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Iraqi security officials have said the country has received the first batch of fighter jets that it had ordered from Russia to help battle gains by a militant group, BBC News reported on Sunday. According to the report, the officials said “five second-hand Sukhoi attack aircraft would enter service within a few days, and that more were on their way.” -----------------------------------------------------------------------------snip------------------------------ Iran is secretly flying surveillance drones over Iraq and sending military equipment there to help Baghdad in its fight against Sunni insurgents, The New York Times reported Wednesday. A "small fleet" of Ababil drones was deployed to the Al...

After the United States delayed a sale of fighter jets to Iraq, Russia sold planes to the Iraqi government. Now they've sent military experts to Baghdad.  Gen. Anwar Hama Ameen, who heads the Iraqi air force, explained that the secondhand jets would quickly be deployed in the government's fight against the Sunni extremist group ISIS. In the coming three or four days the aircraft will be in service to support our forces in the fight.”  Ameen also said that the presence of Russian military experts would be short-lived. Nevertheless, here's how Rod Nordland characterized the development: The move was at least...

BAGHDAD — Iraqi government officials said Sunday that Russian experts had arrived in Iraq to help the army get 12 new Russian warplanes into the fight against Sunni extremists, while the extremists declared their leader the caliph, or absolute ruler, of all jihadi organizations worldwide. The Russian move was at least an implicit rebuke to the United States, which the Iraqis believe has been too slow to supply American F-16s and attack helicopters — although the United States is now in the process of providing both. “In the coming three or four days the aircraft will be in service to...

The first delivery of Russian Sukhoi fighter jets arrived in Iraq on Saturday, the country’s Defense Ministry said. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is hoping the jets will make a key difference in the fight against ISIS. The Iraqi Ministry of Defense on Sunday confirmed receiving five Su-25 fighter jets in accordance with the deal with Moscow. The jets were delivered by a Russian An-124 transport plane in a dismantled state, and are expected to be set up and become operational within 3-4 days. “The Sukhoi Su-25 is an air-ground support and anti-terrorism mission aircraft. In these difficult times, we...

President Barack Obama has announced that the United States launched air strikes on the terrorist organization ISIS to assist Kurdistan. It is likely you have not seen a headline that says, “US Strikes help Kurds retake towns.” That is because it never happened. The air support came from Russian and Iranian planes. The only problem is that’s not entirely true. My contacts in Kurdistan are now saying that many of these attacks are being launched by the Iraqi air force. The only problem is that the US government has not sold airplanes to Iraq, but Russia has armed them with...

KYIV, July 17 /Ukrinform/. A Russian military plane shot down a Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Wednesday, July 16.

Iraq appears to be getting some help with its war on ISIS, in the form of some familiar planes from an old nemesis. Warplanes recently delivered to Baghdad are most likely from Iran, and many are believed to be Iraqi jets flown into Iran during the first Gulf War by pilots seeking refuge from American attacks, according to analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. A dozen of the Russian-made, twin-engine Sukhoi Su-25 “Frogfoot” jets, built to provide air support for ground troops, were already sent to Iraq by Moscow. But a more recent delivery of at least half...

Efforts by Iraq’s embattled Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to urgently acquire combat aircraft to assist with the battle against Isis rebels have already born fruit in the form of Sukhoi Su-25 “Frogfoot” attack aircraft from Russia and Iran. A video posted by the Iraqi ministry of defense on June 28 showed aircraft from a batch of five from Russian stocks being offloaded in Iraq after being air-freighted to the Imam Ali air base near Nasiriyah in Antonov An-124s. This first batch of Su-25s was hastily refurbished at the 121st ARZ workshop at Kubinka, where the aircraft were given a large...

Russian Air Force to Receive New Attack Aircraft by 2020 The deliveries of new close air support aircraft to the Russian Air Force will start by 2020, Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said. “The Air Force units will start receiving this aircraft by 2020,” Drik said on Monday. “It will gradually replace highly-reliable Su-25SM Frogfoot attack planes.” According to Drik, the new aircraft will meet the demands of modern warfare and feature elements of “stealth” technology, the whole range of tactical weaponry, modern radar and navigation equipment. Meanwhile, Russia will continue to upgrade its outdated Su-25 attack aircraft to...

Russian Air Force completes Su-25UBM flight tests The Russian Air Force has completed flight tests of the modernized Sukhoi Su-25UBM ground attack-trainer aircraft, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday. “Air Force commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin signed off on the completion of flight tests for the Su-25UBM at the end of December 2011,” Drik said. The Su-25UBM is a heavily modernized variant of the Su-25 capable of training and strike missions, and is fitted with a new radar, more powerful and accurate weapons, an automated mission system and increased battlefield survivability and reliability. The Su-25UBM, which will...

For the second time in a year, Azerbaijan lost an Su-25 ground attack aircraft to an accident. Poor maintenance is believed the main reason for both losses, and that is a result of military budget cuts, and corruption (stealing some of the money allocated for maintenance.) Azerbaijan has about 30 Su-25s, but because of the maintenance problems, only about a dozen are fit for duty at any time. Last year, five used Su-25s were bought from Belarus. Despite these losses, the Su-25 is still a popular aircraft. When well maintained, the Su-25 is very effective. Over a thousand have been...

A Su-25 Frogfoot close air support aircraft crashed on Thursday in the Kurdamir district of Azerbaijan, local media reported. The Trend news agency cited Azeri Defense Ministry's spokesman Eldar Sabiroglu as saying that the crew ejected from the plane and survived the crash without injury. An investigation into the cause of the incident has been launched, the spokesman said. The Azeri Air Force has about a dozen Soviet-era Su-25s, which are poorly maintained due to budget constraints. A previous Azeri Su-25 crash in March 2010 killed the pilot.

Sukhoi's Su-25UBM completes state acceptance trials By Vladimir Karnozov Sukhoi has completed state acceptance trials for the Su-25UBM twin-seat attack aircraft and operational trainer, including the use of live weapons. The variant has undergone all the necessary tests to allow it to enter service with the Russian air force, says Vladimir Babak, general director of Sukhoi Attack Aircraft. Some documentation has yet to be completed, but once state approval has been received, the Su-25UBM will be cleared to enter series production. The new version is a deep modification of the Su-25 twin-seat operational trainer, equipped with systems that will enable...

Powerful Su-25 strike aircraft to stage triumphant comeback? RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (UUAZ) in Eastern Siberia could resume production of Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot strike aircraft on orders from the Russian Defense Ministry and the United Aircraft Building Corporation. How likely is the country's Defense Ministry to purchase them? What are their strengths and where could they be used? That's what this article considers. A real order or wishful thinking? It was in Ulan-Ude on November 23 that the CEO of the United Industrial Corporation Oboronprom, Andrei Reus, first raised the possibility that the plant...

4/28/2009 - BEZMER AIR BASE, Bulgaria (AFNS) -- As aircraft maintenance and support Airmen from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, packed to support Exercise Reunion April 2009 at Bezmer Air Base, Bulgaria, they had to be prepared for any problem that might arise. A Bulgarian SU-25 unit at Bezmer Air Base provided the A-10 Thunderbolt II maintenance and support Airmen a hangar in which to set up operations for the joint training exercise. "This is the first time a (U.S. Air Forces in Europe) fighter squadron has deployed to this location, so setting up the operations and maintenance facilities to handle...

BISHKEK, April 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Su-25 Frogfoot close air support aircraft will take part on Saturday in the active phase of the military exercises conducted by Kyrgyzstan's Armed Forces, the Kyrgyz Defense Ministry said. Kyrgyzstan is holding Security-2009 tactical exercises in the south of the country, which involve over 500 servicemen, armored vehicles self-propelled artillery and aircraft. The exercises with live-firing drills are aimed at practicing counterterrorism operations. "A flight of Su-25 attack aircraft from the Kant airbase and Kyrgyz Air Force Mi-24 helicopters will provide aerial fire support during the drills, the ministry said in a statement....

Iraqi aircraft 'buried in desert' The planes might never fly again US forces in Iraq have discovered dozens of Iraqi fighter aircraft buried in the desert, US officials have said. A Pentagon official told the Associated Press news agency that several MiG-25s and Su-25 attack planes were found hidden at al-Taqqadum air base west of Baghdad. The planes were unearthed by teams hunting for alleged weapons of mass destruction. The discovery comes as America's weapons inspector in Iraq say they are making solid progress in the search for banned weapons the US says Saddam Hussein was hiding. Poking out of...