Posted on 09/14/2009 10:58:57 PM PDT by DJ Elliott
Iraq has a major problem. Iraq’s air defense is the US Forces in Iraq and those forces are gone at the end of 2011. That region is too dangerous to go without air cover.
The earliest that new fighters could start delivering is 2014. Then there is two to three years of training. Iraq cannot afford more than one squadron of fighters per year. It takes a minimum of five squadrons provide Iraq with a basic credible air defense. That means the earliest Iraq could have a basic air defense using new aircraft is after 2020.
There are all sorts of speculation and suggestions as to how to provide an air defense to fill that eight year gap. The most common comes from those that advocate surface-to-air missiles as a means to provide air defense. But that does not cover the gap. Iraq has to pay up front and it takes an air defense brigade to cover the area that a fighter squadron can cover.
(Excerpt) Read more at home.comcast.net ...
Those aircraft are being removed from the USAF either way. The question is do they go to the junkyard or do we prime the pump in Iraq for them to buy US aircraft...
We have an idiot running the country but saying it makes me a ‘racist’ because he’s black. The people who call people like me a racist are the same people who tried to destroy Clarence Thomas. Go figure.
And, HELL NO, it’s not going to stop me from calling Obama an idiot because he is. Community organizing doesn’t prepare anyone for anything especially President of the United States!
And what does this have to do with the article?
Or are you just SPAMing all articles?
Who is Iraq supposed to be defending against?
I don't spam anything on this website. So, don't accuse me of something that I am not doing!
It has plenty to do with the article so get off your high horse and stop lecturing!
Iran. They have had a hate-hate relationship since the 80’s
(and even Shah times).
Iran has a third world airforce. They could defend against them with .50 cal machine guns.
Wrong.
Iran is capable against any country except the US/NATO, Russia, or China. And Iraq has no air defense ATT.
Ma duece has not been a practical air defence since the 50s.
If we left Iraq today, Iran would own Iraq’s airspace.
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27922&Itemid=128
“First Lt. Waad Shuhatha recently became the first post-war Iraqi service member to earn a certification in air traffic control from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), continuing the transition of military training and assets to the Iraqi armed services.”
This article is about Iraqi Air Defense.
Not internal US politics.
Take your SPAM elsewhere...
Er.... Iran maybe?
They will probably buy their planes from China like everything else they buy, the ungrateful people.
IMoD has a strong adversion to “Russian Junk”.
[Their words. After losing two wars using it, can you blame them?]
And Chinese aircraft are knockoffs of Russian designs.
With undependable engines.
Iraq is looking at France and the US for jets.
Although they were considering the South Korean T/A-50 for awhile to fill the training and light attack role. That deal appears to have fallen through.
Most of Iraqs major purchases have been from the US.
The combined purchases to date from France, Russia, Serbia, South Africa and China do not match half of the US purchases.
So far, the only weapons purchases by Iraq from China have been light weapons (AKs) for the Iraqi Police.
re: Iraq cannot afford more than one squadron of fighters per year.
Oh really? With all that oil and the US picking up the tab for the last several years of a war to free them and keep them free? BS. They can afford anything they figure out they need and can’t talk us into providing for them at our expense.
Gimme a break. It’s time to start leaning on Iraq to give something back for all they’ve been given to get them to where they are today!
Iran is still flying f-4 phantoms.
As do other "third world airforces" such as Germany, Greece, Japan, Turkey.
The Luftwaffe still flys F4s too.
The F4 is still a good bird.
Iran also still fly F14s wich we did not retire until last year.
They also still fly F5s, so does Topgun.
They also have Mig-29s, etc.
You are arguing that Iraq (a 3rd world country) does not need an air defense because Iran is a 3rd world air force.
Only 30 countries in the world are not 3rd or 4th world.
I did the math.
The US is not giving them a free ride. US money for development of the ISF dropped to less than 20 percent of the total in 2007. It is even less now.
All actual weapons for the ISF since 2005 have been on the Iraqi dime. The used HMMWVs being provided are just trucks, the guns and radios are removed and the ISF has to buy the weapons to re-arm them.
At last year’s peak oil prices they could afford two fighter squadrons per year. That was more than cut in half. One squadron of new F16s is 1.5 percent of the entire Iraqi government’s annual budget.
You are forgetting that Iraq has to replace lost armor, artillery, radars, ships, helos, etc. Also they have to pay their personnel.
When the oil prices dropped in 2008, the ISF had to freeze hiring and close the bootcamps for the IA. They could not afford more personnel. They also reduced the planned F16 buy; the M1A1, M1126, M1117, Bell 407 and EC635 buys were streached; and field artillery was postponed.
Iraq has large reserves of oil, but most is not in production. The sanction and war years since 1979 left the fields largely undeveloped. Developing those fields costs money. It does not matter how much oil you have, it matters how much you can actually export. It does not transport itself from the ground...
Excellent points and I thank for providing the information. It was one of those things that you ‘feel in your bones’ but really don’t know to be correct.
I have to wonder though why we aren’t able to help them get those oil reserves into production, goodness knows we have the ability and they have the oil!
Thanks again.
Iraq is working on developing those oil fields.
Even is allowing co-ownership to foriegn oil companies to provide incentive to develop.
Iraq’s MoO stated goal is to tripple oil exports over the next decade.
As part of that, the Oil Police force is expanding...
The US oil experience is not in the USG, it is in the oil companies. The USG is not funding Iraqi oil development or providing any incentives for them to work with GoI, however, we are training the Iraqi Oil Police.
PS There is a reason the USG is not and has not facilitated development of Iraq’s reserves.
One of AQ’s principle claims is that the US is in the ME to steal the oil. Any direct action by the USG to facilitate the development of Iraq’s oil fields, would also provide propaganda ammo to AQ.
That means all US support to Iraq’s oil industry is indirect...
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