U.S. advisers have been working with the Iraq Air Force to operate the
T-6 jet trainer, manufactured by Hawker Beechcraft. So far, the Air Force
has received 11 T-6 Texan-2 aircraft as part of an effort to prepare Iraq
for the arrival F-16 multi-role fighters in 2013, Middle East Newsline reported.
"Our job is to help the Iraqis start the foundation of their pilot
training program," Lt. Col. Jeffrey Myer, a U.S. adviser, said. "Basically,
we're advising and training them to start building their pilot training
program back up as they rebuild their Air Force."
Also In This Edition
The T-6 program has been conducted at the Tikrit air base by the U.S.
Air Force's 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron. Officers said the
goal of the program was to develop an Iraqi instructor cadre by 2012.
"Our concept at that venue is to build their instructor pilot corps
first, before they incorporate that platform into their overall pilot
training pipeline," U.S. Brig. Gen. Scott Hanson, director of the project,
said.
Officers said T-6 training began around April 2010 with the arrival of
the first aircraft to Iraq. They cited language and cultural barriers as
well as training in a combat zone.
"Within the next year we'll step back further and further to the point
they will be running the briefings, making the schedules and training the
new student pilots as [they] come in," U.S. Capt. Ryan Smith, a student
flight commander, said.
ShareThis
