Iraqi Air Force

Iraqi Air Force

القوة الجوية العراقية

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.

Národní značeníA black-edged green triangle with a white triangle and a red diamond at its centre
34Bojová letadla
11Aktivní letecké základny
1931Založeno
25Typy vyřazené z provozu
ZeměIrákZaloženo1931PostaveníAktivníVelitelstvíBaghdadVelitelMuhannad Ghalib al-Asadi
Příběh

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 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.Iraqi Air Force · verified 2026-10-01

Na první pohled

The Iraqi Air Force in numbers

Servis

Rodné jméno
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
Založeno
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
Část
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
Velitelství
BaghdadAs given by Wikipedia; the official site was not reachable
Velitel
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

Pevnost

Personál
About 5,000IISS figure for 2024 as quoted by Wikipedia. In 1988 the air force had about 40,000 people
Bojová letadla
  • 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)

Vrtulníky
  • 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

Trenéři
  • 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

Infrastruktura

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

Struktura

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.

MG

Lieutenant GeneralMuhannad Ghalib al-AsadiCommander of the Iraqi Air Force · in office since 2025
Iraqi Air Forceالقوة الجوية العراقية
Velitelství

Iraqi Air Force

القوة الجوية العراقية
Baghdad

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.

Přední linie

9th Fighter Squadron

Balad

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.

Útok

Su-25, L-159 and AC-208 units

Nezveřejněno

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.

Výcvik

Iraqi Air Force Academy

Tikrit (before 2003); now not published

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.

Doprava

Transport squadron

New Al Muthana (Baghdad)

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.

Surveillance

Reconnaissance squadrons

Nezveřejněno

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.

Vrtulníky

Air force helicopters

Nezveřejněno

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.


V provozu

What the Iraqi Air Force flies today

Každý typ na obvinění, propojený s jeho stránkou v Knize zvířat, kde nějaký existuje. Počty se vztahují na letadla v evidenci, nikoli na letadla dostupná v daný den.

Typ Role V provozu Od Jednotky Poznámky
General Dynamics F-16C/D Block 52 (F-16IQ) Fighting FalconV provozu Víceúčelový stíhač 34 2014 — 36 bought (State Department). Wikipedia’s inventory gives 34 in service, eight of them two-seat D models.

Více

Sources 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 EagleV provozu Advanced trainer and light combat 24 2017 — 24 contracted in December 2013 and delivered 2017–2019.
Sukhoi Su-25 FrogfootV provozu Pozemní útok 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 ALCAV provozu Lehký útok 14 2015 — 12 L-159A and two two-seat L-159T1 bought in 2015, after a 2012 agreement for 28.
Cessna AC-208 Combat CaravanV provozu Armed reconnaissance 2 — Two armed AC-208s in Wikipedia’s inventory; one crashed in March 2016.
Cessna 208 Caravan (RC-208 and trainers)V provozu Reconnaissance and training 6 — Six, four of them used for training (Wikipedia, IISS 2024).
Beechcraft Super King Air 350/350ERV provozu Surveillance and transport 7 — Six 350ER surveillance aircraft and one 350 transport (Wikipedia, IISS 2024).
AMD Alarus CH2000 (SAMA)V provozu Surveillance 7 — Seven (Wikipedia, IISS 2024).
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterV provozu Surveillance 2 — Two (Wikipedia).
Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super HerculesV provozu Taktická doprava 6 — Six ordered in July 2008; three in service by January 2014; six in Wikipedia’s current inventory.
Lockheed C-130E HerculesV provozu Taktická doprava 3 — Three, in store (Wikipedia, IISS 2024).
Antonov An-32BV provozu Doprava 6 — Six, two combat-capable and one damaged (Wikipedia).
Mil Mi-8V provozu Transportní vrtulník 2 — Two in the air force (Wikipedia); most Iraqi Mi-17s belong to Army Aviation.
Aérospatiale SA342 GazelleV provozu Scout and anti-armour helicopter 6 — Six (Wikipedia).
Bell 206V provozu Cvičný vrtulník 9 — Nine (Wikipedia).
Beechcraft T-6A Texan IIV provozu Základní trenér 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 95NV provozu Hlavní trenér 19 2010 — 20 ordered in 2007 with an option for 16; 19 in Wikipedia’s inventory.
PAC MFI-395 Super MushshakV provozu Hlavní trenér 4 — Four in service, eight more on order (Wikipedia).
F-16IQ34
T-50IQ24
Su-2519
Lasta 9519
T-6A15
L-15914
Bell 2069
King Air7

Na objednávku

Typ Objednané První dodávka Poznámky
Zvon 412Na objednávku 12 12 on order according to Wikipedia’s inventory table; delivery dates not confirmed.
PAC MFI-395 Super MushshakNa objednávku 8 Eight more on order in addition to four in service, according to Wikipedia.

Dříve provozováno

Every type the Iraqi Air Force has retired

25 types, from the de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21. Špičkové hodnoty se vztahují na počet draků letadel převzatých do provozu po celou dobu jejich životnosti, nikoli na počet letadel v daný den.

Typ Role Vrchol Obsluhováno Nahrazeno Poznámky
Mikojan-Gurevič MiG-21 Bojovník 236 1962–2003 — 236 of all variants in 1990, 65 of them destroyed in 1991 (Wikipedia).
Mikojan-Gurevič MiG-23 Stíhačka a stíhací bombardér — — — More than 126 in 1990; at least 37 destroyed in 1991 (Wikipedia).
Sukhoi Su-20/Su-22 Stíhací bombardér 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 Interceptor a průzkum 35 — — Seven MiG-25PU, nine RB and 19 PD/PDS in January 1991.
Sukhoi Su-24MK Stávka 30 — — 30 in 1990; 5 destroyed and 24 flown to Iran in 1991 (Wikipedia).
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29B/UB Bojovník 50 — — 50 in 1990; 17 destroyed and 4 flown to Iran (Wikipedia).
Tupolev Tu-16 Bombardér — 1962–1991 — Číslo nebylo potvrzeno.
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 Trenér 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.
Gloster Gladiator Bojovník 15 1937– — 15 ordered in 1937.
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Bombardér 4 1937– — Four ordered in 1937.
Breda Ba.65 Útočné letadlo 25 1937– — 25 ordered in 1937.
Northrop 8A Útočné letadlo 15 1939– — 15 bought in 1939.
Avro Anson Trainer and light bomber — — — Číslo nebylo potvrzeno.
Hawker Fury F.Mk.1 (land-based Sea Fury) Stíhací bombardér 52 1948– Vampire, Venom, Hunter 50 single-seat and two two-seat aircraft by 1951.
Westland Dragonfly Helicopter 3 1951– — Three acquired in 1951.
de Havilland Vampire FB.52 a T.55 Stíhací bombardér a cvičný letoun 22 1953– — 12 FB.52 and 10 T.55, delivered 1953–1955.
de Havilland Venom Stíhací bombardér 20 1954– — 20 delivered 1954–1956.
Lovec jestřábů Stíhací bombardér — 1957– — Six F.6s in 1957; later totals not confirmed.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI Proudový cvičný letoun — 1959– — Číslo nebylo potvrzeno.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F Bojovník — 1959– — Číslo nebylo potvrzeno.
Iljušin Il-28 Lehký bombardér — 1959– — Číslo nebylo potvrzeno.
Ilyushin Il-76 Doprava a cisterna — — — 15 were among the aircraft flown to Iran in 1991 (Wikipedia).

Letecké základny

Where the Iraqi Air Force flies from

Černé špendlíky označují aktivní základny, duté špendlíky označují uzavřená letiště. 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.

Aktivní letecká základna Zavřeno nebo rezervovánoKliknutím na špendlík otevřete základní stránku
Báze ICAO Postavení Dráha Jednotky a letadla
Al AsadAnbar Governorate ORAA Aktivní — —
Al RasheedBaghdad ORRA Aktivní —
Al TaqaddumAnbar Governorate ORAT Aktivní —
BaladSaladin Governorate (Salah ad-Din) ORBD Aktivní 12/304 100 mkonkrétní14/324 100 mkonkrétní
Camp SpeicherTikrit Air AcademySaladin Governorate Aktivní 14/323,120 m
HabbaniyahAnbar Governorate Aktivní —
Imam AliDhi Qar Governorate ORTL Aktivní —
KirkukKirkuk Governorate ORKK Aktivní 14/323,208 mnot published13/313,101 mnot published
New Al MuthanaBaghdad Governorate ORBI Aktivní 15R/33L3 301 mkonkrétní15L/33R4 000 mkonkrétní —
Qayyarah WestNineveh Governorate ORQW Aktivní 15/333 500 m
TajiBaghdad Governorate ORTI Aktivní —
  • 3rd, 23rd and 70th Squadrons (re-formation): Light reconnaissance and transport aircraft
H-3Al WalidAnbar Governorate Uzavřeno 2003 — —
ShaibahAl WahdaBasra Governorate Uzavřeno 2003 —
  • Exocet-armed Falcon 50 detachment: Dassault Falcon 50 (modified)

Tomuto vyhledávání neodpovídá žádná letecká základna.


Pořadí bitvy

Who is stationed where in the Iraqi Air Force

Létající jednotky podle základny, aktuální jednotky jako první. 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.

Balad Air Base · ORBDIraqi Air Force
9th Fighter SquadronStíhací letka · aktivní
General Dynamics F-16C/D Block 52 (F-16IQ)
Imam Ali · ORTLIraqi Air Force
23rd Squadron (training detachment)—
Lockheed C-130E Hercules
Kirkuk · ORKKIraqi Armed Forces
Eskadra č. 7—
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F
Al Rasheed · ORRAIraqi Air Force
No. 1 Squadron1931–
de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth
No. 5 Squadron—
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F
Camp Speicher (Tikrit Air Academy) · Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Air Force Academy (Air Force College)Škola leteckého výcviku · aktivní
Beechcraft T-6A Texan II
Taji · ORTIIraqi Armed Forces
3rd, 23rd and 70th Squadrons (re-formation)2005–
Light reconnaissance and transport aircraft
Habbaniyah · Iraqi Armed Forces
No. 1 Squadron—
de Havilland Venom FB.1
Eskadra č. 6—
Lovec jestřábů
Al Taqaddum · ORATIraqi Armed Forces
Bomber squadrons (Tu-16 and Tu-22)—
Tupolev Tu-16 / Xian H-6D, Tupolev Tu-22B
Qayyarah West · ORQWIraqi Armed Forces
Mirage F1EQ squadrons—
Dassault Mirage F1EQ

Žádná jednotka neodpovídá tomuto vyhledávání.


Časová osa

Iraqi Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1931

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.

1941

2–31 May: the Royal Iraqi Air Force fights Britain in the Anglo-Iraqi War and loses most of its aircraft.

1948

No. 7 Squadron’s Ansons and six Furies take part in the first war against Israel.

1958

14 July: the monarchy falls; the service becomes the Iraqi Air Force.

1959

January: the first Soviet aircraft arrive — MiG-15UTIs, MiG-17s and Il-28s.

1966

16 August: Capt Munir Redfa defects to Israel with a MiG-21F-13.

1967

5–7 June: Israeli raids on H-3; an Iraqi Tu-16 is shot down over Israel.

1973

October: Iraqi squadrons fight in Egypt and Syria; Iraq claims 21 Israeli fighters.

1980

22 September: 166–192 aircraft strike ten Iranian air bases, opening the Iran-Iraq war.

1981

4 April: Iranian raid on H-3; claims of losses range from one damaged MiG-21 (Iraq) to dozens of aircraft (Iran).

1987

17 May: an Iraqi aircraft hits the USS Stark with two Exocets, killing 37 sailors.

1988

16 March: chemical attack on Halabja by Iraqi aircraft. By the end of the war the air force has about 1,029 aircraft.

1991

January–February: the air force is defeated by the coalition; about 137 aircraft fly to Iran.

2002

23 December: a MiG-25 shoots down a US Predator, the last Iraqi air-to-air kill.

2003

23 May: Coalition Provisional Authority Order 2 dissolves the armed forces, the air force included.

2014

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.

2015

13 July: the first F-16s reach Balad. 5 November: the first two L-159s arrive.

2017

Deliveries of the T-50IQ begin in March; the war against the Islamic State ends in December.

2022

February: L-159s return to service; June: the T-50IQ flies in Iraq for the first time.

2025

August: US forces leave Baghdad and key bases, according to Wikipedia.

2026

28 February–10 April: Iraqi airspace closed during the war involving Iran.


Bojový záznam

Every war the Iraqi Air Force has fought

Výpady a ztráty tam, kde je statistika udává, a poctivá prázdnota tam, kde ne.

12konflikty
1931První
5Ztráta letadla
2Zabit
  • 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

Otevřít kompletní záznam boje



Otázky a odpovědi

Everything people ask about the Iraqi Air Force

What is the Iraqi Air Force called in Arabic?
Al-Quwwa al-Jawwiya al-Iraqiya (القوة الجوية العراقية), the title of the Arabic Wikipedia article on the service. It was the Royal Iraqi Air Force until the revolution of July 1958. We could not reach the Ministry of Defence site to confirm its official spelling or a Kurdish name.
Which fighter jets does the Iraqi Air Force fly?
Ten/Ta/To F-16 is its only fighter: Iraq bought 36 F-16IQs, and Wikipedia’s inventory, citing IISS, lists 34 in service at Balad. For attack it flies the Su-25 and Czech L-159s, and its 24 T-50IQ trainers can also carry weapons.
When was the Iraqi Air Force founded?
On 22 April 1931, when the first Iraqi pilots trained at RAF Cranwell came home with five Gipsy Moths, which formed No. 1 Squadron at Hinaidi. It was in combat against Kurdish insurgents by October 1931.
Did Iraq really fly its air force to Iran in 1991?
Yes. From late January 1991 about 137 Iraqi aircraft, including Mirage F1s, Su-22s, Su-24s, Su-25s and Il-76s, flew to Iran to escape coalition bombing, according to Wikipedia’s accounts; figures range from 115 to about 140. Iran interned them and treated them as reparations for the 1980–1988 war. In July 2014 Iran delivered seven Su-25s to Iraq, most of them aircraft that had fled in 1991.
How big was the Iraqi Air Force at its peak?
By the end of the war with Iran in 1988 it had about 1,029 aircraft, 550 of them combat aircraft, and some 40,000 people, according to Wikipedia — the largest air force in the region. In 1980 it had 332 aircraft. Today it has about 192 aircraft and 5,000 personnel (IISS figures quoted by Wikipedia).
What happened to the Iraqi Air Force in 2003?
It did not fight the invasion: no fighters flew, and aircraft including MiG-25s were later found buried in the sand. On 23 May 2003 Coalition Provisional Authority Order 2 dissolved it with the rest of the armed forces. The new air force started in 2004 with 35 people.
Did Iraqi pilots shoot down Israeli aircraft?
Iraq says so. Iraqi Hunter pilots were credited by Iraq with four Israeli aircraft in June 1967, and Israel’s own losses over H-3 on 7 June 1967 included two Vautours and a Mirage, according to Wikipedia. In 1973 Iraq claimed 21 Israeli fighters; that claim has not been independently confirmed. In August 1966 an Iraqi pilot, Munir Redfa, defected to Israel with a MiG-21.
What role did the Iraqi Air Force play against the Islamic State?
From 2014 to 2017 it flew Hellfire-armed Cessnas, Su-25s, F-16s and L-159s alongside the US-led coalition; Wikipedia credits the Su-25s alone with 3,562 missions. The war cost it dearly on the ground: on 12 June 2014 the Islamic State murdered between 1,095 (Iraqi Human Rights Ministry) and about 1,700 (IS claim) air force cadets at Camp Speicher.
Does the Iraqi Air Force fly the Mi-28 and Mi-35 attack helicopters?
No. Iraq’s Mi-28NE attack helicopters, 17 in Wikipedia’s 2025 count, and most of its Mi-17s and Bell 407s belong to the Iraqi Army Aviation Command, a separate service. The air force itself flies only a few helicopters: Bell 206 trainers, Gazelles and two Mi-8s.
Are Iraq’s F-16s and T-50s actually flying?
The F-16s are, from Balad, but they have depended on US contractors who left in 2014 when the Islamic State advanced and worked under rocket fire from 2020. The T-50IQs, delivered from 2017, were not flown until June 2022, after Iraq signed a support contract with KAI in November 2021. We found no official statement on fleet readiness for 2024–2026.



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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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