Iraqi forces receive Super Mushshak aircrafts from Pakistan
Iraqi Air Force F-16 fighter jets during a training. Photo: US Air Force
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The spokesperson of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Yahya Rasoul, announced on Sunday that the Iraqi forces received the first batch of the Pakistani aircraft, Super Mushshak, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
“The tasks of the Air Force include non-combat missions,” Rasoul told INA on the 92nd anniversary of the establishment of the Air Force Command in Iraq.
“There was a key role in rebuilding the Air Force following 2003. F-16 fighter jets and Korean-made T50 aircrafts were brought to the Iraqi Air Force,” Rasoul clarified.
Rasoul emphasized that modernization is ongoing to complete building the capabilities of the Air Force.
The Iraqi official explained that Iraqi fighter pilots and the Air Force Command participated in operations to assist other Iraqi ministries during the Corona pandemic, as they transported vaccines from China.
Rasoul added that the Air Force also provided aid to neighboring Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquake and helped in the evacuation of the Iraqi community from Sudan.
During his speech on the 92nd anniversary of the establishment of the Air Force Command in Iraq, the Iraqi Minister of Defense, Thabet Al-Abbasi, confirmed that his ministry is working to develop the Air Force to include the most modern fighter jets, INA mentioned.
Al-Abbasi also elaborated that the Pakistani planes would play a major role in training the cadet pilots.
The Iraqi Defense Minister indicated the role of the Iraqi Air Force during the battles waged by the army against the terrorist groups of ISIS.
Al-Abbasi stated that the Air Force had the upper hand in fighting terrorism, in addition to taming and eliminating terrorists in hideouts.
The Iraqi Minister of Defense added that the heroic achievements of the Iraqi Air Force are not limited to its role in battles, but it includes logistical support provided to security forces and citizens on different occasions.