Possible F-16 buy - Iraq

The potential sale of 18 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to Iraq looks “very promising,” according to the senior Air Force general in the country.

“We are hearing very encouraging words and we certainly hope that that will be soon,” Maj. Gen. Russell Handy, commander of the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq and Director of the Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq, said Wednesday during a briefing at the Pentagon.

A letter of offer and acceptance — a commitment that lays out the terms of the sale for the jets — has not been signed yet. Baghdad is seeking as many as 36 F-16s, however, the current letter of offer and acceptance is for 18 jets.

“Everyone that I talk to at every level of government in Iraq is convinced that that’s the right approach for them,” Handy said. “We’ve very encouraged by those words and we feel that we’re very close to them signing that letter of offer and acceptance.”

Ten Iraqi pilots are already going through F-16 flight school in the United States. It takes about two years to train an F-16 fighter pilot, Handy said.

“Some of those pilots may actually finish F-16 training before F-16s arrive in Iraq,” he said. “The Iraqis are looking at ways of mitigating that.”

The “best case” for the first aircraft delivery is probably “late 2013,” Handy said.

The F-16 is a multirole fighter, meaning it can engage targets in the air and on the ground.

In addition to the fighter jets, Iraq is in the process of installing two long-range radars, which are expected to be operational by the end of the year. A sector operations center will tie those radars together and plug into a modern, senior-level air operations center in Baghdad.

“Those are bought, paid for and being installed right now and will be operational some time, likely at the end of this year, at least portions of it,” Handy said, noting full operational capability is expected in 2012.

Source: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/ ... g-091411w/

Now I am wondering which block gen they're looking to buy. Block 52 to be sure. I wonder if they would be allowed to buy Block 60 if they wanted to. I assume the UAE has rights to block sales of those if they feel like it, and I'm not sure if they'd be comfortable with Block 60s so close to home from a nation that could possibly destabilize in the near future.

What do you guys think?

F16IQ (downgraded Block 52):wink:
http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopi ... rt-30.html

Equal to Jordan F-16's?

nop,Jordan at least received AIM-120C7
iraq must content itself just with Sparrow,like egypt

UAE has sole and complete rights to the Block 60...no sales to other nations.

UAE has sole and complete rights to the Block 60...no sales to other nations.

Sole and complete rights to the name and block, or the technology? Would the UAE go ballistic if Iraq got the same avionics, sensors, engine, and CFTs for their F-16s?

Any proposed config involving tech based on the Block 60 would prolly have to have UAE's go/no-go. I'm sure the cockpit arrangement could be done to imitate a B60 (flat panels and such) but be driven by standard LRUs instead. However, given the constraints the Iraqis will prolly have, they'll prolly opt for the standard current config unless LockMart makes 'em a nice deal. But what do I know?

If it happens and if I was a bettin' man, I'd say it'll be a Diet Block 5X: Same great airframe, half the modern explosive bells and whistles.

discofishing wrote: Would the UAE go ballistic if Iraq got the same avionics, sensors, engine, and CFTs for their F-16s?

I believe the F110-GE-132 fell into the same agreement as the Block 60.

UAE is the only country to have them.

Iraq would be better using a PW F100 with the condition of their airfields. The F100 is much more forgiving/repairable when it comes to FOD.

Some GE units were changing 20+ engines during their rotations to the AEF. PW units were only changing a few.

TEG

yakuza wrote:nop,Jordan at least received AIM-120C7
iraq must content itself just with Sparrow,like egypt

FWIW, USN is appropriating funds to 'upgrade' Super Hornets to better employ sparrow tactics. Perhaps as a follow-on upgrade, it should be expected for any hypothetical Iraki F-16s to integrate other MRAAM systems accordingly. Respects-

We still have 50,000 troops in Iraq right now, right? I think the best thing to do is pull ALL of them out accept the SOCOM guys and lets see if Iraq can stand on its own two feet for a few years. We can still fly missions over Iraq without having to have large amounts of troops there.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has signed a contract to buy 18 Lockheed Martin F-16 warplanes to bolster its air force, an adviser to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday.

The value of the deal was not immediately known, but a senior U.S. military official said recently the offer on the table for the Iraqi government was valued at "roughly $3 billion."

Iraqi and U.S. military officials have said strengthening its air force is one of Baghdad's top priorities as U.S. troops prepare to leave by December 31, more than eight years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.

"The contract was signed ... and a part of the contract cost was sent to the bank account of the company," said Maliki's media adviser, Ali al-Moussawi.

Lockheed said in a statement it was "pleased by the announcement that the governments of Iraq and the United States" have agreed on the sale. The company added it welcomes Iraq "as the 26th nation to operate the F-16."

The Pentagon said it was aware of news reports that Iraq had signed the agreement but did not immediately confirm and referred questions to Baghdad.

Iraq has long sought a combat jet for its rebuilt air force. The government delayed a planned purchase of F-16s in February to divert a $900 million down payment to its national food ration program to help quell street protests.

Maliki said on July 30 Iraq would buy 36 F-16s, double the number it had originally planned, to shore up its weak air defenses. The OPEC producer has found itself flush with cash this year, reaping windfall profits as world oil prices have remained above budget projections.

The two sides have been negotiating for the F-16 Block 52 export model with sophisticated avionics and weapons in a deal that included maintenance and training, a U.S. military official said.

Iraq is relying on the U.S. military for air support as it rebuilds its forces and battles a stubborn Islamist insurgency. Washington and Baghdad are discussing whether to keep some U.S. troops or military trainers in Iraq beyond the year-end deadline for U.S. departure.

Iraq's two airborne defense units, the Air Force and Army Aviation Command, have only 158 aircraft, including 89 helicopters and 69 airplanes, and about 7,500 personnel, according to U.S. figures.

At present, it has three Cessna Caravan propeller planes equipped with Hellfire missiles but no combat jets, a U.S. military official said.

The number (18 aircraft) mathces the previous Sept 2010 DSCA announcment.

http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/ ... _10-23.pdf

{edited for readability} WASHINGTON, September 15, 2010 -- The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on September 13 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq of 18 F-16IQ Aircraft as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $4.2 billion.

The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale of:
( 18 ) F-16IQ aircraft,
(24) F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 Increased Performance Engines,
(36) LAU-129/A Common Rail Launchers,
(24) APG-68(V)9 radar sets,
(19) M61 20mm Vulcan Cannons,
(200) AIM-9L/M-8/9 SIDEWINDER Missiles,
(150) AIM-7M-F1/H SPARROW Missiles,
(50) AGM-65D/G/H/K MAVERICK Air to Ground Missiles,
(200) GBU-12 PAVEWAY II Laser Guided Bomb Units (500 pound),
(50) GBU-10 PAVEWAY II Laser Guided Bomb Units (2000 pound),
(50) GBU-24 PAVEWAY III Laser Guided Bomb Units (2000 pound),
(22) Advanced Countermeasures Electronic Systems (ACES) (ACES includes the ALQ-187 Electronic Warfare System and AN/ALR-93 Radar Warning Receiver),
(20) AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Systems (without Mode IV),
(20) Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), (Standard Positioning Service (SPS) commercial code only),
(20) AN/AAQ-33 SNIPER or AN/AAQ-28 LITENING Targeting Pods,
(4) F-9120 Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (AARS) or DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods (RECCE),
(22) AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing Systems (CMDS);
(20) Conformal Fuel Tanks (pairs).

Also included: site survey, support equipment, tanker support, ferry services, Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD), repair and return, modification kits, spares and repair parts, construction, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services, ground based flight simulator, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $4.2 billion.

So how many F-16's actually make it to Iraq (think Pakistan) when the US is now supposedly pulling all combat troops form Iraq? I was hoping for a strategic allied airbase like in the UK or Germany, but apparently the mighty Iraqis are much stronger forces than WWII Japan and Germany were.

Iraq Requests Possible F-16 Follow-on Deal
See http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... al-365934/
From the article,"Iraq could buy a second batch of 18 Lockheed Martin F-16IQs and a package of engines,sensors and weapons worth an estimated $2.3 billion..." (more at the link).
Good for Lockheed Martin that should keep the F-16 production line going for a while. My understanding the F-16IQs will have helmet mounted sights but AiM-7 Sparrows instead of AMRAAM's and no AiM-9X Sidewinders to go with the helmet mounted sights. The Iraq's will have to make do with earlier model Sidewinders (as noted by Spudman and Yakuza).

The F110-GE-132 was launched in 2000 with its selection for eighty Block 60 F-16 aircraft by the United Arab Emirates. You are not the only one, I actually like it with the spine and CFTs.