Democrats will be known for Iraq surrender; Time now for homeland defense
Iraq Air Force Expects To Increase Fleet
BAGHDAD — The Iraq Air Force was expected to significantly expand
its fleet over the next few months.
Officials said the air force could nearly double its fleet by 2009. They
said Iraq has ordered helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft that could enable
the air force to operate a fleet of more than 120 aircraft by the end of
2008.
"The air force has ordered a range of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft
scheduled to arrive over the next few months," an official said. "This will
make the air force into a genuine military arm."
Officials said the air force has about 75 U.S.- and Russian-origin
aircraft. They said the force has expanded its intelligence and
reconnaissance capabilities to facilitate both military and security
operations, including the protection of borders and oil fields.
Also In This Edition
By 2009, the air force was expected to expand to 123 aircraft. Officials
cited deals for Bell and Mi helicopters from the United States and Russia.
Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qadar Mohammed Jassim said Baghdad was
examining the formation of an air combat fleet. Jassim said his ministry was
focusing on procuring the U.S.-origin F-16 multi-role fighter as the first
attack
aircraft in post-Saddam Iraq. Until the U.S. invasion of 2003, Iraq had
operated Soviet-origin fighter-jets.
"The F-16s being ordered by the Iraqi government are for advancing the
future capability of the Iraq military and to protect all of Iraq's land,
including the cherished Kurdistan region," Jassim said on Sept. 10.
The U.S. Defense Department said Baghdad has requested data on the price
and availability of the F-16. The Pentagon said Iraq was seeking to procure
up to 36 F-16s from Lockheed Martin.
Jassim said the F-16s would not be used for operations in Iraq. The
defense minister said the expansion of the air force and the rest of the
military would enable Iraq to ensure internal security without foreign help
by 2011.