Do the Iraqis have an Air Force?
in training with T-6’s or something
“Do the Iraqis have an Air Force?”
Under construction. Most of Saddam’s jets were either blown up, flown to Iran at the peak of the 1991 war when the pilots realized that they had no chance, or buried in the desert and now made useless. A military blogger DJ Elliot who posts here from time to time has been keeping track of things. Right now, the IqAF is still in its infancy since most focus is on the army, so all they have at the moment are three C-130s and some small light aircraft (Cessnas, King Air 350s, ect.). They did successfully fire a Hellfire missile from a modified King Air 350 recently, and they are supposed to receive T-6s next year, and F-16s the year to follow.
Can’t happen soon enough, Obama isn’t going to do anything.
Trainers, recon, transports [helo and fixed-wing] are it for now. Fewer than 100 operational aircraft. None of them jets.
OOB listed here.
They expect to have 18-24 fighters by 2012. Rebuilt Mirage F1s that were embargoed in France and being made operational.
Iraq has a small Air Force, but mainly logistical support (helicopters and transport planes). Don’t think they have attack jets or bombers.
The best planes for them would be A10 Warthogs, the old
F-5s, and a couple good A1e Skyraiders with napalm, MGs, and rockets.
Let’s see. The US is supposedly phasing out the A-10 production. Could open it up to the Iraqs. Pay for it with oil money.
nothing scarier than a Warthog coming down on your ass, guns ablazing.
PS. Heard the US is stopping the buying and/or production of the AV Harrier. A big mistake. Could use them by the ton in Afghanistan where there are no real airfields in combat areas. Could land on a road, in the desert or on the roof of a house.
Then again, Mullen is behind a lot of this. So is Obama advisor Jones, another loser. And so is Rosa Brooks, the daughter of an avowed marxist wacko.
We are being subverted from within, without vasoline.