The Castle’s BillT has had quite a role mentoring the nascent Iraqi Air Force in fixed-wing trainers and fling-wing aircraft. The time has just about come for things to get serious (WSJ subscription required):
Iraq has quietly started negotiations to buy U.S. fighter jets and air-defense systems worth billions of dollars, a purchase Washington hopes will help counter Iranian influences and cement long-term ties with Baghdad after American troops pull out.
Baghdad had frozen plans to buy 18 advanced U.S. F-16 fighters earlier this year after the Arab Spring protests in the region turned its attention to internal stability. Now, senior U.S. and Iraqi officials said Iraq is considering raising its purchase to as many as 36 of the jets.The decision by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to renew the F-16 talks follows an unexpected surge in government oil revenue, and comes as a Dec. 31 deadline approaches for the departure of the 46,000 remaining U.S. troops from Iraq…
The original deal between the U.S. and Iraq for 18 F-16s, which was clinched last fall, had a potential price of up to $4.2 billion, including parts, spares, training and related weaponry.
If Iraq decides to buy a total of 36 planes, the equivalent of two squadrons, the deal could cost billions of dollars more than the original amount, depending on negotiations with Lockheed Martin. That doesn’t include air-defense upgrades, which could add further billions to the bill.
That’s going to require significant training, and it’s a pretty good bet that some of that training will be undertaken by contractors in country – especially if the Iraqi government declines to un-ass themselves over a Status of Forces Agreement after December of this year. I’ve got about 400 hours of F-16 time, almost exclusively air-to-air. And over 4000 hours of strike fighter time.
And no. I don’t want that job.
Reminds me of all the USN and USAF stories of Iranian flight students during the 70′s. Some things just cannot be taught or learned.
Like good order and discipline? That’s what a Marine Corps Drill Instructor is for. All else is a walk in the park.
Note re. “Bye-Bye, Baby” on yonder sidebar. Heart rending title! Good authors all, but they’re missing Heater’s stuff. His photos were the best. Ever.
Would your answer change if the training was to take place in SoCal?
Recent articles claim Sandy Eggo is trying to lose its beach blanket bimbos image by recruiting Technology geeks at market rates less than commensurate with the median cost of living. I can’t imagine any contract force could do better, especially with DoD on a budgetary slash and burn.
Move that to Antelope Valley and you’d have yourself a going concern, however. tain’t so tuff there.
Really? Most of the members of the Junior Engineer Protection Society I knew a few years ago in SD moved north to the Valley. Southern Cal seems to have a brain drain among those unfettered by spouse and mortgage.
You have my attention.
Lex, dont want to hear the students say things like “Inshallah, I will not tie the low altitude record. ” ?
C’mon, Skipper! It might be your last chance to get some real air to air again! Of course, it’d be a 50-50 thing as to whether it’d be Iranian or one of your students….
Lex and friends … I’m confused here. Is it a Bad Thing that we contemplate selling F16s to the various powers in the Middle East? I’m aware that we have phased them out of our current supply of active in-use planes, but, conservative as I am, I kind of hate to have the enemy get their hands on our superior air engineering. I’m aware that there are complicated maintenance problems with F16s many of which were designed out of F18s. But I really don’t know enough to enter in a discussion of this. Could someone please give me a simple answer on this?
Marianne
Marianne,
F-16s are hi tech. Worse, they’re aged/aging high tech. Selling Arabs hi tech is like selling $billion cinder blocks. Some can pull it off because they hire, at enormous expense, first world techs/pilots to come keep the electrons flowing. Unfortunately, Iraq has demonstrated repeatedly that the loonies run the asylum. It’s not enough you risk electrocution in the shower but your ‘student’ could suddenly decide to hate you to death and shoot you without warning. I’d have tried it in the Kingdom, certainly the emirates but not anywhere else in the Muslim world.
I’m thinkin’ I’d rather see the Iraqi’s turn our aging high tech airframes into cinder blocks than the Russian’s, French, or (extreme shudder) the Chinese….
George V.
Protestations to the contrary notwithstanding (read…Lex)…
…some here occasionally ruminitate about taking just one more bite of the apple…just one more operation/mission into Indian country…a fortunate few get the opportunity…and are forced to decide… Best
Slightly off topic Lex, but since you flew F-16′s out of NAS Key West…that’s enough of an opening I suppose.
Heading out tomorrow for my biannual to the outpost in Fort Myers – me and the missus have planned an outing sans kids to Key West to do a pub crawl…recommend any particular watering holes? Will be my first visit. Will take any and all suggestions from anyone who cares to chime in.
“And no. I don’t want that job.”
Wise choice, Lex. Damned Iranians tried to kill me several times in UPT flying formation, back in the early 70s.
Speaking of jobs, non-sequitor warning, have you access to the July American Hunter magazine? Good article about Alaska, bush pilots, dead reckoning flying…..
Let me know if you can’t lay hands on it but would like to.
The Hobbit might kill him before the weather does.
They would prolly be better off training the first bunch here and turn them into instructors over there. Lex could handle that part with glee, I’m sure. The employment would be too much temp for the Hobbit, though.