SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi military is seeking French and Russian defense systems, Defense News newspaper reported Friday, as negotiations have reached advanced stage.
The Virginia-based newspaper reported that the Iraqi army was seeking French Rafale fighter jets, drones and artillery, as well as Russian T-90 tanks.
“France has offered to sell 20 drones; currently the Iraqi [Ministry of Defense] is undertaking technical analysis,” Defense News quoted Norman Ricklefs, who leads geopolitical consultancy NAMEA Group, as saying.
Ricklefs was previously an advisor to Iraq’s interior minister and to the secretary general of the ministry of defense, according to Defense News.
The newspaper said an Iraqi delegation was scheduled to visit France in the near future to inspect the drones.
Ricklefs, who has recently spoken to Iraqi defense officials about the procurement plans, believes the delegation will “perform a quality check” on the drones, according to Defense News.
In January, chief of Iraq’s ground forces Lt. Gen Qasim al-Mohammadi said Iraq was in talks with France to procure French drones.
“Iraq is negotiating many contracts including armed drones capable of flying for 30 hours in Iraqi airspace and of addressing targets and continuously monitoring various regions, with proven ability and effectiveness,” he said in an interview with the official Iraqi news agency (INA).
Ricklefs said the Iraqi Air Force, for its part, was intending to purchase “14 French Rafale fighter jets at a cost of $240 million, which will be paid in oil rather than cash”.
He added that the Iraqi air force was nearing the purchase of Super Mushshak fighter/trainer aircraft.
In September 2021, chairman of the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee Mohammed Redha al-Haidar revealed Iraq and France had signed a contract for the aircraft, according to Defense News.
In May 2020, deputy chairman of the parliament’s committee of security and defense Nayif al-Shammari said the defense ministry was keen to build an integrated air defense system, but he didn’t reveal which defense system the country was planning to attain.
“The government will conduct meetings with important companies in the next few months to provide Iraq with a modern integrated air defense system,” he said.
Defense News cited Ricklefs as saying that the Iraqi government was also in talks for Pakistani UAVs.
“Pakistan has also offered to sell Iraq 20 drones, but the MoD is still analyzing the officer,” he was quoted as saying.
In January 2021, Pakistani minister of defense production Zubaida Jalal Khan paid a visit to Iraq and held talks with senior officials in Baghdad, including President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Salih stressed the “importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the defense field between the two countries”, according to a statement by the Iraqi presidency.
Ricklefs further said the Iraqi defense ministry was also seeking additional T-90 tanks from Russia.
The United States has warned Iraq of the consequences of extending military cooperation with Russia, and concluding deals to buy sophisticated weaponry, particularly S-400 missile systems.
In January 2020, Iraqi lawmakers said Baghdad was considering the purchase of a Russian air defense system.
Russian Ambassador to Iraq Maksim Maksimov said in April 2020 that Moscow was prepared to provide Baghdad with advanced S-400 air defense missile systems once Baghdad made an official request for the military hardware, according to Defense World news outlet.
