Posted on 06/29/2014 6:03:20 AM PDT by klpt
BAGHDAD // Iraq said it received the first batch of Sukhoi warplanes from Russia as it pressed a counter-attack Sunday against Sunni militants whose offensive threatens to tear the country apart.
The arrival of the fighter jets comes with Iraqi forces, backed by aerial cover, pushing to retake the militant-held city of Tikrit and world leaders urging a speeding up of government formation following elections in April.
The Su-25 ground attack jets are expected to be pressed into service as soon as possible, bolstering Iraqs air power as it combats a sweeping offensive by militants, led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), that has killed more than 1,000 people and sparked a humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands displaced.
But it remains unclear who will fly them executed dictator Saddam Husseins air force had Su-25s, but even if they were both trusted and willing, those pilots are unlikely to have had time in the aircraft in more than a decade.
(Excerpt) Read more at thenational.ae ...
Gog Magog...
The rooskies version of our A-10. I wouldn't want this flying over my position.
bump
They look like the Frogfoot
Iran just returned 130 Iraqi aircraft that fled during DESERT STORM (that would be Mig21, Mig29, Mig23?, maybe some F1 Mirages and..SU24Fencers?) supposedly in refurbished condition with weapons (if one can believe Iranian press)
If so this must infer that Iraq Air Force pilots have had access, maybe permitted to continue training and flying in neighboring countries unless they are bringing in Soviet and Syrian pilots?
I haven’t seen any reporting about the Iraqi Air Force for a long time
Another chess peace in place for WWIII???
This is not being reported in the US press, but the Russians have cut a deal with Maliki and THEY are sending SU-24 attack aircraft into Iraq to fight ISIS. The first ten arrived this weekend. Putin is making a fool of Obama...again. They are also sending in Mi-28 and M-35 attack helicopters.
If this holds, and they are successful in blunting ISIS, Russia will come away from this with the long term influence in Iraq that our personnel bled, were wounded, and died for.
It seems that “The Great ObamaNation” has driven Iraq right into “the arms” of Russia.
The U.S. Had better reexamine the thought of delivering F-16’s to Iraq until there is a semblance of political stability.
Iraq is expecting the delivery of 30 F-16’s.I don’t think it would be wise to deliver them right now.
The Obama Regime and its GOP Establishment partners tells Iraq to go jump in a lake and then gives money and weapons to the fanatical Christian killers.
An how many Russian speaking “contractors” will be onsite to keep the planes flying and designate targets?
Obama is giving Iraq a bucket of used golf balls.
How many Sukhoi 25's are still available, 20-30 thousand? Lightly used, scarcely any bullet holes. '0'down, E-Z finance. Why walk when you can fly ... and shoot stuff?
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