A high-profile 23 F-16 flyover may only have served to paper over the cracks in what is an increasingly precarious Iraqi Viper fleet.
A total of 23 Iraqi Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16IQ Viper fighter jets took part in an impressive flyby to mark the centenary of the country’s army yesterday. This is despite recent reports that Baghdad’s fleet of F-16s, the pride of the country’s air force and arguably its most capable combat assets, is suffering from serious readiness problems.
The flyby was part of a major military parade to commemorate 100 years of the Iraqi Army that was staged in Baghdad in the presence of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi. As well as fighters and helicopters, troops, and various military vehicles were presented to the country’s officials and the general public. A full video of the event is posted later in this article.
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WNU Editor: You need American trained personnel or contractors to maintain this fleet. But considering on how dangerous Iraq is right now. Who would want to work there.
4 comments:
Iran is a de facto colony of Iran. It makes no sense for them to have control of or access to ANY US weapons or weapons systems.
I do not believe you need Americans to keep these planes up to speed. You need s acritical mass of techs, engineers and Logisticians with sufficient funding and the docs in Arabic.
These Iraqis are not stupid, nor are they cowards. Iraqi soldiers are very brave, if led right and supported. They have nerve of steel. More so than Americans on the ASR's or MSR's of Iraq.
The reason Iraqi soldiers fled Mosul is because of the ghost payrolling and piss poor leadership of political Iraqi generals, who fled Mosul and thus routed their own troops.
Like the troops I think the Iraqi techs and engineers are capable. There might not be enough of them. Or the good or good enough ones might be expats.
What B Poster said is also true. It has been true ever since Obama turned over Iraq to the Iranian Regime in 2011 with his feckless pullout and his dishonest negotiating.
What you need is parts. No parts no planes
Dave,
Exactly right
"Logisticians with sufficient funding "
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