BAGHDAD — The United States plans to provide Iraq with hundreds of
combat vehicles and helicopters over the next few months.
Officials said the Defense Ministry would receive a range of U.S.
platforms in 2007 as part of an Iraqi decision
to shift its military from Soviet to U.S. orientation.
"There are specific ideas and specific tasks," Iraqi Defense Ministry
spokesman Mohammed Al Askari said.
Al Askari told a news conference on Dec. 25 that the Iraq Army would
receive 16 enhanced Huey II helicopters, 400 armored personnel carriers and
1,800 Humvee combat vehicles. He said the platforms would begin to arrive in
March 2007, Middle East Newsline reported.
"This is a good package," Al Askari said. "They pledged to send these
weapons during the third month of next year at the latest. I think that
these are good weapons and this constitutes good and direct support by the
U.S. Defense Department for the Iraqi Defense Ministry."
Officials said the Defense Ministry has decided to move from
Soviet-origin platforms and systems despite their familiarity to many Iraqi
commanders. They said many of the Soviet-origin weapons delivered over the
last two years were deficient and sidelined by the absence of spare parts.
In contrast, Washington has pledged to help support weapons provided by
the U.S. military. They said the U.S. military would also leave a large
amount of equipment as American troops withdraw from Iraq, expected in 2008.
Officials said the addition of U.S. helicopters was designed to reduce
dependency on the U.S.-led coalition for counter-insurgency operations.
Iraq's post-Saddam military has lacked indigenous combat air support.
