Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force, founded on 22 April 1931 with five Gipsy Moths, fought Britain in 1941 and Israel in three wars, grew into the largest air force in the region during the war with Iran, lost most of its jets to coalition bombs or to Iranian internment in 1991, was dissolved in 2003 — and has since been rebuilt with American F-16s, Korean T-50s and Russian Su-25s to fight the Islamic State.
The Iraqi Air Force story: Gipsy Moths in 1931, the largest air force in the region and F-16s against the Islamic State
1931–1958: a royal air force, a revolt and a first war with Israel
Iraqi military flying began under British mandate. On 22 April 1931, the date the service still keeps as its birthday, the first Royal Iraqi Air Force pilots came home from the RAF College at Cranwell with five de Havilland Gipsy Moths, which formed No. 1 Squadron at RAF Hinaidi, according to Wikipedia. They were in action against Kurdish insurgents by October 1931. Hawker Audaxes, Gloster Gladiators, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79s and Breda Ba.65s followed in the 1930s. In May 1941 the government of Rashid Ali turned the air force against Britain: its 116 aircraft, of which 50–60 were serviceable, attacked RAF Habbaniya and were largely destroyed within a month. Rebuilt slowly, it sent Avro Ansons and Fury fighters to the 1948 war against Israel, and by the 1950s flew Furies, Vampires, Venoms and the first Hunters.
1958–1980: Soviet jets, Kurdish wars and the battles over H-3
The revolution of 14 July 1958 removed the monarchy and the word "Royal". Soviet aircraft arrived from January 1959 — MiG-15UTIs, MiG-17s and Il-28s, then MiG-21s and Tu-16 bombers from 1962 — while British Hunters stayed in service. The Kurdish wars of the 1960s and 1970s cost the air force heavily. On 16 August 1966 Captain Munir Redfa defected with a MiG-21 to Israel, a gift to Israeli and US intelligence. In June 1967 Israeli bombers raided the western base H-3 three times; Iraqi Hunters, some flown by Jordanian and Pakistani pilots, fought back, and Israel lost two Vautours and a Mirage on 7 June, according to Wikipedia. Iraqi squadrons fought again in October 1973, in Egypt and Syria, and Iraq claimed 21 Israeli fighters; those claims are Iraq’s own.
1980–1988: the war with Iran and the largest air force in the region
On 22 September 1980 Iraq opened its war with Iran by sending 166–192 aircraft against ten Iranian air bases. The strikes damaged runways but did not destroy the Iranian air force, which hit back the next day. For eight years the Iraqi air force bombed cities, oil terminals and tankers; its Mirage F1s with Exocet missiles became the weapon of the tanker war, and on 17 May 1987 an Iraqi aircraft hit the US frigate Stark, killing 37 sailors. Iraqi aircraft also delivered the chemical attack on Halabja on 16 March 1988, which Iraq’s Supreme Criminal Tribunal later called a genocidal massacre. With French and Soviet deliveries the fleet grew from 332 aircraft to about 1,029 by 1988, 550 of them combat aircraft, by Wikipedia’s count — the largest air force in the region.
1991–2003: destroyed, interned in Iran, buried in the sand
Size did not help in 1991. Facing the US-led coalition, the air force flew little; coalition fighters shot down 36 Iraqi aircraft and 68 more were destroyed on the ground, according to Wikipedia’s summary. Iraqi pilots claimed a few victories, among them the US Navy F/A-18 of Lieutenant Commander Scott Speicher on the first night. From late January about 137 aircraft — Mirage F1s, Su-24s, Su-22s, Su-25s and Il-76s among them — flew to Iran, which kept them as what it called reparations for the 1980–1988 war. For twelve years the remnant flew under no-fly zones and lost several more jets to US fighters; on 23 December 2002 a MiG-25 shot down a US Predator drone. In 2003 it did not fly at all: aircraft, MiG-25s included, were found buried in the sand.
2003–2017: from 35 people to F-16s, and the war against the Islamic State
On 23 May 2003 the Coalition Provisional Authority dissolved the Iraqi armed forces, the air force among them. The new air force had 35 people in 2004, by Wikipedia’s count, and began with light surveillance aircraft, C-130Es and helicopters, training again at Cranwell from 2009. Iraq signed for 36 F-16s, the State Department’s figure, but the first was handed over at Fort Worth only on 5 June 2014 — days before the Islamic State took Mosul and, on 12 June, murdered between 1,095 and about 1,700 air force cadets at Camp Speicher. Iraq bought Su-25s from Russia and Belarus and received seven from Iran, most of them aircraft that had fled in 1991. Hellfire-armed Cessnas, Su-25s, F-16s from July 2015 and Czech L-159s from November 2015 flew against the Islamic State until Iraq declared victory in December 2017.
2017–2026: an air force with modern jets and fragile support
Today the air force flies about 192 aircraft, according to the IISS figures quoted by Wikipedia: 34 F-16C/D, 24 T-50IQ, 19 Su-25 and 14 L-159, with C-130J transports and King Air and Cessna surveillance aircraft. Keeping the F-16s flying has depended on US contractors at Balad, who were withdrawn when the Islamic State advanced in 2014 and worked under rocket fire from 2020; the T-50IQs were not flown until June 2022, after Iraq signed a support contract with KAI in November 2021. Attack helicopters such as the Mi-28 belong to the separate Army Aviation Command. Since 2024 the context has changed again: the US-led coalition mission was set to end, US forces left Baghdad in August 2025, and the 2026 war involving Iran closed Iraqi airspace for about 40 days. The air force’s own strikes on Islamic State remnants are rarely reported in detail.
The Iraqi Air Force in numbers
خدمة
- الاسم الأصلي
- القوة الجوية العراقيةal-Quwwa al-Jawwiya al-Iraqiya, the title of the Arabic Wikipedia article. The Ministry of Defence site could not be reached to confirm its spelling; a Kurdish-language name was not verified
- تأسست
- 22 April 1931The day the first Cranwell-trained pilots returned with five Gipsy Moths; the Arabic article once gives 1932. The prefix "Royal" was dropped after July 1958
- جزء من
- Iraqi Armed ForcesUnder the Ministry of Defence. Air defence has been a separate command since 1993, and the army has its own Army Aviation Command
- المقر الرئيسي
- BaghdadAs given by Wikipedia; the official site was not reachable
- قائد
- Lt Gen Muhannad Ghalib al-AsadiFrom 2025 according to English Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page
- Re-formed
- 2004After the Coalition Provisional Authority dissolved the old forces on 23 May 2003; 35 people in 2004
قوة
- الأفراد
- About 5,000IISS figure for 2024 as quoted by Wikipedia. In 1988 the air force had about 40,000 people
- طائرات حربية
-
- F-16C/D (F-16IQ) — 34
- Su-25 — 19
- L-159A/T1 — 14
- T-50IQ — 24 (trainer and light combat)
- AC-208 Combat Caravan — 2
Figures from the Wikipedia inventory table, which cites IISS 2024 and FlightGlobal 2024. Iraq bought 36 F-16s
- Transport and surveillance
-
- C-130J-30 — 6
- C-130E — 3 (stored)
- An-32B — 6
- King Air 350/350ER — 7
- Cessna 208 (RC-208) — 6
- CH2000 — 7
Wikipedia inventory table (IISS 2024)
- طائرات الهليكوبتر
-
- Bell 206 — 9
- SA342 Gazelle — 6
- Mi-8 — 2
Most Iraqi military helicopters, including the Mi-28, Mi-17 and Bell 407, belong to the Army Aviation Command, not the air force
- مدربين
-
- T-6A Texan II — 15
- Lasta 95 — 19
- MFI-395 Mushshak — 4
Wikipedia inventory table (IISS 2024)
- Peak strength
- About 1,029 aircraft (1988)Including 550 combat aircraft, according to Wikipedia; 332 in 1980
بنية تحتية
- F-16 base
- BaladHome of the F-16s and of the US contractors who support them; hit by rockets in 2020, 2021 and 2022
- Other bases named in sources
-
- Imam Ali Base (Tallil) — radar damaged by drones on 24 June 2025
- Tikrit — first T-6A deliveries, 2009
- Habbaniya — struck on 24 March 2026
The full list of airfields is in the stations file
- Historic western base
- H-3Raided by Israel in June 1967 and by Iran on 4 April 1981
- Hardened shelters (1991)
- 594On 24 primary airfields, at the start of the Gulf War
How the Iraqi Air Force is organised
One service of the Iraqi Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence, with its headquarters in Baghdad; air defence has been a separate command since 1993, and the army flies its own attack helicopters. The F-16IQ, 34 in service according to the IISS figures quoted by Wikipedia, is the only fighter, flown by the 9th Fighter Squadron from Balad, beside 19 Su-25s, 14 L-159s and 24 T-50IQs. Beyond the F-16 squadron, the sources checked do not say which squadrons fly from which bases today.
Iraqi Air Force
One of the services of the Iraqi Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence; air defence has been a separate command since 1993, and attack helicopters such as the Mi-28 belong to the Army Aviation Command. English Wikipedia names Lt Gen Muhannad Ghalib al-Asadi as commander from 2025; the Arabic article still names Lt Gen Anwar Hama Amin, and the date of the appointment was not confirmed on an official page.
9th Fighter Squadron
Flies the F-16IQ, Iraq’s only fighter: 36 were bought, and Wikipedia’s inventory, citing IISS, lists 34 in service, eight of them two-seat D models. The first was handed over at Fort Worth on 5 June 2014, but four reached Balad only on 13 July 2015, after the Islamic State advance forced out the US contractors who support the jets.
Su-25, L-159 and AC-208 units
19 Su-25s, five of them used for training, credited by Wikipedia with 3,562 missions against the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017; 14 Czech L-159s, flown at Mosul from October 2016 with No. 115 Squadron, stored about 2017–2018 and back in service in February 2022; and two Hellfire-armed AC-208 Combat Caravans. Their present bases are not given in the sources checked.
Iraqi Air Force Academy
Camp Speicher at Tikrit was the Academy’s main base before 2003, and the first four of 15 T-6A Texan IIs were delivered to Tikrit in December 2009; Lasta 95 and Super Mushshak primary trainers complete the fleet. The 24 T-50IQ advanced trainers, delivered from 2017, were not flown until June 2022. Present-day unit locations are not given.
Transport squadron
Six C-130J-30s, three C-130Es in store and six An-32Bs, according to Wikipedia’s inventory. English Wikipedia describes New Al Muthana, the air force enclave at Baghdad International Airport, as the base of the transport squadron; the 23rd Squadron trained on the C-130 with the US Air Force at Tallil until 2011.
Reconnaissance squadrons
Six King Air 350ER surveillance aircraft and a King Air 350 transport, six Cessna 208s, four of them used for training, seven CH2000s and two Twin Otters. Wikipedia says the 3rd, 23rd and 70th Squadrons flew reconnaissance and transport missions from Taji after the 2005 rebuild; their present bases are not given.
Air force helicopters
The air force flies only a few helicopters: nine Bell 206 trainers, six Gazelles and two Mi-8s, with 12 Bell 412s on order according to Wikipedia. Most Iraqi military helicopters, including the Mi-28, Mi-17 and Bell 407, belong to the separate Army Aviation Command.
What the Iraqi Air Force flies today
كل نوع متاح برسوم، ويرتبط بصفحته في كتاب الوحوش إن وجدت. تشير الأرقام إلى الطائرات المسجلة، وليس الطائرات المتاحة في يوم معين.
| يكتب | دور | في الخدمة | منذ | الوحدات | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Dynamics F-16C/D Block 52 (F-16IQ) Fighting Falconفي الخدمة | مقاتل متعدد المهام | 34 | 2014 | — | 36 bought (State Department). Wikipedia’s inventory gives 34 in service, eight of them two-seat D models.
أكثرSources disagree on when deliveries ended: 14 November 2017 (F-16 operators article) or six more in April 2019 bringing the fleet to 27 (Iraqi Air Force article). |
|
| KAI T-50IQ Golden Eagleفي الخدمة | Advanced trainer and light combat | 24 | 2017 | — | 24 contracted in December 2013 and delivered 2017–2019. | |
| Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfootفي الخدمة | هجوم أرضي | 19 | 1987 | — | 19 in Wikipedia’s inventory, five used for training. Before 1991 Iraq had 72 Su-25K/UBK; 31 were destroyed in 1991 and seven flew to Iran. | |
| Aero L-159A/T1 ALCAفي الخدمة | هجوم ضوئي | 14 | 2015 | — | 12 L-159A and two two-seat L-159T1 bought in 2015, after a 2012 agreement for 28. | |
| Cessna AC-208 Combat Caravanفي الخدمة | Armed reconnaissance | 2 | — | Two armed AC-208s in Wikipedia’s inventory; one crashed in March 2016. | ||
| Cessna 208 Caravan (RC-208 and trainers)في الخدمة | Reconnaissance and training | 6 | — | Six, four of them used for training (Wikipedia, IISS 2024). | ||
| Beechcraft Super King Air 350/350ERفي الخدمة | Surveillance and transport | 7 | — | Six 350ER surveillance aircraft and one 350 transport (Wikipedia, IISS 2024). | ||
| AMD Alarus CH2000 (SAMA)في الخدمة | Surveillance | 7 | — | Seven (Wikipedia, IISS 2024). | ||
| دي هافيلاند كندا دي إتش سي-6 توين أوترفي الخدمة | Surveillance | 2 | — | Two (Wikipedia). | ||
| لوكهيد مارتن سي-130 جيه-30 سوبر هيركوليزفي الخدمة | النقل التكتيكي | 6 | — | Six ordered in July 2008; three in service by January 2014; six in Wikipedia’s current inventory. | ||
| لوكهيد سي-130 إي هيركوليزفي الخدمة | النقل التكتيكي | 3 | — | Three, in store (Wikipedia, IISS 2024). | ||
| Antonov An-32Bفي الخدمة | ينقل | 6 | — | Six, two combat-capable and one damaged (Wikipedia). | ||
| Mil Mi-8في الخدمة | مروحية نقل | 2 | — | Two in the air force (Wikipedia); most Iraqi Mi-17s belong to Army Aviation. | ||
| Aérospatiale SA342 Gazelleفي الخدمة | Scout and anti-armour helicopter | 6 | — | Six (Wikipedia). | ||
| Bell 206في الخدمة | طائرة هليكوبتر تدريبية | 9 | — | Nine (Wikipedia). | ||
| بيتشكرافت تي-6 إيه تكسان 2في الخدمة | مدرب أساسي | 15 | 2009 | — | 15 under a 210 million dollar contract. A further 24 T-6C were approved on 13 May 2014; their delivery was not confirmed. | |
| Utva Lasta 95Nفي الخدمة | المدرب الأساسي | 19 | 2010 | — | 20 ordered in 2007 with an option for 16; 19 in Wikipedia’s inventory. | |
| PAC MFI-395 Super Mushshakفي الخدمة | المدرب الأساسي | 4 | — | Four in service, eight more on order (Wikipedia). |
عند الطلب
| يكتب | تم الطلب | التسليم الأول | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| بيل 412عند الطلب | 12 | 12 on order according to Wikipedia’s inventory table; delivery dates not confirmed. | ||
| PAC MFI-395 Super Mushshakعند الطلب | 8 | Eight more on order in addition to four in service, according to Wikipedia. |
Every type the Iraqi Air Force has retired
25 types, from the de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. تمثل الأرقام القصوى عدد الطائرات التي تم استلامها على مدار فترة الخدمة بأكملها، وليس قوة الأسطول في أي تاريخ محدد.
| يكتب | دور | قمة | تم تقديمه | تم استبداله بـ | ملحوظات | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ميكويان-غوريفيتش ميغ-21 | مقاتل | 236 | 1962–2003 | — | 236 of all variants in 1990, 65 of them destroyed in 1991 (Wikipedia). | |
| ميكويان-غوريفيتش ميغ-23 | مقاتلة ومقاتلة قاذفة | — | — | — | More than 126 in 1990; at least 37 destroyed in 1991 (Wikipedia). | |
| Sukhoi Su-20/Su-22 | مقاتلة قاذفة | 58 | — | — | 58 in 1990; 10 destroyed and 40 flown to Iran in 1991 (Wikipedia). | |
| Dassault Mirage F1EQ/BQ | Multirole fighter and anti-ship strike | 88 | 1980–2003 | — | 88 before the 1991 war: 23 destroyed, 6 damaged and 24 flown to Iran. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 | الاعتراض والاستطلاع | 35 | — | — | Seven MiG-25PU, nine RB and 19 PD/PDS in January 1991. | |
| Sukhoi Su-24MK | يضرب | 30 | — | — | 30 in 1990; 5 destroyed and 24 flown to Iran in 1991 (Wikipedia). | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29B/UB | مقاتل | 50 | — | — | 50 in 1990; 17 destroyed and 4 flown to Iran (Wikipedia). | |
| Tupolev Tu-16 | قاذفة قنابل | — | 1962–1991 | — | الرقم غير مؤكد. | |
| Tupolev Tu-22 | Supersonic bomber | 16 | 1975–1991 | — | Wikipedia’s Tu-22 article gives 10 Tu-22B, 2 Tu-22U and 4 Tu-22K; the Iraqi Air Force article gives 14 B and 2 U ordered, 12 delivered by 1975. | |
| de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth | مدرب | 5 | 1931– | — | The first five, plus three DH.60Ts and three Puss Moths. | |
| Hawker Audax (Nisr) | Army co-operation and light bomber | 34 | 1934– | — | 34 acquired in 1934. | |
| غلوستر غلادياتور | مقاتل | 15 | 1937– | — | 15 ordered in 1937. | |
| Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 | قاذفة قنابل | 4 | 1937– | — | Four ordered in 1937. | |
| Breda Ba.65 | طائرات الهجوم | 25 | 1937– | — | 25 ordered in 1937. | |
| Northrop 8A | طائرات الهجوم | 15 | 1939– | — | 15 bought in 1939. | |
| أفرو أنسون | Trainer and light bomber | — | — | — | الرقم غير مؤكد. | |
| Hawker Fury F.Mk.1 (land-based Sea Fury) | مقاتلة قاذفة | 52 | 1948– | Vampire, Venom, Hunter | 50 single-seat and two two-seat aircraft by 1951. | |
| Westland Dragonfly | Helicopter | 3 | 1951– | — | Three acquired in 1951. | |
| دي هافيلاند فامباير FB.52 و T.55 | مقاتل قاذف ومدرب | 22 | 1953– | — | 12 FB.52 and 10 T.55, delivered 1953–1955. | |
| دي هافيلاند فينوم | مقاتلة قاذفة | 20 | 1954– | — | 20 delivered 1954–1956. | |
| هوكر هنتر | مقاتلة قاذفة | — | 1957– | — | Six F.6s in 1957; later totals not confirmed. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI | مدرب نفاث | — | 1959– | — | الرقم غير مؤكد. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F | مقاتل | — | 1959– | — | الرقم غير مؤكد. | |
| إليوشن Il-28 | قاذفة قنابل خفيفة | — | 1959– | — | الرقم غير مؤكد. | |
| Ilyushin Il-76 | النقل والناقلات | — | — | — | 15 were among the aircraft flown to Iran in 1991 (Wikipedia). |
Where the Iraqi Air Force flies from
الدبابيس السوداء تمثل القواعد النشطة، أما الدبابيس المجوفة فتمثل المطارات التي تم إغلاقها. Several bases were built by the RAF, others in the 1980s with Yugoslav-built shelters for the war with Iran; most passed through US hands after 2003 and were returned to Iraq between 2009 and 2026, Al Asad last, on 17 January 2026. Taji is chiefly an Army Aviation base and Habbaniyah an army base, and H-3 and Shaibah are closed as air bases; they are listed for their history. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| قاعدة | منظمة الطيران المدني الدولي (ICAO) | حالة | المدرج | الوحدات والطائرات |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al AsadAnbar Governorate | ORAA | نشيط | — | — |
| Al RasheedBaghdad | ORRA | نشيط | — |
|
| Al TaqaddumAnbar Governorate | ORAT | نشيط | — |
|
| BaladSaladin Governorate (Salah ad-Din) | ORBD | نشيط | 12/304100 مترأسمنت14/324100 مترأسمنت |
|
| Camp SpeicherTikrit Air AcademySaladin Governorate | نشيط | 14/323,120 m |
|
|
| HabbaniyahAnbar Governorate | نشيط | — |
|
|
| Imam AliDhi Qar Governorate | ORTL | نشيط | — |
|
| KirkukKirkuk Governorate | ORKK | نشيط | 14/323,208 mnot published13/313,101 mnot published |
|
| New Al MuthanaBaghdad Governorate | ORBI | نشيط | 15R/33L3301 مترأسمنت15L/33R4000 مترأسمنت | — |
| Qayyarah WestNineveh Governorate | ORQW | نشيط | 15/333500 متر |
|
| TajiBaghdad Governorate | ORTI | نشيط | — |
|
| H-3Al WalidAnbar Governorate | أُغلق عام 2003 | — | — | |
| ShaibahAl WahdaBasra Governorate | أُغلق عام 2003 | — |
|
لا توجد قاعدة جوية مطابقة لهذا البحث.
Who is stationed where in the Iraqi Air Force
الوحدات الجوية حسب القاعدة، والوحدات الحالية أولاً. Iraqi squadrons carry plain numbers, from No. 1 Squadron, formed at Hinaidi with five Gipsy Moths in 1931, to the 9th Fighter Squadron flying F-16s at Balad today. Most entries are historical: the 1961 order of battle given by Wikipedia, the Tu-16 and Tu-22 bomber squadrons at Tammuz and the Mirage F1 squadrons at Qayyarah West. Where a squadron’s present base is not published, the entry says so.
- 9th Fighter Squadronسرب مقاتل · نشط
- General Dynamics F-16C/D Block 52 (F-16IQ)
- 23rd Squadron (training detachment)—
- لوكهيد سي-130 إي هيركوليز
- السرب رقم 7—
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F
- No. 1 Squadron1931–
- de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth
- No. 5 Squadron—
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F
- Iraqi Air Force Academy (Air Force College)مدرسة تدريب الطيران · نشطة
- بيتشكرافت تي-6 إيه تكسان 2
- 3rd, 23rd and 70th Squadrons (re-formation)2005–
- Light reconnaissance and transport aircraft
- No. 1 Squadron—
- de Havilland Venom FB.1
- السرب رقم 6—
- هوكر هنتر
- Bomber squadrons (Tu-16 and Tu-22)—
- Tupolev Tu-16 / Xian H-6D, Tupolev Tu-22B
- Mirage F1EQ squadrons—
- Dassault Mirage F1EQ
لا توجد وحدة مطابقة لهذا البحث.
Iraqi Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
22 April: the first Cranwell-trained pilots return with five Gipsy Moths; No. 1 Squadron forms at RAF Hinaidi. October: first combat against Kurdish insurgents.
2–31 May: the Royal Iraqi Air Force fights Britain in the Anglo-Iraqi War and loses most of its aircraft.
No. 7 Squadron’s Ansons and six Furies take part in the first war against Israel.
14 July: the monarchy falls; the service becomes the Iraqi Air Force.
January: the first Soviet aircraft arrive — MiG-15UTIs, MiG-17s and Il-28s.
16 August: Capt Munir Redfa defects to Israel with a MiG-21F-13.
5–7 June: Israeli raids on H-3; an Iraqi Tu-16 is shot down over Israel.
October: Iraqi squadrons fight in Egypt and Syria; Iraq claims 21 Israeli fighters.
22 September: 166–192 aircraft strike ten Iranian air bases, opening the Iran-Iraq war.
4 April: Iranian raid on H-3; claims of losses range from one damaged MiG-21 (Iraq) to dozens of aircraft (Iran).
17 May: an Iraqi aircraft hits the USS Stark with two Exocets, killing 37 sailors.
16 March: chemical attack on Halabja by Iraqi aircraft. By the end of the war the air force has about 1,029 aircraft.
January–February: the air force is defeated by the coalition; about 137 aircraft fly to Iran.
23 December: a MiG-25 shoots down a US Predator, the last Iraqi air-to-air kill.
23 May: Coalition Provisional Authority Order 2 dissolves the armed forces, the air force included.
5 June: first F-16IQ handed over at Fort Worth. 12 June: Camp Speicher massacre of air force cadets. 28 June–1 July: Su-25s arrive from Russia, Belarus and Iran.
13 July: the first F-16s reach Balad. 5 November: the first two L-159s arrive.
Deliveries of the T-50IQ begin in March; the war against the Islamic State ends in December.
February: L-159s return to service; June: the T-50IQ flies in Iraq for the first time.
August: US forces leave Baghdad and key bases, according to Wikipedia.
28 February–10 April: Iraqi airspace closed during the war involving Iran.
Every war the Iraqi Air Force has fought
الطلعات الجوية والخسائر حيثما يسمح السجل بذلك، وفراغ تام حيثما لا يسمح بذلك.
- Operations against Kurdish insurgents 1931–1932 First combat, in support of the army against Kurdish insurgents
- Anglo-Iraqi War 1941 Attacked RAF Habbaniya and British forces in support of Rashid Ali’s government
- 1948 Arab-Israeli War 1948–1949 A small contribution: Anson bombers from Transjordan and six Furies sent to Damascus
- Iraqi-Kurdish wars 1961–1975 Air support against Kurdish uprisings
- Six-Day War 1967 Defended H-3 against Israeli raids and bombed targets in Israel
Iraqi Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Iraqi Air Force and the aircraft it flies. يتم تحديث هذه القائمة تلقائيًا - تظهر قصص Afterburner الجديدة هنا تلقائيًا.
Everything people ask about the Iraqi Air Force
What is the Iraqi Air Force called in Arabic?
Which fighter jets does the Iraqi Air Force fly?
When was the Iraqi Air Force founded?
Did Iraq really fly its air force to Iran in 1991?
How big was the Iraqi Air Force at its peak?
What happened to the Iraqi Air Force in 2003?
Did Iraqi pilots shoot down Israeli aircraft?
What role did the Iraqi Air Force play against the Islamic State?
Does the Iraqi Air Force fly the Mi-28 and Mi-35 attack helicopters?
Are Iraq’s F-16s and T-50s actually flying?
Read the aircraft the Iraqi Air Force flew
كل نوع له صفحة في كتاب الوحوش، في الخدمة أولاً، ثم حسب السنة التي غادر فيها الأسطول.
كل حقيقة، تم التحقق منها
- US Department of State: U.S. Security Cooperation With Iraq (fact sheet)Official US figures: more than 22 billion dollars of Foreign Military Sales to Iraq since 2005, including 36 F-16s, nine C-130s and 24 IA-407 helicopters; FY16 FMF loan funds F-16 sustainment and contractor logistics support. Undated page, content of about 2016-2017.
- Military.com: Rocket attacks hit Baghdad’s Green Zone, Balad Air Base (4 January 2020)Iraqi security forces: rockets at the base gates, no casualties; base used jointly by US and Iraqi militaries; 9th Fighter Squadron F-16 photo caption.
- The Daily Beast: ISIS tries to grab its own air force (25 June 2014)Balad surrounded on three sides (citing Reuters); contractors flown out 13 June 2014.
- CBS News / AP: US contractor ignored security violations at Iraq base (3 May 2017)Sallyport Global contract (about 686 million dollars); investigators’ findings; first four F-16s 13 July 2015.
- Military Times: Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns (29 March 2013)147 tons a day; 2006 memo by Lt Col Darrin Curtis.
- ABC News: Iran launches missiles at US air bases in Iraq (8 January 2020)Ten missiles hit Al Asad, one Erbil, four failed (US defence official); no indications of US casualties that night.
- CBS News: US service members injured in missile attack on Al-Asad (November 2023)20 November 2023 close-range ballistic missile; eight injured; Pentagon attributes to Kataib Hezbollah.
- White House archives: Remarks by President Trump to troops at Al Asad Air Base (26 December 2018)Date and place of the visit.
- Human Rights Watch: Iraq: Set aside verdict in massacre of cadets (16 July 2015)12 June 2014; 24 death sentences on 8 July 2015 after a hearing of a few hours.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
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