U.S. TO DELIVER ANOTHER SHIPMENT OF FOUR F-16 WARPLANES TO IRAQ

by **Ponee** Sun Jul 03, 2016 12:36 pm

WASHINGTON — The United States will deliver a shipment of 4 F-16 warplanes to Iraq as part of an agreement between the two countries, the Iraqi ambassador to the U.S. said on Monday (June 27).

The four F-16s are due to arrive in the next couple of weeks.

Iraqi Ambassador to the United States, Lukman Faily, said according to the agreement, the U.S. will eventually provide 36 F-16 aircraft to the Iraqi army.

“The pilots of these warplanes are Iraqi and they have received training from U.S. advisors,” Faily said.

The ambassador said the second step in the training of Iraqi pilots will begin in 2018 when additional Iraqi pilots will be trained by U.S. advisors.

The U.S. delivered the first shipment of American F-16 warplanes to Iraqi authorities in July 2015.

A contract between American and Iraqi authorities was signed in 2008. The agreement aimed to increase the strength and defense capabilities of the Iraqi army and now has the role of carrying out the fight against the Islamic State.

U.S. TO DELIVER ANOTHER SHIPMENT OF FOUR F-16 WARPLANES TO IRAQ Iraq, June 29, 2016

http://iraqdailyjournal.com/story-z13442852