The Iraqi Air Force is set to receive their first tranche of the latest block F-16 Fighting Falcon:
Iraq has finalized a deal to buy advanced U.S. fighter jets, the first step toward building a modern postwar air force, officials said.
Iraq has yet to publicly announce completion of the deal to buy 18 F-16s, but officials in Washington said an initial payment of $1.5 billion has been received.
The deal is considered sensitive in Iraq, and the Pentagon and State Department have declined to comment until Baghdad makes a formal announcement. Iraq had plans to buy the planes earlier this year, but froze them for a time following the Arab Spring protests across the region.
The decision by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to go forward with the purchase followed an unexpected surge in government oil revenue, officials said.
Marine Major Sly Mcgill shot down a MiG-29 Fulcrum while on an USAF F-15 exchange tour during Desert Storm. In discussing the shootdown with my TOPGUN class, he said that the Fulcrum was a pretty good jet, but that a pig wearing a Rolex is still just a pig.
So, Lockheed Martin has a new client, and the USAF F-16 instructor cohort has new students.
It will be interesting to see what can be made of them.
In 2-3 years, we will be fighting them.
Lex, we will again reinforce the lesson of most (but not all, one certain exception comes to mind) Middle Eastern air forces: The guys who are good will be very, very good; the guys who are bad will totally suck; but unless you alter the base culture of the organization and its supporting government, it will be near impossible to weed out those who suck due to family connections, power and influence. The ones that suck will become AAM and guns magnets and will again prove Darwin’s basic premise. Here’s hoping the Iraqui’s have learned the hard lesson and have resolved to alter the paradigm.
Give the Iraqi’s refurbished block I/II’s and use the money to buy up to date Vipers for our own Air Force. Win-Win.
You are assuming that the US is paying for them – we’re not. This is on the GoI’s dime.
That is why the delay. They were going to make the first down-payment in January but, diverted the money to welfare. Arab Spring had them a bit worried….
…Throw in the usual inshallah maintenance, and you’ll get, what – half of ‘em flyable and maybe 4 or 5 actually combat usable.
Mike
Co-workers who went to Egypt and Saudi Arabia will back that point up. Inshallah. Wow.
Better not be too advanced. The ChiComs will get a look at them sooner rather than later. Sell them some updated Block 15 birds and buy some Block 60s to replace our worn-out birds. I like that idea.
Better not be too advanced. The ChiComs will get a look at them sooner rather than later.
…and you’re thinking they haven’t already because…?
w/r, SJS
If we still have US assets flying nearby, I hope they give the Iraqis their own pattern at the base, just like they gave to the Royal Thai Air Force at Ubon RTAFB back in the day. I went to pilot training with some of them – check six, nine, twelve and three, look up too, they might be just flat-ass falling out of the sky!