Posted on 05/23/2011 8:23:43 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Iraq says ready to buy Czech-made combat jets
Iraq is ready to buy light attack aircraft, offered for sale by the Czech republic earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said after talks with his Czech counterpart in Baghdad.
The visit to Baghdad by Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas, which began on Monday, focused on bilateral economic and political cooperation.
In mid-April, the Czech Republic announced its plans to offer Iraq 24 L-159 combat aircraft and help in modernizing the Iraqi helicopter fleet.
The single-seat L-159 ALCA is a light multi-role combat aircraft designed for a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground and reconnaissance missions.
The jet was developed in the late 1990s by Aero Vodochody on the basis of the proven airframe design and aerodynamic configuration of the L39 Albatros and L59 family of combat trainers.
The aircraft is equipped with an advanced multi-mode radar for all-weather, day-and-night missions and can carry a wide range of NATO-standard payloads including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and laser guided bombs.
I was just wondering: do the Iranians and the Araba ever make anything of their own. You know, such as cars, handkerchiefs, anything.
I remember someone once saying that the Middle East produces two things: oil and dead bodies. Seems like a fair summary.
Interesting,,, i’ve always thought that too many small Air Forces, (Venezuela, most African nations, etc for example) try to buy machines for the hopeless mission of taking on the USAF, the French, British, or the Russians.
I always wonder if these Air Forces would be far better served by a machine like this. Good load, simple, cheap, and needing much smaller facilities. Prob a good machine for Iraq. Too bad we don’t build one to sell em.
Although,,, a P-80 Shooting Star blows it away. 100 mph faster. We should update the engine and avionics and offer those for sale.
[Although,,, a P-80 Shooting Star blows it away. 100 mph faster. We should update the engine and avionics and offer those for sale.]
That’s what I was thinking. No wing sweep, so a subsonic design. They’d be better off with Brazil’s turboprop.
Well, some very nice horses also came out of the Middle East. The horses are quite welcome. They’re smarter than the humans there by a great stretch.
[Consider the Lockheed F-104; not a sweep wing design but very supersonic.]
F104 was trapezoidal wing so still had leading edge sweep combined with extremely thin wings.
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