Op-Ed: The significance of Iraq's acquiring of Mirage jets

The United Arab Emirates has a significant vested interest in the security of the Iraqi state against the notorious Islamic State (IS, ISIS) terror group which has wrecked havoc across the north of that country. Accordingly it has offered the Iraqi government some of its air force's (under ten apparently) French-made Dassault Mirage 2000 jets. Iraq's Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi is expected to be in the UAE in March whereby he will discuss the delivery of these jets and accompanying armaments.

This is quite significant. For one thing Iraq's Air Force has been waiting for some time to refurbish its air force with at least a token number of modern jet fighters after the decline of the Saddam-era air force. The United States has agreed to sell them F-16 Fighting Falcons, but earlier models which have yet to be delivered due to the fact that Iraqi pilots presently being trained in the United States will require a few more years training. In addition to this the U.S. has other concerns in regard to the security and terror threat ISIS has posed to Iraq in recent months.

The delivery of these Mirages which is expected come Spring would be substantial. And what's interesting is the fact they are Mirages. During the Saddam-era Iraq acquired Dassault Mirage F-1 jets sold to them by France which they used throughout the lengthly war with Iran which raged throughout the 1980's, the Al-Anfal campaign against the Iraqi Kurds later in that period and against the Americans during the 1991 Persian Gulf War (many also fled to neighbouring Iran where they are still in service with Iran's Air Force and are based primarily in the east of that country). What was left of Iraq's Air Force was completely eradicated or decommissioned after the 2003 Anglo-American invasion of the country.

The post-Saddam Iraqi Air Force has to date yet to acquire modern jet fighters. Until now.

In relation to the UAE's interests in Iraq's security, and in turn the safety of its oil and gas interests in that country, it is particularly interested in the Iraqi Air Force having the ability to effectively combat threats to security of areas between Baghdad and Erbil, and those cities themselves. This is fascinating in a sense when you consider that the last time Mirage jets in the service of the Iraqi Air Force that air force was being used to bomb and gas the Kurds in a campaign that killed tens-of-thousands of them.

It's a nice to see such sophisticated and potentially deadly military hardware isn't being used for that purpose anymore and will instead be taking to the skies to defend those areas of Iraq and their populations. If anything one guesses that is progress of a kind.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/politics/op-ed-the-significance-of-iraq-acquiring-mirage-jets/article/423838#ixzz3PI16crl5

If you wrecked havoc does that me to bring order to a region, or wreahed havoc as is to avenge and destroy... Reporters.

2 posted on 01/19/2015 9:36:48 AM PST by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world.)

They are pretty handsome and handy aircraft. Bleed off speed in a hurry though.
Oldplayer

Most operators of the Mirage 2000 series aren't currenty that happy. Taiwan, especially. That might be part of the reason the UAE is willing to part with these.

I wonder if we could give Iraq the A-10 as we park them. It isn't a deep strike platform so it shouldn't ruffle any feathers. It is really slow so it takes a long time to crash. It is robust and survivable. Packs a good punch for CAS.

wrecked

Wreaked.

Public school journalism.

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