Washington to hand over Iraq four F-16 aircraft next July
Iraqi F-16 fighter jet. File photo.
(IraqiNews.com) On Monday the US ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones announced, that Washington will hand over Iraq four F-16 aircraft in the month of July, while pointed out that the flight training will be moved from Arizona to Balad town in Iraq by the summer of 2018.
During his press conference at the American Embassy in Baghdad, Jones said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “Iraq purchased 36 [aircraft] of the model (F – 16). Six of them were handed to contribute in combat and training missions in Iraq,” noting that, “Washington plans to hand over Iraq four aircraft in the month of July.”
Jones added, “The Iraqi government began receiving 18 aircraft at a rate of one every month,” indicating that, “The flight training will be moved from the US state of Arizona to the town of Balad in Iraq by the summer of 2018.”