BEIRUT — Iraq’s navy is in search of a number of protection techniques of various origins, together with French Rafale fighter jets, drones and artillery, in addition to Russian T-90 tanks, with some ongoing negotiations reaching a complicated stage.
“France has supplied to promote 20 drones; at the moment the Iraqi [Ministry of Defence] is endeavor technical evaluation,” Norman Ricklefs, who leads geopolitical consultancy NAMEA Group and was beforehand an adviser to Iraq’s inside minister and to the secretary basic of the MoD, instructed Protection Information.
An Iraqi delegation is scheduled to go to France within the close to future to examine the drones.
Ricklefs, who has lately spoken to Iraqi protection officers in regards to the procurement plans, mentioned there isn’t but a contract for the drones. At this level, he believes the delegation will “carry out a high quality examine” on the unmanned techniques.
The French Armed Forces Ministry didn’t reply to a number of requests for touch upon the go to, nor on the categories or numbers of plane that is likely to be supplied.
In a January interview by the Iraqi Information Company with the chief of the nation’s land forces, he revealed the negotiations to obtain French drones. “Iraq is negotiating many contracts together with armed drones able to flying for 30 hours in Iraqi airspace and of addressing targets and repeatedly monitoring varied areas, with confirmed means and effectiveness,” Lt. Gen Qasim Al-Muhammadi mentioned.
Ricklefs mentioned Iraq can also be in negotiations for Pakistani UAVs. “Pakistan has additionally supplied to promote Iraq 20 drones, however the MoD continues to be analyzing the supply,” he instructed Protection Information.
Moreover, Al-Muhammadi mentioned within the interview, “there are plans to extend the variety of tanks and enhance the divisions and brigades with a view to enhance the capabilities of the Iraqi Military.” The service at the moment operates American Abrams and Russian T-90 tanks, he added.
Ricklefs famous that the MoD is in search of further T-90 tanks from Russia, having already ordered 73 2016. The Iraqi MoD introduced in June 2018 that, as half the order’s first batch, 39 of these T-90S tanks had been delivered to the ninth Division’s thirty fifth Brigade. This brigade was geared up with M1 Abrams tanks, however they had been transferred to the thirty fourth Brigade after the T-90 supply, the ministry has mentioned.
“There are wonderful artillery techniques with excessive accuracy that shall be imported from France, along with weapon techniques geared up with evening goggles,” Al-Muhammadi mentioned within the interview. “There are numerous contracts signed by Iraq to obtain tools, a few of which have already arrived on the nationwide port, and others are nonetheless beneath manufacturing.”
When it comes to native manufacturing, he described “a severe need to develop Iraqi weapons, and there are initiatives which were launched already to allow us to fabricate techniques ourselves.”
“There may be competitors between the East and the West to show their techniques’ capabilities, and as armed forces, we help armament sources diversification,” he added.
For its half, the Iraqi Air Power is in search of French Rafale fighter jets. In September 2021, the chairman of the Safety and Protection Committee of Iraq’s parliament, Mohammed Redha al-Haidar, revealed Iraq and Paris signed a contract for the plane.
“The Iraqi Air Power is intending to buy 14 French Rafale fighter jets at a price of $240 million, which shall be paid in oil relatively than money,” Ricklefs instructed Protection Information in regards to the deal.
He additionally mentioned the Air Power is nearing the acquisition of Tremendous Mushshak fighter/coach plane, however he was unable to offer additional particulars.
Vivienne Machi in Stuttgart, Germany, contributed to this report.
Agnes Helou is a Center East correspondent for Protection Information. Her pursuits embody missile protection, cybersecurity, the interoperability of weapons techniques and strategic points within the Center East and Gulf area.