Delta two-seat model. There has been a significant amount of damage done to an apartment building.

Initial reports indicate that at approximately 12:05 p.m., the jet crashed just after takeoff at a location just off of the base.

The interstate is now shut down on Laskin Road through Birdneck in both directions.

Another person has also been transported to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

VFA-106 is based at Naval Air Station Oceana, and serves as the East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron. Their mission is to train Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 Replacement Pilots and Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs) to support fleet commitments.

The Navy is coordinating with local authorities.

NewsChannel 3 is working to gather more information. We will post more as it becomes available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement this afternoon following news of the crash of an F/A-18D fighter jet in the Birdneck Road area of Virginia Beach.

"We are taking all possible steps at the state level to provide immediate resources and assistance to those impacted by the crash of an F-18 fighter jet in Virginia Beach. In the past half hour I have spoken to Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms several times and informed him that all Commonwealth resources are available to him as the community responds to this breaking situation. We are monitoring events carefully as they unfold and State Police resources are now on the scene. Our fervent prayer is that no one was injured or killed in this accident."

Scott Statement on Navy Jet Crash in Virginia Beach

Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott issued the following statement after a Navy jet crashed into a Virginia Beach apartment complex:

"My office has been informed of the jet crash in Virginia Beach today. While information is still developing, my thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted. I will work closely with Congressman Rigell to assist in any way possible."

============

Navy fighter jet crashes into apartment block turning Virginia retirement community into fireball as both pilots eject to safety

Navy F/A-18D crashes into Virginia Beach apartment complex
Two pilots ejected from aircraft before impact
One pilot among those taken to hospital; two others also taken, but their conditions are unknown

By Beth Stebner

PUBLISHED: 16:59 GMT, 6 April 2012 | UPDATED: 18:31 GMT, 6 April 2012

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A Navy F-18 fighter jet has crashed into the suburbs of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the Navy confirms, slamming into condos, town houses, and a retirement community, according to witnesses.

The two crew members ejected from the jet and were taken to a nearby hospital, but it is not yet known if there are any civilian casualties.

News footage showed smoke rising from numerous homes and the flaming wreckage lying on the ground.

Scroll down for videos
Fighting fire: Firefighters work to control the blaze after the crash of an F-18 navy jet into an apartment building in Virginia Beach

Fighting fire: Firefighters work to control the blaze after the crash of an F-18 navy jet into an apartment building in Virginia Beach

Wrecked: An aerial view of the apartments shows the roofs of two buildings completely distroyed

Wrecked: An aerial view of the apartments shows the roofs of two buildings completely distroyed

Devastating crash: The wreckage of the F-18 in Virginia Beach, Virginia

Devastating crash: The wreckage of the F-18 in Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Smoke: Virginia Department of Transportation traffic cameras show thick, black smoke rising from the Mayfair Mews apartment complex

Smoke: Virginia Department of Transportation traffic cameras show thick, black smoke rising from the Mayfair Mews apartment complex
Crashed: The crash happened in a residential area of Virginia Beach, which is close to a military training base

Crashed: The crash happened in a residential area of Virginia Beach, which is close to a military training base

Complex: The plane reportedly crashed into the Mews apartments, mere blocks away from Virginia Beach and the ocean

Complex: The plane reportedly crashed into the Mews apartments, mere blocks away from Virginia Beach and the ocean

The jet, confirmed to be a Delta two-seat model, apparently crashed at the Mayfield Mews apartment complex.

The Navy said in a news release that the jet was an F/A-18D assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 based at Naval Air Station Oceana.

The military organisation said that the jet crashed shortly after takeoff at a site near the base at about 12:05 p.m. Both aviators ejected safely but were taken to a local hospital for observation.

Virginia Beach resident George Pilkington witnessed the crash, and told CNN the timeline of events, describing a few large explosions after the initial crash.

He said: ‘It was emptying out fuel and the tail end was down. They (the crew members) must have ejected before they came down.’

Mr Pilkington also said the engine sounded like it was ‘straining and stressing.’


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Overhead helicopter video from WAVY-TV showed fire crews in the apartment complex with large ladders spraying water on multiple smoking buildings, one of which has part of its roof torn off.

Robert Matthias, assistant to Virginia Beach's city manager, told The Associated Press crews are at the scene of an apartment complex where the jet crashed in what he described as a courtyard.

'So far, they haven't found any casualties,' Mr Matthias said.
Ejected: One resident posted this picture to Facebook of an ejected pilot's seat amid vinyl siding, twigs, and branches

Ejected: One resident posted this picture to Facebook of an ejected pilot's seat amid vinyl siding, twigs, and branches
Taken away: One of the pilots is seen being taken away on a stretcher by emergency crews - he and the other pilot ejected from the F-18 jet

Taken away: One of the pilots is seen being taken away on a stretcher by emergency crews - he and the other pilot ejected from the F-18 jet
jet
jet

Confusion: Virginia Beach residents saw a grey-black plume of smoke snaking into the sky; some described the overwhelming smell of jet fuel
Smoldering: The fiery remains of the jet lay smoldering in the wreckage of bricks and mortar

Smoldering: The fiery remains of the jet lay smoldering in the wreckage of bricks and mortar

Burning: The apartment complex is seen engulfed in flames

Burning: The apartment complex is seen engulfed in flames

He described the area as residential, calling it an ‘anywhere but here’ situation. While planes fly over the Virginia Beach area frequently, the F-18 crashed into a heavily residential area.

Mr Pilkington said that emergency crews responded in minutes to the crash.

Black smoke and flames were seen billowing out of what appeared to be a housing complex.

PilotOnline.com quoted a spokesman for Naval Air Force Atlantic who said the F/A-18 Hornet crashed Friday in the vicinity of Birdneck Road.

Another witness said that when the pilot came down he was still strapped to his ejector seat and had to be pulled out of the wreckage - when he immediately said sorry for the crash.

Retired Virginia Beach rescuer Pat Kavanaugh told CNN: ‘He apologised very much for hitting out complex and I told him: ‘Don’t worry about it, everything’s going to be fine’.

‘I checked him over, did a body survey, he was in shock, still strapped to his seat so we picked him up, dragged him to the other side of the parking lot away from the fire.

‘He had something on the lower half of his body, something heavy.

‘I knew we have gas in the buildings, so I didn’t know if there were going to be secondary explosions’.

Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesperson Cmdr. Phil Rosi told the website that both aviators safely ejected from the plane.

The jet belongs to VFA’s Strike Fighter Squadron 106 – a training division for student pilots. Because of the crash, Virginia State police have shut down Interstate 264 in both directions.

People are being advised to stay away from the area.
An Oceana-based jet crashed just after take-off and the two pilots ejected
An Oceana-based jet crashed just after take-off and the two pilots ejected

Cinder and smoke: At least ive buildings were reported to be seriously damage; there are no reports yet of civilian injuries
First responders: Fire crews rushed to put the fire out; the entire roof of one apartment building collapsed in on itself

First responders: Fire crews rushed to put the fire out; the entire roof of one apartment building collapsed in on itself

ANOTHER MILITARY CRASH INTO CIVILIAN HOMES: 2008 F-18 CRASH LEAVES FOUR DEAD
Jet

Emergency personnel sift through the wreckage of a military F/A-18 jet plane that crashed into a suburb of San Diego, California in 2008

In December 2008, a Military aircraft crashed into a home in San Diego, killing four people.

A U.S Marine Corps two-seat aircraft crashed into a residential area in University City killing four residents in one of the two homes that were destroyed.

Pilot Lt Neubauer, who was the only person in the aircraft, survived after he ejected to safety.

The plane crashed into homes just two miles from the Miramar runway. Young Mi Lee and her toddler Rachel and baby Grace all died. Mi Lee’s mother Suk Im Kim was the fourth victim.

An investigation found that poor maintenance had caused the engine to malfunction. The pilot was found to have made errors and was temporarily grounded. Other USMC personnel were disciplined after the fatal crash.

After the crash University City residents renewed their calls for the military training base MCAS Miramar to be moved to a more remote location.

The family were awarded $17.8m after a non-jury trial in December last year.

-Laura Pullman

Video: Amatuer footage of jet crash at Virginia Beach
==



Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126223/Virginia-beach-plane-crash-F-18-hits-apartment-building.html#ixzz1rHzFZAoF

=======================

Navy jet crashes into Virginia buildings, injuring six
Fri, Apr 06 16:32 PM EDT
image
1 of 16

By Charles Abbott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy F-18D fighter crashed soon after take-off into an apartment complex in Virginia on Friday, sending fireballs into the sky, heavily damaging five buildings and injuring six people.

Four of the injured were people on the ground, including a firefighter. Both crew members ejected from the aircraft before it crashed into the buildings in Virginia Beach. They had minor injuries and were sent to hospital, the Pentagon said.

Thick black clouds of smoke billowed into the air as the apartment complex was reduced to a blackened shell.

Five buildings were heavily damaged by fire, Battalion Chief Tim Riley of the Virginia Beach Fire Department told CNN.

Rescuers were searching the damaged buildings at the Mayfair Mews apartments, less than two miles from Naval Air Station Oceana, where the F-18D was based.

"We have not had any reported missing people," Riley said.

A volunteer rescuer, Pat Kavanaugh, told CNN he found one of the pilots in the wreckage, still strapped to his ejection seat with a parachute. Kavanaugh and neighbors picked up the seat and carried the pilot away from the flames.

Kavanaugh said the pilot "apologized very much for hitting our complex."

Zack Zapatero, who witnessed the crash, told CNN there were "just large fireballs coming up" into the sky from the crash.

There was no word yet on the cause of the crash.

Amy Miller said she saw "flames underneath the right wing" just before the crash. "I heard the initial impact. Then you heard a boom right after that."

The distinctive, twin-finned tail section of the F-18D landed in the courtyard of the complex of two-story brick buildings.

Dozens of firefighters and emergency workers converged on the scene, smothering the apartment complex with foam.

The plane was part of a training squadron at Oceana, the largest Navy air facility on the East Coast, that prepares replacement Navy and Marine aviators and weapons officers for duty.

Some 250 aircraft are stationed at Oceana with its seven miles of runway, 20,000 military and civilian workers and 19 fighter/attack squadrons. The Navy says Oceana is the largest employer in Virginia Beach.

There are 37 tactical squadrons of F-18s operating from air stations worldwide and from 10 aircraft carriers. The Navy's precision air team, the Blue Angels, flies the F-18.

Virginia Beach is on the Atlantic Coast about 200 miles south of Washington, DC.

(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Sandra Maler and Frances Kerry)
=========

Investigation begins into cause of jet crash

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Good Friday

WTKR-TV3

10:10 a.m. EDT, April 8, 2012
VIRGINIA BEACH—
"You heard these three really loud booms. And by the time we turned and said something to each other, glass got thrown all the way to the living room," he says.

Sam Bertling was celebrating his birthday with friends when a Navy fighter jet crashed less than a football field from his home.

"It happened so fast," he said.

Follow NewsChannel 3 on Facebook

This morning, peering over his backyard fence, he could see the blackened remains of the F-18's twin tail fins.

A block away, Tara Silvasy was on her couch reading when she heard explosions outside.

"I looked up and I heard this crash, and something had hit my house," she said.

A part of the plane smashed into the corner of her 24th Street home, crashing through the wall. At first she didn't know what happened. She ran outside and heard neighbors screaming about a jet crash.

"I looked out my window and that's when I saw the ejector seat, a pilot ejector seat. And then I really started to panic because then I thought maybe the pilot could have been in there, or been in the backyard," she says.

Today a team of sailors looking for jet debris visited Tara's house, where an ejection seat landed. The ruffled the grass and poked through the bushes. At a news conference today, officials said the scattered debris will be crucial to understanding what brought down the fighter.

"We will take all those parts and put them in Hangar 23 over at NAS Oceana and lay them all out," says Admiral John C. Harvey, Jr., Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

They will also look for the plane's digital data recorder, similar to an airliner's black box, to help them recreate the jet's tumultuous final moments that ended with a horrifying crash in an Oceanfront area neighborhood. But as awful as this was no one is believed to have perished in the Good Friday crash. Navy officials revealed even the battered pilots, a student and instructor, are home from the hospital. And at homes across Birdneck Road, neighbors are beginning to realize, sometimes with tears, how lucky they all were.

"Yesterday, early on, it was a bad day, but it got better. I was quite hysterical for a while. It is scary. Bad things could have happened yesterday. So I think we're all fortunate. And we're glad the pilots are OK," she says.

"I don't speak for anybody's religious beliefs, but the mayor and I both agreed if you want to find a miracle, what happened here yesterday meets that definition for me," said Admiral Harvey.

===========

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurds/4608.html

Barzani Suggests Baghdad Might Use F-16s Against Kurds
09/04/2012 03:25:00By WLADIMIR van WILGENBURG
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Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani with US President Barak Obama during his recent visit to Washington. Photo courtesy of Falah Mustafa.



EXETER, England -- After increased tensions between the Iraqi and the Kurdish governments, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani told Alhurra TV last Thursday that Baghdad is considering the use of F-16 fighter planes against the Kurds.Alhurra asked Barzani if PM Maliki was the person suggesting the use of F-16s against the Kurds, but Barzani did not answer the question. “I know who said it, but forgive me, I can't give more details," he said, adding that Kurds are becoming strangers in the Iraqi army, and are being fought from within. Barzani emphasized that there can never be a military solution to deal with the Kurds.

In the interview, Barzani says the issue with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is not personal, but it is about his dictatorial policies. "I still consider him a brother and a friend," he said. According to Barzani, division commanders in the Iraqi army are supposed to be approved by parliament, but this hasn't happened.

Barzani told Alhurra that he has confronted the Iraqi PM many times and been told by Maliki that he will act, but he hasn’t, and suggested there is talk of a “military solution” to confront the Kurds in Baghdad. Barzani said that in an official meeting with Iraqi military commanders, it was stated that they should wait for F-16s to arrive to help push back the Kurds.



Kurdish officials had earlier expressed worries over Iraq’s estimated $3 billion deal to buy 18 fighter jets from the United States, and the marginalization of Kurds within the Iraqi army, despite the fact that both the Iraqi chief of staff and the air force commander are Kurds.

Iraqi Kurds fear a repeat of the mass killings by the Iraqi regime. In the 1980s, the Iraqi army killed between 50,000 and 180,000 Kurds in the notorious Anfal campaign. But Iraqi officials have tried to reassure Kurds that the F-16s are meant to protect the borders of Iraq.

On the April 4, Izzat al-Shahbandar, member of Maliki’s State of Law Coalition, claimed on Al-Jazeera that the Kurds were trying to weaken the government and deprive them of heavy weapons. “There is a Kurdish effort to prevent a strong Iraqi state in terms of weapons, funds and Arab relations. We were deprived of our right to write in the constitution that Iraq is an Arab country."

Kamran Karadaghi, former chief of staff of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, told Rudaw that it remains a possibility that Baghdad will use the Iraqi army against the Kurds. “To my knowledge, Barzani's comments are based on solid information straight from the horse's mouth. Why do you think Shia rulers turned from committed federalists to staunch centralists? I always warned that we should expect that when they have a strong army. Soon they will have F-16s.”

But other analysts rule out the possible use of F-16s against Kurds.

Reidar Visser, research fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, known for his frequent commentary on Iraqi affairs, suggests that, “The only scenario in which the use of military force by Baghdad would be probable is in the case of a formal, unilateral annexation of Kirkuk by the Kurds.”
He added that, when Barzani mentioned the F-16s, “It sounded more like fully fledged warfare than skirmishes and clashes. There can be similar episodes to Khanaqin, etc., absolutely. But I think they will stay within certain boundaries unless the KRG moves to formally annex areas.”

In 2008, the disputed city of Khanaqin was the center of a face-off between Kurdish and Iraqi armed forces. According to the Christian Science Monitor, there was threat of a much wider conflict along the 300-mile fault line that divides the Kurds from the Arab parts of Iraq. In the past, U.S. forces established joint patrols and acted as peacemakers to prevent tensions from erupting in territories claimed by Baghdad and Erbil, but now the U.S. army isn’t in Iraq.

In November 2011, the handover of the Kirkuk airport to Iraqi authorities by U.S. forces sparked tensions between local Kurdish authorities and the Iraqi army over who should control it. Eventually, the Iraqi PM turned it into a civilian airport rather than one controlled by the Iraqi army. After the decision, there have been no tensions in Kirkuk between Kurdish and Iraqi security forces.

Hayder al-Khoei, a researcher at the London-based Centre for Academic Shi'a Studies, agrees that renewed tensions in the disputed areas are possible. “Some minor skirmishes possibly and maybe a few Mexican standoffs that go wrong. But no major military clashes. It's far too costly for both sides and eventually they will sit down in secret and negotiate a new division of the cake.”
He added that it is “nonsense” to consider that Baghdad would use F-16s against the Kurds. “Turkey has far more advanced fighter jets than Iraq could hope to have and cannot solve the PKK problem with military power. Even if the threat of pushing back the Kurds with F-16s was meant in the context of deploying gunboat diplomacy, it is highly unlikely the Kurds will be intimidated.”

Ben van Heuvelen, managing editor of Iraq Oil Report, based in Iraq, says the long-standing disputes between Kurdistan and Baghdad escalated into a full-blown crisis last week amidst the postponement of the national conference meant to reconcile the factions. “It began when the Kurds shut off oil exports. Then, Shahristani threatened to make cuts to Kurdistan's share of the federal budget.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------


Does seem that Barzani's US visit was designed to get Obama on the side of the Kurds with a promise that US military intervention would ensue if Iraq attacked the Kurds,,,nice try, but test the Iraqis and the US by declaring UDI....then you could call both their bluffs,imo

With oil at stake, who knows what Obama might do? Air patrol the N.Iraqi/Kurdish borders?

===============

The New Iraqi Air Force: F-16IQ Block 52 Fighters
Mar 15, 2012 15:04 EDT
Related Stories: Alliances, Americas - USA, Fighters & Attack, Issues - Political, Lockheed Martin, Middle East - Other, Pre-RFP, Rumours
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Latest updates: Pilot training begins in USA; Radar buy.
F-16s, Iraq
USAF F-16s, Iraq
(click to view full)

Iraq’s military has made significant strides in recent years, and the country is ordering more advanced military equipment to match. A slew of 2008 requests aimed to spend over $10 billion to buy advanced armored vehicles, strengthen its national military supply chain, build new bases and infrastructure for its army, and even buy advanced scout helicopters. Budget shortfalls have stretched out those buys, but that situation is easing, even as Iraq’s air force continues to make progress.

Anxious to complete its transformation and stand fully on its own, Iraq is pushing to begin flying its own fighters within the next couple of years – and is looking to buy American F-16s, rather than the Soviet and French fighters that made up Saddam’s air force:

Iraqi Air Force Evolution
Contracts and Key Events [updated]
Appendix A: Technology Options – F-16s… and Others
Appendix B: Political Background
Additional Readings

Iraqi Air Force Evolution

T-6A Iraqi
Iraqi T-6A trainers
(click to view full)

Iraq’s purchase of armed scout helicopters was significant, because an Air Force that had once been one of the strongest in the region is currently reduced to few dozen planes and helicopters, with no front-line fighters, or attack helicopters with precision munitions. The ARH order would be a significant step forward in aerial combat power, though they will be employed in the internal anti-terrorist battle rather than acting to secure Iraq’s sovereignty against neighboring countries.

That level of security requires the ability to control the air over one’s own country, which is why the USAF has always planned to remain in Iraq for a number of years as a guarantor. The question that remains is how long they will be able to remain as a guarantor, and when Iraq will have an air force that can realistically assume even minimum-level air policing duties.

Iraq is slowly building its fighter force from the ground up. Cessna light planes serve as primary trainers, and some of the larger Cessna 208B Caravans have been modified to perform surveillance or even combat strike roles. T-6A Texan II turboprops serve for the next level of fighter training. After that, Iraq’s pilots have to go to the USA, to train on supersonic T-38 Talons. That will change when Iraq orders its own advanced jet trainers, but that buy has been delayed by budget issues. Depending on which model Iraq chooses, these jet trainers may also end up serving a secondary combat role, until the country has enough front-line fighters. “T/A-50 Golden Eagles for Iraq?” has more coverage of Iraq’s choices.

In terms of its front-line fighters, its chosen F-16IQ Block 52s show a pattern of slight downgrades from the more advanced F-16C/D Block 52 base systems. The request’s determined avoidance of sophisticated air to ground weapons like GPS-guided JDAMs, or advanced air-to-air missiles, also seems designed to assuage regional fears. The net effect seems cleverly calibrated to give Iraq an air defense force that can handle aging threats from Syria or Iran relatively well, and perform strike missions within Iraq, without being a serious threat to more advanced air forces in the region. Regional memories among its Arab neighbors, as well as Israeli concerns, make that a smart starting point. Upgrades can always take place later, and the F-16IQs have at least some of the equipment required to handle more advanced weapons.

That first fighter purchase is a key step in Iraq’s evolution toward an autonomously secure state – but even delivery of working fighter jets only represents a first step, rather than a solution. The 2010 formal DSCA request was just the beginning of the process, which can take between 4 – 10 years from request to full operational capability. Appendix A covers Iraq’s technology options, while Appendix B focuses on politics and timelines. Meanwhile, Iraq will need to implement and stand up radar surveillance and command and control capabilities, in order to tie its fighters into a working system.

Realistically, Iraq will not be able to enforce full national air sovereignty before 2016 at the very earliest – and a number of analysts still believe it will be later than that.

Contracts and Key Events

F-16, AIM-9, AGM-65
USAF F-16 w. AIM-9L/M
fires AGM-65D Maverick
(click to view full)

March 14/12: Radars. Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Linthicum Heights, MD receives an $87.8 million dollar firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program contract, to provide 43 AN/APG-68v9 radar systems to the Republic of Iraq (22), the Royal Air Force of Oman (15), and the Royal Thai Air Force (6). Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, MD, and is expected to be complete by March 3/15. The ASC/WWMK at Wright Patterson AFB, OH manages this contract (FA8615-12-C-6047).

The AN/APG-68v9 is the standard radar for new F-16C/D aircraft. Northrop Grumman cites a 33% increase in air-to-air detection range over earlier versions, plus ground-looking synthetic aperture radar with mapping and 2-foot point target response. They also claim that the radar’s reduced weight, power, and cooling help contribute to 25%-45% lower support costs, though their baseline comparison for those costs isn’t clear.

Jan 20/12: Training begins. Gannett’s Military Times reports that:

“The first of the Iraqi pilots that will learn how to fly F-16s recently arrived in Tucson with the 162nd Fighter Wing, an Air National Guard unit that specializes in training foreign pilots to fly F-16s, said wing spokesman Maj. Gabe Johnson. The Iraqi pilot is slated to start the academic part of his training on Jan. 23 followed by hands-on flying from February through September, Johnson said.”

Dec 12/11: 2nd Squadron Request. The US DSCA announces [PDF] Iraq’s request for what amounts to a 2nd operational squadron of F-16IQs, plus weapons. The request for 18 more fighters would bring Iraq’s total to 36, but unlike their initial December 2010 request, the figure given is up to $2.3 billion, instead of $4.2 billion; 1st-time sales are always more expensive.

Also included: site survey support equipment, Joint Mission Planning System, Ground Based Flight Simulator, tanker support, ferry services, Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD), repair and return, modification kits, spares and repair parts, construction, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services, ground based flight simulator, and other related support. Along with the F-16s and support, Iraq is interested in:

24 F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 Increased Performance Engines. There are strong signs that the initial buy will use the F100-PW-229s from Pratt & Whitney, but a number of air forces fly a mix of both engines, including Egypt & South Korea. Time will tell.
24 APG-68v9 radar sets, the most modern radar available in Block 50 aircraft;
20 pairs of Conformal Fuel Tanks, which mount along the back/top of the F-16;
20 AN/ARC-238 Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System radios;
120 of VSI’s Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) helmet-mounted displays. The previous request hadn’t included them, and 120 is a very significant number. It may serve as an early indicator that Iraq is looking at an all F-16 fleet for its 6 planned squadrons.
20 AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Systems (without Mode IV)
22 ITT ALQ-211 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites (AIDEWS); or Raytheon Advanced Countermeasures Electronic Systems (ACES), including the ALQ-187 Electronic Warfare System and AN/ALR-93 Radar Warning Receiver. The previous DSCA request had only specified ACES;
22 AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing Systems (CMDS);
20 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), using Standard Positioning Service (SPS) commercial code only

On the weapons front, the request includes:

19 M61 20mm Vulcan Cannons
10,000 rounds PGU-27A/B target practice 20mm ammunition
30,000 rounds PGU-28 SAPHEI (semi-armor piercing high explosive incendiary) 20mm ammunition
120 LAU-129/A Common Rail Launchers, which fit the F-16’s wingtips. They can be used with all AIM-9 missiles including the AIM-9X, and with the AIM-120 AMRAAM;
100 AIM-9L/M-8/9 Raytheon Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. These missiles are effective, and the AIM-9M missiles are still in widespread American use, but they’re a generation behind the current AIM-9X;
150 AIM-7M-F1/H Raytheon Sparrow Missiles. A couple of generations behind current beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. They lack the current AM-120 AMRAAM’s independent radar guidance and other improvements;
Undetermined number of LAU-117 Maverick launchers;
50 AGM-65D/G/H/K Raytheon Maverick Air to Ground Missiles;
230 MK-84 2000 lb. bombs;
800 MK-82 500 lb. bombs;
200 GBU-12 Paveway-II laser guided 500 lb. bombs;
50 GBU-10 Paveway-II laser guided 2,000 lb. bombs;
50 GBU-24 Paveway-III laser guided 2,000 lb. bombs with longer glide range and a “bunker busting” warhead;
20 Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper or NGC AN/AAQ-28 LITENING advanced surveillance and targeting pods. As noted earlier, almost certain to be Sniper;
4 BAE F-9120 Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (AARS) or Goodrich DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods.

Potential contractors include:

BAE Advanced Systems in Greenlawn, NY
Boeing Corporation in Seattle, WA
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St Louis, MO; Long Beach, CA; and San Diego, CA
Raytheon Company in Lexington, MA; and Goleta, CA
Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, TX
Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control in Dallas, TX
Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support in Fort Worth, TX
Northrop-Grumman Electro-Optical Systems in Garland, TX
Northrop-Grumman Electronic Systems in Baltimore, MD
Pratt & Whitney United Technology Company in East Hartford, CT
General Electric Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati, OH
Goodrich ISR Systems in Danbury, CT
L3 Communications in Arlington, TX
ITT Defense Electronics and Services in McLean, VA
Symetrics Industries in Melbourne, FL

Iraqi Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Anwar Amin has admitted that the 1st F-16IQs won’t be operational before 2015 at the earliest, and USAF adviser Col. Steve Burgh adds that recruiting and training Iraqi pilots who can speak English, which has become the international language of aviation, remains a big challenge. Implementation of this particular proposed sale will require multiple trips to Iraq involving U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, program management, and training over a period of 15 years. Agence France Presse | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Stars & Stripes | Wall St. Journal [subscription].

Dec 5/11: Well, those mystery aircraft are still a mystery. But the initial funding for the F-16 sale isn’t. Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, TX receives an $835 million firm-fixed-price, time-and-material and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for 12 F-16C and 6 F-16D Block 52 base aircraft, plus support equipment, technical orders, integrated logistics support, and contractor logistics support.

There are still other expensive parts like Pratt & Whitney engines (tipped by the “Block 52” designation), Northrop Grumman radars, etc., still to be bought, and modifications to be made to bring the planes to F-16IQ Block 52 status – unless those are covered by the “technical orders”. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, TX, and the contract runs to May 30/18. The ASC/WWMK at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH manages this contract, as an agent for the government of Iraq (FA8615-12-C-6012).

Nov 4/11: Two separate Arabic reports by the Al-Baghdadeya satellite channel shed more light on Iraq’s timelines and plans. One quotes Iraq’s parliamentary Commission on Security and Defence, saying that Prime Minister Maliki will be pressing the USA for accelerated F-16 delivery by 2013, and denying any existing deals to lease further aircraft from the USA or elsewhere.

The other report quotes the same committee, which says that Iraq will need at least 6 fighter squadrons in order to exert full control of its airspace. That works out to about 78-96 aircraft, depending on how they choose to define squadrons. Absent foreign help, that will take some time.

Nov 14/11: Iraqi Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee Chair Hassan Sinead had an interesting teaser for us all. Translated from URA Agency’s report [in Arabic]:

“The next week will see the flight of military aircraft to Iraq since 2003, as part of our national armament efforts for the protection of Iraqi airspace.” Sinead did not mention any other details about the quality of the aircraft, saying only: “you will see next week.”

DJ Elliott, who compiles the Iraqi Order of Battle, had these thoughts regarding the possibilities:

Mirage F1s in storage in France.
Obsolete MiGs in Serbia [I hope not]
Iran returning some Fighters [unlikely]
Salvage [unlikely]
Loaned from US
Not a “Fighter” but instead just a Jet [E.G. the Czech L159s? This is my bet.]

DID agrees with his top-odds pick. The deal has been in the works for some time, and L-159s are just the next step up from Iraq’s fielded T-6 trainers, but they can carry a wide array of aerial and ground attack weapons. We see stored Mirage F1s as the 2nd most likely option, since there may be Iraqi pilots who have flown them before, and this is a critical requirement for a true stopgap. Loaned F-16s from the USA are certainly possible, with the proviso that pilot training requirements mean they won’t be effective for a year or so. The one “instant delivery” option we might add is a loan from Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a handful of Mirage 2000-9s from UAE (same issues as F-16), or retiring Tornado F3 Air Defense Variant fighters from Saudi Arabia. The latter could even come with Saudi pilots in one of the fighter’s 2 seats; it wouldn’t be the first time foreign pilots have flown for a Mideast air force.
F-16D Greece
Greek F-16D Block 52s
(via EPA: click to view full)

Sept 28/11: The Pentagon confirms that Iraq has an F-16 contract:

“The Iraqi government has transferred its first payment for 18 F-16C fighter aircraft, bringing Iraq closer to independently securing its airspace, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday…. The fighters are the block 50/52 variant of the aircraft…”

Other reports place that payment’s value at $1.5 billion, and Defense News says that this will extend the F-16’s production line to 2015. US DoD | Defense News | Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Sky Talk | Iran’s PressTV | Voice of America. See also Reuters: “Iraqi Air Defense: A Work in Progress.”

Sept 14/11: The USAF doesn’t quite confirm a deal, but they do give the strongest indication to date that one is close. Maj. Gen. Russell J. Handy, the commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq and director of Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq:

“I do not have any word yet that a letter of offer and acceptance is signed, but as you probably know, we did have a senior member of the Iraqi government visit Washington…. Everyone that I talk to at every level of government in Iraq is convinced that that is the right approach for them. And so we’re very encouraged by those words, and we feel that we’re very close to them signing that letter of offer and acceptance…. They are seeking to buy a larger number of F-16s than they had originally—up to 36…. This first letter of offer and acceptance is for 18 of them … we hope to hear very soon that’s signed, but no final word yet on that.”

July 30/11: Aswat-al-Iraq:

“Iraqi premier Nouri al-Maliki announced today the 36 fighters deal with USA. In a press conference, following the parliamentary meeting of today, he declared that he signed a contract to develop Iraqi Air Force by buying 36 F16 fighters. This announcement denotes that Iraq has doubled the fighters deal from 18 to 36 planes, which shall be financed from the increasing oil revenues.”

Accounts differ slightly, with other reports mentioning only documents that revived negotiations, rather than a signed contract. There is no clarity at press time, though it’s worth noting that Lockheed Martin has not made any announcement. Defense News | Reuters.

July 11-12/11: After the Wall Street Journal reports that negotiations have started up again for F-16 fighters and air defense systems, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh denies it. He reiterates that the F-16 plan is postponed, not canceled, due to budget issues. WSJ | Bloomberg.

Feb 16/11: Iraq is shifting the $900 million down payment on F-16s into food aid support, as global currency devaluation, a long global cycle of under-investment in farming, and some event-related shocks conspire to create significant inflation in global food prices. That has already led to significant unrest in many middle eastern countries. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has said that 6 million Iraqis out of a population of around 31 – 32 million possessed food ration permits, and pledged to increase spending on that program from $3 billion to $4 billion.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh has now stated that the F-16 money has been diverted toward improving food ration subsidies, and finance committee member Mohammed Khalil has confirmed it, adding that Iraq’s projected budget deficit of $13.3 billion ($68.56 billion revenues – $81.86 billion spending) also played a role in the decision.

That deficit’s size suggests that the F-16s won’t be replaced by a cheaper option like Mirage F1s, either, which creates some large long-term questions regarding Iraq’s defenses and foreign military presences. One option might be to station Gulf Co-operation Council country fighters at Iraqi bases, which would surely represent a seismic reversal from the Saddam years. Another option might be to have NATO assume air policing duties, as a fig leaf that could keep a substantial US presence. Middle East Online | Agence France Presse.

Jan 27/11: The French Ambassador to Iraq, Boris Boillon, confirms that France is proposing a deal for 18 Mirage fighters. The planes are not Mirage 2000s, however, but retrofitted Mirage F1s. Iraq operated that type before the US invasion, and had 18 ordered aircraft impounded by France as part of the international sanctions regime. Morocco operates an upgraded variant, the Mirage F1 MF2000, which may provide some guidance regarding potential retrofits. The planes are reportedly being offered for EUR 733 million ($997 million), or about 1/4 the price of 18 new F-16IQs.

Ambassador Boillon cited that price when he presented the French deal as a complementary option, rather than a competing choice. Tactical Report, on the other hand, contends that Iraqi Air Force Lt-Gen. Anwar Ameen prefers the Mirage 2000v9. The UAE is the only operator of that type, and wants France to buy back its fleet in return for a deal covering new Rafale fighters. Expatica France | Tactical Report | UPI.

Jan 26/11: Iraqi Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh tells a press conference that the Council of Ministers has approved the purchase of 18 F-16s, and budgeted an unspecified sum, thought to be a $900 million down payment. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who is also the acting Defense Minister, would negotiate the deal’s final parameters. There has been talk of a $13 billion weapons buy, which would include the existing DSCA request for F-16IQs, but no confirmation as yet. The USA will reportedly deliver the F-16s to Iraq within 2-3 years, but in the meantime, and even for some time thereafter, Iraq will not be able to police its own airspace effectively. Iraq Order of Battle author DJ Elliott believes that 2018 would be the earliest date.

The F-16 is not Iraq’s only option. France is offering Mirage F1s, and DJ Elliott reports that the Iraqis may also be looking at a 3rd option: China & Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder. The JF-17 fills the same lower cost, non-interfering seller requirement as the Mirages, but offers a more modern aircraft than the Mirage F1, from an Islamic vendor. Al-Sumaria News [in Arabic] | Iraq-Business News | Saudi Arab News re: Iraqi readiness | DJ Elliott re: Iraqi readiness.
Mirage F1s
French Mirage F1s
(click to view full)

Dec 14/10: Aswat al-Iraq reports that Iraq’s Council of Ministers authorized the government to negotiate with the USA to buy 6 F-16s, and also authorized the minister also to continue negotiations with the French side to buy 18 Mirage 2000 jets as of 2012. Nearby, the UAE also flies this mix, and both aircraft are popular with countries in the Gulf region.

The composition of this set appears to indicate an interim buy, and there is some question regarding the accuracy of the Mirage designation. Continued negotiations could also involve the 18 Mirage F1s that Iraq ordered under Saddam, but France never delivered. France has sold used Mirage 2000s to other countries as well, vid. Brazil, and it may be in their interest to offer the Iraqis an aircraft that could become the foundation for a longer term force split. The UAE is looking to replace its Mirage 2000v9 fleet, which is very advanced by most standards, but they have asked Dassault to buy back their Mirage fleet in exchange for a Rafale sale. An Iraqi Air Force that’s already flying Mirage 2000s, and looking for a good price, would offer a natural option for some kind of 3-way deal. Time will tell.

Sept 15/10: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Iraq’s formal request to buy 18 “F-16IQ” fighters and assorted weapons, at a cost of up to $4.2 billion. Items requested show a pattern of slight downgrades, alongside advanced base Block 50/52 systems. Its determined avoidance of sophisticated air to ground weapons like GPS-guided JDAMs, or advanced air-to-air missiles, seems designed to assuage regional fears. The exact agreed-upon official request includes:

18 F-16IQ aircraft;
24 F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 Increased Performance Engines;
24 APG-68v9 radar sets, the most modern radar available in Block 50 aircraft;
20 pairs of Conformal Fuel Tanks, which mount along the back/top of the F-16;
20 AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Systems (without Mode IV)
22 Advanced Countermeasures Electronic Systems (ACES), including the ALQ-187 Electronic Warfare System and AN/ALR-93 Radar Warning Receiver;
22 AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing Systems (CMDS);
20 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), (using Standard Positioning Service (SPS) commercial code only)

The wording does not refer to “excess defense articles,” so presumably these will be new-build planes whose equipment suggests a downgraded F-16C/D Block 50 or so base standard. Plus, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, ground based flight simulators, support equipment, tanker support and ferry services, modification kits, Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD), spares and repair parts, repair and return, site survey (usually for basing), construction, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support services.

The order also requests weapons and equipment to arm the fighters. Here, too, a number of requests reveal downgraded or past-generation equipment, alongside other requests which are top of the line:

19 M61 20mm Vulcan multi-barrel cannons, which are mounted internally;
36 LAU-129/A Common Rail Launchers, which fit the F-16’s wingtips. They can be used with all AIM-9 missiles including the AIM-9X, and with the AIM-120 AMRAAM;
200 AIM-9L/M-8/9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. These missiles are effective, and the AIM-9M missiles are still in widespread American use, but they’re a generation behind the current AIM-9X;
150 AIM-7M-F1/H Sparrow Missiles. A couple of generations behind current beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. They lack the current AM-120 AMRAAM’s independent radar guidance and other improvements;
50 AGM-65D/G/H/K Maverick Air to Ground Missiles;
200 GBU-12 Paveway-II laser guided 500 lb. bombs;
50 GBU-10 Paveway-II laser guided 2,000 lb. bombs;
50 GBU-24 Paveway-III laser guided 2,000 lb. bombs with longer glide range and a “bunker busting” warhead;
20 AN/AAQ-33 Sniper or AN/AAQ-28 LITENING advanced surveillance and targeting pods. Almost certain to be Lockheed Martin’s Sniper, given LITENING’s Israeli origins;
4 F-9120 Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (AARS) or DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods (RECCE)

The principal contractors include some firms who will only be selected if their particular technologies are chosen. These are highlighted via brackets, though it’s also possible for those contractors to offer other items not subject to competition within this sale. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is the base F-16 manufacturer, and system integrator:

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, TX
Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support in Fort Worth, TX
BAE Advanced Systems in Greenlawn, NY (F-9120 AARS pod)
Boeing Corporation in Seattle, WA
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems St Louis, MO; Long Beach, CA; and San Diego, CA
Raytheon Company in Lexington, MA and Goleta, CA
Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ
Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control in Dallas, TX (Sniper pod)
Northrop-Grumman Electro-Optical Systems in Garland, TX (LITENING pod)
Northrop-Grumman Electronic Systems in Baltimore, MD
Pratt & Whitney United Technology Company in East Hartford, CT (F100-PW-229 engine)
General Electric Aircraft Engines Cincinnati, OH (F110-GE-129 IPE engine)
Goodrich ISR Systems Danbury, CT (DB-110 pod)
L3 Communications in Arlington, TX
ITT Defense Electronics and Services in McLean, VA
Symetrics Industries in Melbourne, FL

There are no known offset agreements in connection with this proposed sale, but implementation will require multiple trips to Iraq involving U.S. Government and contractor representatives for technical reviews/support, program management, and training over a period of 15 years.

Aug 2/10: The Government of Iraq has signed an agreement with the U.S. for 10 Iraqi Air Force pilots to begin prerequisite F-16 training. “This agreement follows the request submitted by the GoI to purchase 18 new Block 52 F-16 airplanes.”

The pilots are projected to begin training in the U.S. this fall, and upon graduation, these pilots will have completed all prerequisite flight training necessary to move immediately into F-16 training. The 12-17 month program will include all necessary components of T-6A Texan II and T-38 Talon training, including a course called Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals. The intensive flight training will be complemented with specialized English language training for aviation. Pentagon DVIDS.

April 9/10: AHN quotes General Nasier A. Abadi, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces:

“On the building of the Iraqi military forces, the general said the need of today is to build “Airforce” strength as till now most of the budget went to building army which has now “14 divisions.” From now on, “70% of the budget will go to Airforce,” he noted.

Although the Iraqi government will need at least “three sources (quotations),” for Airforce procurements, the general explained that there is a “special deal with the U.S. over the supply of F-16 fighter jets,” with a plan to partner with F-16 squadrons based in Iraq to “train” Iraqi pilots.”

April 6/10: DJ Elliott, who pens the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle, reports a tip that:

“Iraq has finally and formally requested 24 F-16s from the US. At this time they are not at the ‘order’ stage but as I noted in my commentary to you in November 2008 the possibility of an Iraqi LOA by the end of this year – if President Obama agrees – is feasible. Delivery could start as early as next year but likely in 2012/13 time frame.”

That tip came without confirmation or sourcing, but DJ later received a verbal confirmation from Scramble magazine, and adds:

“Boss of the IqAF thought that he would need 96 F16s minimum. 24 indicates the start of the first of at least 4 orders. Looks like the planned target is still 2020.”

The next step for Iraq is formal DSCA publication of their request, once it gets through the US State Department’s bureaucracy and political approvals. Congress would then have 30 days to block the sale. Failing that, a contract/ Letter of Acceptance could be signed.

March 5/10: DJ Elliott, who pens the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle, offers his assessment of both the Iraqi Air Force by 2012, and the most probable USAF force required to secure the country:

“In 2012, the Iraqi Air Force will not have any fighters unless they are provided with used aircraft. Even in that case, they will be 3 years at minimum training personnel to make those aircraft a functional and effective air defense force. Helicopter support forces will be further in development but, still under strength and in training. Fixed-wing transports will still be in delivery. Only the reconnaissance and training wings will be [fully] operational in 2012.”

....US Air Force in Iraq – Will probably base 6 Fighter Squadrons at Tallil, Balad, and Al Asad. Their duties will include training the Iraqi Air force in air combat maneuvering and providing air defense until they are operational. This will probably be needed until 2018-2020, however, delays in delivery and training could extend this requirement.

US Air Force in theater support – Transport aviation would probably be based in Kuwait to provide the majority of the supply needed by air. Additional aviation could be rapidly deployed to reinforce from Europe and the US if needed.”

Nov 22/09: Al-Sabah reports [in Arabic] that Iraqi Prime Minister Talabani’s visit to France:

”....resulted in the signing defense agreements to train the Iraqi army and updated on 18 aircraft (Mirage F-1) and helicopters, and provide 300 scholarships,...”

Thanks to DJ Elliott for assistance with translation. The Mirage F1s were left in France for servicing during the 1990s, and apparently remained there due to arms embargoes imposed after Operation Desert Storm. The report offers no delivery date, but fielding Mirage F1s would offer Iraq a near-term option that would be difficult to fulfill with new-build aircraft.

Oct 20/09: Lockheed Martin CFO Bruce Tanner, discussing Q3 2009 earnings, reveals that Morocco and Iraq will be delaying their planned F-16 purchases “beyond 2011”. Q3 Podcast [MP3] | Q3 Earnings slides [PDF] | Flight International.

Sept 9/09: U.S. Air Forces Central have sent a team to assess how Iraq will maintain sovereignty of their airspace after U.S. Forces withdraw from Iraq on Dec 31/11. From Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq:

“During their visit to Iraq in early September, the Air Sovereignty Assessment Team met with the Iraqi minister of defense, the deputy commander of the Iraqi air force, the Iraqi air force staff, and U.S. advisors attached to Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission- Air Force.

“The goal is to make sure Iraq maintains sovereignty by bridging the gap after we leave,” said Lt. Col. Daniel E. Rauch, deputy advisor from ITAM-Air Force to the Iraqi air staff for planning. “The accelerated schedule of the Security Agreement creates a period of time when Iraq does not possess the foundational capability to ensure air sovereignty or defend against the perceived threat.”

July 28/09: Looks like the timeline is indeed serious. An American Forces Press Service article says the US Air Force is sending an assessment team to Iraq to look at how the Iraqi military can field an air defense once American forces leave in 2011.

“The Iraqis probably will not be able to field advanced air-to-air manned interceptors by the time U.S. forces leave the country at the end of 2011, [Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq] said. The U.S. team will work with Iraqi officials to look for creative solutions to the problem, the general said…. “We’re going to bring this team over here to try and get them some creative solutions that might allow them to have some capacity by 2011,” Odierno said, citing use of retired U.S. F-16 fighters or the purchase of aircraft from other countries as possible steps in the process.”

March 31/09: Reuters quotes IqAF head Lt. Gen. Anwar Ahmed as saying that Iraq wants to buy an initial squadron of F-16s in 2009, to help guard against perceived threats from Iran and Syria.

”[Ahmed] said he hoped to sign a contract for 18 advanced F-16s… “This is very important to us… It is a priority.” Provided funds are made available by Iraq’s Parliament, he said his goal was to acquire up to 96 F-16s through 2020. He cited the F-16C/D Block 50/52 models now being produced for Poland, Israel, Greece and Pakistan….

If the funds are freed and a deal is wrapped up this year, the first two Iraqi-piloted F-16s would be patrolling Iraqi skies by 2012, he said…. Ahmed, 54, said he had met a U.S. Air Force team in Baghdad on March 18 to discuss F-16 purchases and held follow-up talks with Pentagon officials on Tuesday. So far, he said, U.S. officials supported Iraq’s push to acquire the F-16.”

Sept 5/08: The Wall Street Journal reports that Iraq is seeking 36 “advanced model” F-16s.

Appendix A: Technology Options

F-16F Block 60 UAE
UAE F-16F
(click to view full)

So, far, Iraq has picked 18 modified F-16C/D Block 52 fighters as its initial core. That’s a start, but its parliamentary Commission on Security and Defence has indicated that 6 squadrons of fighter jets (about 96-100) is the minimum required for control of Iraqi airspace.

Iraq can choose to meet that need by buying more F-16s, or it can look to a mixed fleet, and try to make training rather than manufacturing the gating item for readiness. Technology options for Iraq’s front-line fighters separated into 2 tiers: F-16 options, and supplementary aircraft.

In September 2008, the Wall Street Journal’s use of the term “advanced F-16s” was generally interpreted to mean the standard F-16 C/D Block 50/52+ models requested or bought by recent customers like Chile, Greece, Morocco, Poland, Pakistan, Romania, Turkey et. al. Even Iraq’s DSCA request could not come to pass without technology export approvals, and clearance for various F-16 types, and for equipment and weapons sold in conjunction with the aircraft, are a political issue in the region. Fortunately for Iraq, the F-16 is already flown by a number of countries in the region, including Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. These aircraft include a number of early F-16A/B models, plus a larger set of upgraded early models and F-16C/Ds. Which is more or less what Iraq ended up ordering in its downgraded F-16IQ Block 52s.

The question is what comes next.

Advanced F-16 variants beyond even the Block 50 models also exist in the region. Israel flies all F-16 models including its own F-16I, which modifies the F-16D Block 52+ and adds a lot of Israeli electronics, equipment, and weapons. The UAE is a another exception, flying the world’s most advanced F-16s: the F-16 E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon with built-in infrared surveillance and targeting, the AN/APG-80 AESA radar, and an engine upgrade, among other improvements.

Both of these options are future non-starters, given the impossibility of an Israeli sale, and the ground reality that some of Iraq’s political parties have close ties to Iran.

Iraq could choose to keep ordering similar F-16s. The formal US DSCA request did match DID’s earlier estimate of $4-6 billion for an initial new-build fighter fleet of 18, plus its associated spares, weapons, etc. Subsequent deals can be expected to be cheaper, and what Iraq actually spends will be set by negotiations, but ramping up to a full fleet of 96 new planes won’t be cheap, or fast.

One way to reduce the additive total for subsequent jet purchases is if Iraq chose to buy some used F-16s, like the AIM-7 Sparrow missile capable American “F-16 A/B ADF” models bought by Jordan and Portugal. Former US Air National Guard flies F-16C/D Block 25 aircraft have been offered to Romania, for example, and a similar possibility still exists for Iraq as a stopgap measure. American F-16 C/D Block 30-42 aircraft may also be available.

The ultimate question is not one of money, however, or even of model, but of time. The 2010 formal DSCA request is just the beginning of the process. Actual signed contracts can take anywhere between 30 days to 4+ years after the official request, and in this case, they took a year. Fighter aircraft delivery times add another 1-3 years. Full training and proficiency adds another 2-3 years.

An Iraqi state that will need serious national fighter options as of 2012, was always certain to be disappointed by even the best timelines. Buying used aircraft for immediate delivery can help, which is why a future buy of used F-16s cannot be entirely ruled out.
Mirage 2000-9
Mirage 2000-9
(click to view full)

Another way around the problem is to induct more than 1 type of fighter, raising numbers quickly through parallel purchases.

The most prominent option may already be flying nearby. The United Arab Emirates currently operates a fleet of just over 60 Mirage 2000-9s, an advanced variant that’s comparable to any F-16C/D now flying. Their Thales RDY-2 radars are upgraded for full ground strike capability, including SAR/GMTI (synthetic aperture radar with ground moving target indicator). That’s complemented by the Shehab laser targeting pod (a variant of Thales’ Damocles), the Nahar navigation pod, and a datalink to improve integration with MBDA’s MICA-ER radar guided missiles. This information feeds into upgraded cockpit color displays, and the optional TopSight helmet mounted display. Defensive systems and internal navigation also feature strong improvements over earlier Mirage 2000 models.

The Emirates are considering a replacement purchase of Dassault Rafale fighters, which would be even more advanced than their F-16 E/F Desert Falcons. As part of that deal, however, they’re pushing for France to buy back their Mirage fleet. France isn’t likely to do do that without a ready buyer, and the new Iraqi Air Force would be the best option by far for all concerned. France would cement its position with a new-old customer, the UAE could assist Iraq with training and transition, and both countries wold also have financial and geo-political interests served by the transaction.

It remains to be seen whether that deal can be done. There is reported interest within Iraq’s air force, but there are also budgetary limitations, given the apparent commitment to F-16s. A Mirage 2000-9 buy would offer Iraq a diversified supplier base, but it would also carry a completely different maintenance and weapons base, driving up the air force’s operating costs and reducing its flexibility. On the plus side, a 3-way deal with the UAE would offer very rapid delivery, and local support.

In the mean time, France is offering Iraq a low-cost supplement: upgraded Mirage F1s. Iraq operated this type for a number of years, but France impounded 24 of the 126 ordered F1EQ planes as part of the sanctions effort against Saddam Hussein. The products of a September 1985 order wouldn’t be very helpful in 2010, but the type’s own state of the art has advanced since then. Dassault and Thales have been working with Morocco on a “Mirage F1 MF2000” upgrade, which would bring the type to near-parity with many of the systems and weapons used on the Mirage 2000.

A similar set of upgraded Mirage F1s would offer Iraq a fast near-term solution. One that’s available by 2012 and familiar to some of its old pilots, while forming a natural bridge to future sales of Mirage 2000 or Rafale aircraft, at only 25-33% of the cost of a new F-16 buy. Iraq has been looking to recover EUR 651 million for that failed delivery, which could factor into negotiations. On the other hand, France forgave 80% of Iraq’s EUR 4.8 billion debts, and could easily argue that any damages have already been redressed as part of that EUR 3.84 billion forgiveness package.
FC-1/ JF-17, armed
FC-1/ JF-17, armed
(click to view full)

There are also rumors of a wild card option: Pakistan and China’s JF-17 Thunder, which entered operational service with Pakistan in 2010. The type uses a Russian RD-93 engine, derived from the RD-33 engines that used to equip Iraqi MiG-29s, but the weapons and avionics are Chinese. Reliability would be lower than F-16s or Mirages, but performance would be similar to mid-range F-16 models or upgraded Mirage F1 MF2000s. The initial cost would be cheap compared to other new aircraft choices, but the planes would require their own maintenance, supply and weapons chains, driving up long term operating costs.

Unless negotiations with Lockheed Martin go seriously sideways, the JF-17s would appear to be dueling with Dassault’s Mirages for the role of “possible F-16 supplement” in the new Iraqi air force. Unlike France, China doesn’t have a deep relationship history with Iraq’s military, or a strong presence in the region. What it does have is state-linked firms that have bought into significant Iraqi oil leases, and growing international credibility as a “no strings” supplier and political backer. Pakistan’s role in the JF-17’s design would even give it a unique positioning as an “Islamic alternative.”

Beyond the operational questions, lies a political issue. An Iraqi buy of Chinese fighters would send shockwaves throughout the Middle East. It would be seen as the dawn of a Chinese role as a serious player in the region, beyond its current relationships with rogue nations like Iran and Sudan. That regional impact has both attractions and downsides for the Iraqi government.

Appendix B: Political Background

F-16 armed, Balad
USAF F-16, Balad AB
(click to view full)

While events can always overtake even the best of plans, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has told reporters that he wants all American forces to be able to leave Iraq by 2011. The insertion of language by hostile Iraqi parties that would have made US soldiers subject to prosecution under Iraqi laws, and a surprising lack of focus by the USA on negotiating an extended Status of Forces agreement, will effectively end the US presence by 2012.

An Iraqi request for F-16s would have fit well with that strategy – if it had been made in early 2006.

No country can remain sovereign if it cannot control its own air space, and having its own fighter aircraft available for missions would give Iraqis far more leeway to make independent decisions about the future direction, training, and use of their military. The problem is that procurement, plus training, plus qualification of that air force for serious combat, takes years. With no formal request published as of early April 2010, and a contract that only begins at the end of 2011, Iraq has no realistic internal options.

That 2011 timetable was always a tall order; in fact, it was probably impossible from the outset. Even as the war in Iraq calmed down, and the insurgency was defeated, the USAF operated about 300 aircraft of all types in Iraq, supplemented by US Navy fighters. That force will not be replaced by 18 F-16s – nor would such a force provide sovereignty insurance against Iraq’s neighbors. Indeed, the new Iraqi Air Force is unlikely to have any operational F-16s before 2013 at the very earliest.

If Iraq wishes to go beyond air-air roles for its F-16s and perform close air support as well, its air force will find that this is a demanding task all its own, requiring pilot practice, followed by combined-arms training with properly equipped ground forces, in order to be effective. The USAF has deliberately slowed Iraq’s progress in this area for various operational and political reasons, and so there is no current base of expertise or equipment for the IqAF to build upon. If the IqAF wishes to be able to replicate the crucial role performed by American and British fighter jets in the Iraqi Army’s March 2008 Battle for Basra, therefore, or to support Iraqi troops in the event of hostile incursions from its neighbors, it will need to allocate even more lead time before it can be effective.

In the end, all of the relevant decisions have been political, rather than military, choices. That includes the question of whether the USAF remained in Iraq after 2011, in order to guarantee defense of the country’s air space.

At present, the odds are that Iraq will fly F-16 C/D class aircraft beginning in late 2013, with full effectiveness coming around 2016-2018. Our general assumption has involved a reduced but still present USAF, which would remain in Iraq beyond 2011. A combination of Iraqi demands and Obama administration fecklessness appears to have ended that.

Which still leaves the question of how to guarantee Iraqi air space.

One option might be to station Gulf Co-operation Council country fighters at Iraqi bases, while flying AWACS patrols using Saudi E-3s. That would surely be a seismic reversal from the Saddam years, and could be presented as a regional peace and healing initiative, but Arab rivalries and Iranian influence make that option more politically complex than it may appear.

Another option might be to have NATO assume air policing duties, as a fig leaf that could keep a substantial US presence. The dual challenge there would be (a) convincing budget squeezed NATO allies to join; and (b) managing the quasi-Ottomanist Turkish AKP government’s double-edged interest in being a significant part of (a).

Additional Readings

F-16.NET – F-16 Versions

Dassault Aviation – Mirage 2000-9

DID – Pakistan & China’s JF-17 Fighter Program

DID – T/A-50 Golden Eagles for Iraq? If inducted, these supersonic trainers and capable lightweight fighters would offer a significant boost to the 2011 IqAF. The competition has become broader of late, and the Iraqis may even be leaning toward used L-159s to save money.

DID – The Penny Drops: Iraq Chooses its COIN Aircraft. The T-6A trainers are the IqAF’s intermediate training fleet, and their armed AT-6B version would give the IqAF its first fixed-wing close support capabilities.

DID – Bird Dogs for the Iraqi Air Force. Cessna 172 and 208Bs – some of which have become RC-208Bs and AC-208Bs.

DID (July 12/11) – The Missing Links: A Realistic Appraisal of the Iraqi Military

DJ Elliott’s Montrose Toast (Dec 26/10) – Iraqi Aviation Update December 2010

DJ Elliott’s Montrose Toast (March 5/10) – US Forces-Iraq after 2012? “The Iraqi Security Forces are not going to be ready for self-defense in 2012. They were never planned to be ready in 2012…”

Reuters (March 31/09) – Iraq starts policing borders with unmanned planes. Type undisclosed. “Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Abdul Karim Khalaf said the drones would police all Iraq’s borders and their first mission took place two weeks ago.”

Defense News (Oct 16/08) – Iraqi Brass Confirm Interest in F-16s, Armed Helos

Tags: f-16iqaf, iraqf-16
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ALERT

US deploys most advanced F-22 fighters in UAE amid Iran, Arab tensions

By Areeb Hasni - May 1st, 2012 (No Comment)
4

Washington: The United States has deployed sophisticated F-22 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates amid deepening tensions between Iran and its UAE over three Islands, news agencies reported.

The F-22s, the most advanced fighter in the US fleet, would be sent to the Al-Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates.

Territorial disputes between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over three islands in the Gulf have flared recently, with Washington voicing support for Abu Dhabi’s stance.

Iran has condemned US deployment of F- 22 in UAE. ============= Exclusive: U.S., Lockheed reach deal on Israeli F-35s Thu, Jul 26 15:57 PM EDT By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has reached an agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp on a $450 million program to enhance electronic warfare equipment on the F-35 fighter jet, and integrate Israeli-unique systems beginning in 2016, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The deal, to be finalized in coming weeks, marks a big step forward for Israel's $2.75 billion agreement to buy 19 F-35 jets, which was signed in October 2010 and includes options for up to 75 of the radar-evading fighters. The Pentagon said the Israeli foreign arms sale could be worth up to $15.2 billion if all options are exercised, when it first approved the sale in September 2008. "This agreement kicks off the Israeli program," said one of the sources, who was not authorized to speak on the record. "Now all of the agreements are in place." The F-35 will allow for even greater collaboration in the coming years with Israel, a critical strategic ally for the United States at a time when much of the Middle East is in turmoil. The deal comes as Defense Secretary Leon Panetta prepares to visit Israel next week where he will discuss heightened tensions with Iran, which on Thursday underscored its support for Syria despite its brutal crackdown on a 16-month uprising. It also provides a vote of confidence in the embattled F-35 program, whose cost and technology challenges have overshadowed a year of progress in flight testing. The deal will allow increased participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program by Israeli companies, including Elbit Systems Ltd and state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, which will start building wings for the radar-evading warplane. IAI already builds wings for the F-16 fighter jet, the world's most widely used fighter, also built by Lockheed. Elbit, in a joint venture with Rockwell Collins, makes the advanced helmet used by pilots on the single-seat F-35. Agreement on development of the new Israeli version of the F-35 will allow Israel to install its own radio and datalink systems, as well as other equipment, on the jets it is buying. But the deal also covers enhancements to the airplane's electronic warfare capabilities that will benefit the United States, Israel and the other nine countries that either have already ordered fighter planes, or plan to in coming years. The radar-evading, multirole F-35 is the Pentagon's costliest arms purchase, expected to top $396 billion for 2,443 aircraft in three models through the mid-2030s. Lockheed and its subcontractors are building the stealthy warplane for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps along with Britain and seven other co-development partners -- Italy, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. In addition to Israel, Japan also has a signed agreement to buy the F-35, which was designed to replace a range of fighter, strike and ground-attack aircraft, including the F-16. The Defense Department this year postponed production of 179 F-35s until after 2017, stretching development and testing in an effort to curb costly retrofits and save money. The latest restructuring, the third such major revamp, added 33 months and $7.9 billion to the development plan. Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier by sales, is developing the F-35 with Northrop Grumman Corp and Britain's BAE Systems PLC. Britain initially invested $2 billion in the F-35's development, the most of any of the eight partner nations. Work on the electronic warfare enhancements will be done largely by BAE Systems, the sources said. (Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Tim Dobbyn) ======= Iraq says signs contract for 18 F-16 fighter jets Thu, Oct 18 12:36 PM EDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has signed a contract to buy its second set of 18 F-16 fighters from the United States, part of a deal to purchase 36 of the jets to rebuild its air force, Iraq's acting defense minister said on Thursday. Baghdad signed an initial deal for the first set of 18 jets in September last year valued at roughly $3 billion and those aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by September 2014. "The (new) contract is no different from the first contract in terms of the technical and financial details. This handover will be finished in 2018," acting Defense Minister Sadoun al-Dulaimi told reporters after a meeting U.S. officials in Baghdad. Duliami said Iraq was also talking with U.S. officials about buying air defense systems and Apache helicopters. Iraq has had no real air force since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Baghdad, which has also signed military contracts with Russia and the Czech Republic this month, says it will not be able to defend its airspace until 2020. (Reporting by Suadad al-Salhy; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Andrew Heavens) ===============