I have a gut feeling those pilots are already being trained in the USA......................
Even so, they will never be really proficient in them. No Middle East Air Force with the exception of the Israelis has ever been very good. That’s not even considering the capabilities of the aircraft itself. The F-16 is pretty limited when it comes to air to air combat.
“I have a gut feeling those pilots are already being trained in the USA...................... “
That’s an evil thought.
One, I suppose, our Mahdi-in-Chief has put into play.
From the article: To date, 11 Iraqi pilots have trained to fly F-16s at Tucson, according to the Air Force. Capt. Mohammed Hama Ameen became the first Iraqi pilot to graduate Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training for the Iraqi Air Force F-16 program in March 2012. ...
Trained to fly and land, or just fly?
I went to college with a guy who ended-up as an instructor-pilot trying to teach Iranians to fly, back when the Shah still ran things.
Said he had to learn to speak Farsi to even have a faint chance of getting anywhere.
I doubt the Iraqis will do any better.