A further six Lockheed Martin F-16C/D (Block 52+) Fighting Falcon multi-role fighters have been delivered to the Iraqi Air Force, bringing the air arm’s total F-16 fleet to 27.
The delivery is part of an contract, worth $1.5-billion (USD), for 36 F-16C/D (Block 52+) fighter jets, which was made in 2009. The first aircraft was delivered to the Iraqi Air Force in June 2014. The F-16s were sought by the Iraqi government to replace aged Russian and Chinese-made equipment which had served during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
“This is frankly a clear message that the Iraqi state is serious about building its military capabilities.”
Lieutenant General Hama Ameen
The aircraft were unveiled during a ceremony at Balad Air Base, 40 miles (64 kilometres) north of Baghdad, on 6 April 2019. Lieutenant General Hama Ameen hailed the arrival as an “important moment” for the development of the Iraqi Air Force. “This is frankly a clear message that the Iraqi state is serious about building its military capabilities,” Ameen added.
Iraqi Air Force-operated F-16s have seen operational service, having reportedly carried out more than 510 combat sorties against ISIS targets across Iraq and Syria between June 2014 and December 2017.
Iraq was the 28th nation to accept the Lockheed Martin (formerly General Dynamics) F-16 Fighting Falcon into its inventory. The nation joins Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Taiwan (or the Republic of China), the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Venezuala. Over 4,600 F-16s have been produced, with the aircraft still in production with the F-16V (Block 70) model being the newest variant on the market, a model which Lockheed Martin project could serve customers until 2070.
The Iraqi Air Force is expected to receive the remaining nine aircraft by the end of 2019, with five more F-16s due to be delivered by the end of April.
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By Khalem Chapman [12/04/2019]
Khalem Chapman
Welcome to my aviation defence blog. I'm currently in my third and final year of studying Broadcast Journalism at Nottingham Trent University, UK, with the aim of landing a role in aviation/ military (defence) journalism.
Over the Summer of 2018, I interned at the Royal Aeronautical Society's AEROSPACE Magazine and I'm currently freelancing, writing a blog which will help act as a portfolio when I try to get into the real world of aviation/ military (defence) journalism.
This blog, which shares its name with my Twitter handle, will comprise of news ranging from military aviation, to space, and historic warbird news. Civil aviation may be more included at a later date (to broaden the scope to expand my audience) but I want to start off with what interests me the most.
I hope you enjoy what you read and please feel free to comment opinions to news/ features and suggestions on how I can improve as a journalist who wants to enter this niche field. Also feel free to share this page among your friends and colleagues. I'll be happy to answer any questions, please email them to me to the email provided in the contact us page.
12/04/2019
Aircraft, Combat Aircraft, Fixed-Wing Aircraft, Iraqi Air Force, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Middle East and Asia, Military Air Arms, Military Aviation
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