U.S. weighing F-16 options for Iraq

Reuters ^ | Sep 2, 2009 | Jim Wolf

[sukhoi-30mki]

U.S. weighing F-16 options for Iraq

Wed Sep 2, 2009 7:23pm EDT

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force is crafting several options designed to meet an Iraqi request for Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighter aircraft, a senior Air Force official said on Wednesday.

Whether new or refurbished, the F-16 is a potential key to fostering U.S. and Iraqi ability to operate together in the future, said Bruce Lemkin, the Air Force's point person for international affairs.

"It is extraordinarily important," he told Reuters by telephone. "It's not just the airplane. It's the partnership that comes with it."

France, Russia, China and others have been jockeying to help fill Iraq's multibillion-dollar arms wish list, which features multi-role fighters to defend its air space after U.S. forces are due to leave by the end of 2011.

"Flying the same airplane that we do becomes not only the centerpiece of the relationship," but aligns maintenance, logistics and operational concepts among other things, Lemkin said.

He said the sale of new F-16s was one of the possibilities being weighed in an "air sovereignty assessment" being carried out in Baghdad by the U.S. Air Force with Iraqi counterparts.

Another possibility is declaring certain retired U.S. Air Force F-16s as "excess" inventory, a step toward providing them to Iraq at little or no initial cost, he said.

Iraq, however, would have to pay for refurbishing the aircraft, pilot training, spare parts, building facilities and possibly putting in new engines, Lemkin said.

The U.S. Air Force assessment of Iraq's needs is being carried out by Lieutenant General Mike Hostage, head of the U.S. Central Command's Air Force component.

[SIDENET]

The U.S. Air Force assessment of Iraq's needs is being carried out by Lieutenant General Mike Hostage

My old Wing Commander.

[Engineer_Soldier]

The Iraqi people, its so-called “insurgents” (which aren't insurgents because they're home-grown), and its government are playing the American taxpayers like a fiddle. It's so sad to witness firsthand and even sadder that a certain segment of our society still drinks the kool-aid. We need to finish the withdraw and let them kill each other off.

[element92]

that is exactly right.

get out, ASAP.