The first 10 years: 1931–1941 The Iraqi Air Force considers its founding day as 22 April 1931. This day, the first
Royal Iraqi Air Force (
RIrAF) pilots returned to the country from training in the
United Kingdom together with the air force's first aircraft: five
de Havilland Gipsy Moths. These formed No. 1 Squadron, based at
RAF Hinaidi. Before the creation of the new air force, the
RAF Iraq Command was in charge of all
British Armed Forces elements in Iraq in the 1920s and early 1930s. The RIrAF saw its first aerial combat as early as October 1931, against
Kurdish insurgents in the north of the country. It was during operations against the Kurds that the air force suffered its first combat loss, when a
DH.60 collided with a mountain near
Barzan in April 1932, killing both crew members. That year, the Gipsy Moths were reinforced by three more DH.60Ts and three
de Havilland Puss Moths. The next year, eight
de Havilland Dragons were delivered, and in 1934, the first out of a total of 34
Hawker Audaxes (named Nisr in Iraqi service) were acquired. In the years following Iraqi independence, the Air Force was still dependent on the
Royal Air Force. The Iraqi government allocated the majority of its military expenditure to the Iraqi Army and by 1936 the Royal Iraqi Air Force had only 37 pilots and 55 aircraft. The following year, the Air Force showed some growth, increasing its number of pilots to 127. This enabled it to purchase additional aircraft. In 1937, following high-level visits in Italy and Great Britain, Iraq placed orders for 4
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79s, 25
Breda Ba.65s, and 15
Gloster Gladiators. In 1939, 15
Northrop 8As were bought. The RIrAF's first combat against another conventional military was in the 1941
Anglo-Iraqi War, when the Iraqi government made a bid for full independence following a coup by
Rashid Ali against pro-British Iraqi leaders. The war began in earnest on 2 May, when British aircraft started attacking the Iraqi troops that were encircling
RAF Habbaniya. In response, the RIrAF started attacking the airfield, destroying two
Hawker Audaxes and one
Airspeed Oxford on the ground that day. On 4 May, eight
Vickers Wellington and two
Bristol Blenheim bombers of the RAF attacked
Rasheed Air Base, the RIrAF's main airfield. However, most Iraqi aircraft had been redeployed to
Al-Washash and
Baqubah. During the raid, a Wellington that had been hit by anti-aircraft fire was attacked by an Iraqi
Gloster Gladiator, and was damaged to the point where it had to make an emergency lading outside Baghdad. This represented the first aerial victory for the RIrAF. However, on the same day an SM.79 was shot down by Iraqi ground fire over the airfield at
Al Diwaniyah. The RAF kept attacking Iraqi airfields; on 8 May, it claimed to have destroyed six aircraft on the ground at Baqubah, and shot down one Gladiator. Around 15 May,
Luftwaffe aircraft painted in Iraqi markings
arrived in Iraq to help in the fight against the British. However, the latter were meanwhile sending ever more reinforcements to Iraq, and support from the
Axis powers could not change the course of the war. Losses and a lack of spares and replacement aircraft resulted in the Germans' departure at the end of May. On 31 May, a ceasefire was signed, thus ending the war.
Reconstruction and growth: 1941–1967 The Anglo-Iraqi War left the RIrAF shattered. Several squadrons had all of their aircraft destroyed, while many officers and pilots had been killed or had fled to neighbouring countries. Due to the destruction of the Flying School's entire aircraft inventory, training of new pilots only restarted six years after the war. Flying hours were also limited by the British authorities, which confiscated three of the remaining Gloster Gladiators in March 1942. Despite Iraqi attempts to buy some new aircraft, the only ones the British were ready to provide were some worn-out Gladiators: although 30 were delivered between September 1942 and May 1944, most of them were in such a state that they could only be used as sources of spare parts. From 1944 to 1947, 33
Avro Ansons were acquired. Despite these hurdles, the RIrAF helped put down the
1943 Barzani revolt. In late 1946, the Iraqis reached an agreement with the British, under which they would return their surviving Avro Ansons, in exchange for the authorisation to order 30
Hawker Fury F.Mk.1 fighters and two Fury T.Mk.52 two-seat trainers. The next year, three
de Havilland Doves and three
Bristol Freighters were ordered. The RIrAF was still recovering from its destruction during the Anglo-Iraqi War when it joined in the war against the
newly created state of Israel in the
1948 Arab–Israeli War. After a series of attacks on Arab capitals, flown by three
Boeing B-17s that had been pressed into service by the
Israeli Air Force, the governments of
Transjordan and
Syria demanded that the Iraqis replace their Ansons with Hawker Furies. However, only six Furies were sent to
Damascus, and they never encountered any Israeli aircraft. Moreover, due to the limited amount of cannon ammunition supplied by the British, and the absence of bombs, they were only used for armed reconnaissance. In the end, the four surviving aircraft were handed over to Egypt in October 1948. Despite these early problems, in 1951 the RIrAF purchased 20 more Fury F.Mk.1s, for a total of 50 F.Mk.1s single-seaters and 2 two-seaters, which equipped No. 1, No. 4 and No. 7 Squadrons. In the early 1950s, thanks to increased income from oil and agricultural exports, the RIrAF was thoroughly re-equipped. In 1951, 15 each of
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunks,
Percival Provosts and
North American T-6s were bought to replace obsolete
de Havilland Tiger Moth trainers. With these new aircraft, the RIrAF Flying School was expanded into the Air Force College. The training curriculum was improved, and the number of students graduating each year was increased. This allowed to form a solid basis for the RIrAF's long-term growth. Also in 1951, the RIrAF bought its first helicopters: three
Westland Dragonflies. The RIrAF's first jet fighter was the
de Havilland Vampire: 12 FB.Mk.52 fighters and 10 T.Mk.55 trainers were delivered from 1953 to 1955. These were quickly supplemented by 20
de Havilland Venoms, delivered between 1954 and 1956. Following the formation of the
Baghdad Pact, the United States donated at least six
Cessna O-1 Bird Dogs to the RIrAF. The RAF also vacated
Shaibah Air Base, and the RIrAF took over it as Wahda Air Base. In 1957, six
Hawker Hunter F.Mk.6s were delivered. The next year, the United States agreed to provide 36
F-86F Sabres free of charge. However, this plan was never realised. Following the
14 July Revolution of 1958, which resulted in the end of monarchy in Iraq, the influence of the
Iraqi Communist Party grew significantly. The first commander of the Iraqi Air Force (the "Royal" prefix was dropped after the revolution), Jalal Jaffar al-Awqati, was an outspoken communist, and encouraged prime minister
Abd al-Karim Qasim to improve relations between Iraq and the USSR. The Soviets reacted quickly, and in the autumn of 1958 a series of arms contracts was passed between Iraq and the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. These stipulated the delivery of
MiG-15UTI trainers,
MiG-17F fighters,
Ilyushin Il-28 bombers, and
Antonov An-2 and
An-12 transports. The first aircraft arrived in Iraq in January 1959. During the late 1960s and or early 1970s additional MiG-17s may have been purchased and then forwarded to either
Syria or
Egypt. •
1st Squadron, Venom FB.Mk.1, based at Habbaniyah AB, CO Capt. A.-Mun'em Ismaeel •
2nd Squadron (Iraq), Mi-4, based at Rashid AB, CO Maj. Wahiq Ibraheem Adham •
3rd Squadron (Iraq), An-12B, based at Rashid AB, CO Capt. Taha Ahmad Mohammad Rashid •
4th Squadron (Iraq), Fury I, based at
Kirkuk Air Base, CO Maj. A. Latif •
5th Squadron (Iraq), MiG-17F, based at Rashid AB, CO Maj. Khalid Sarah Rashid •
6th Squadron, Hunter FGA.59/A/B, based at Habbaniyah AB, CO Capt. Hamid Shaban •
7th Squadron,
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, based at Kirkuk, CO Maj. Ne'ma Abdullah Dulaimy •
8th Squadron, Il-28, based at
Rasheed Air Base, CO Maj. Adnan Ameen Rashid •
9th Squadron, MiG-19S, in process of formation. The IrAF received approximately 30 MiG-19Ss, 10 MiG-19Ps, and 10 MiG-19PMs in 1959 and 1960. However, only 16 MiG-19Ss were ever taken up; the other aircraft were not accepted due to their poor technical condition, and remained stored in
Basra. The accepted MiG-19Ss were operated from
Rasheed Air Base by the 9th Squadron. Their service in Iraq did not last long however: the survivors were donated to Egypt around 1964. Iraq also received MiG-21F-13 and
Tupolev Tu-16 bombers starting in 1962. The
November 1963 Iraqi coup d'état realigned Iraq with
NATO powers, and as a result, more second-hand
Hawker Hunters were delivered to the IQAF.
Six-Day War During the
Six-Day War, the IQAF bombed several air bases and land targets. On 6 June 1967, a group of four
Tupolev Tu-16 bombers was sent to attack
Ramat David Airbase. Two of them had to abort due to technical difficulties, and another was shot down by Israelis, killing the crew of five. The IQAF also played a significant role in supporting Jordanian troops. Iraqi Hunter pilots were officially credited for shooting down a further four Israeli aircraft, and another one was credited to anti-aircraft guns. Thanks to its Hunters and MiG-21s, the IQAF was successfully able to defend its bases in western
Iraq from additional Israeli attacks. A planned attack on 8 October was canceled due to these heavy losses as well as disagreements with the Syrian government. Eventually, all aircraft besides several
Sukhoi Su-7s were withdrawn from bases in Syria. During the war in October 1973, the first air strike against Israeli bases in
Sinai was composed of Iraqi planes; they hit artillery sites and Israeli tanks, and they also claimed to have destroyed 21 Israeli fighters in air combat. Shortly after the war, the IQAF ordered 14
Tupolev Tu-22Bs and two
Tu-22Us from the
USSR as well as
Raduga Kh-22 missiles and by 1975, 10 Tu-22Bs and 2 Tu-22Us were delivered. The 1970s also saw a series of fierce
Kurdish uprisings in the north of the country against Iraq. With the help of the Shah of Iran, the Kurds received arms and supplies including modern SAMs as well as some
Iranian soldiers. The IQAF suffered heavy casualties fighting the Kurds, so they began using their new Tu-22s in combat against them (using 3 tonne bombs from high altitude to avoid the Iranian
HAWK SAM batteries that the Shah had set up near the Iraqi border to cover the Kurdish insurgents) as they were able to avoid a greater percentage of SAMs due to their higher bombing altitude and improved electronic countermeasures. Between the autumn of 1980 and the summer of 1990, the number of aircraft in the IQAF went from 332 to over 1000. The IQAF had to instead fight with obsolete
Su-20,
MiG-21 Fishbeds and
MiG-23 Floggers. In retaliation for these aerial strikes, the Iranian Air Force launched
Operation Kaman 99 a day after the war was launched. During late 1981, it was soon clear that the modern
Mirage F1s and the
Soviet MiG-25s were effective against the Iranians. By that time the air force consisted of 40,000 men, of whom about 10,000 were a part of the Air Defense Command.
Notable Iraqi pilots of the Iran–Iraq War Unlike many other nations with modern air forces, Iraq was engaged in an intense and protracted war. The 8 year long conflict with
Iran gave the Air Force the opportunity to develop some battle-tested and hardened fighter pilots. Though information about the IQAF is, at best, hard to access, two men stand out as the best Iraqi
fighter aces.
Mohammed Rayyan, nicknamed "Sky Falcon," who flew
MiG-21MF in 1980–81, and claimed two confirmed kills against
Iranian
F-5Es in 1980. With the rank of
Captain, Rayyan qualified on
MiG-25P in late 1981 and went on to claim another eight kills, two of which are confirmed, before being shot down and killed by
IRIAF F-14s in 1986. Captain
Omar Goben was another successful pilot. While flying a
MiG-21 he scored air kills against two
F-5E Tiger IIs and one
F-4E Phantom II in 1980. He later transferred to the
MiG-23 and survived the war, but was killed in January 1991 flying a
MiG-29 versus an American
F-15C.
1990s – Persian Gulf War and no-fly zones In August 1990,
Iraq had the largest air force in the region even after the long
Iran–Iraq War. The air force at that time had 934 combat-capable aircraft (including trainers) in its inventory. Theoretically, the IQAF should have been 'hardened' by the conflict with
Iran, but post-war purges of the IQAF leadership and other personnel decimated the air force, as the Iraqi regime struggled to bring it back under total control. and on the ground (227 aircraft) and exclude the helicopters and aircraft that belonged to Iraqi Army Aviation, Iraqi Navy and the Aviation wing of the Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement. During the 1991
Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi Air Force was devastated by coalition airpower, notably the aerial forces of the
United States, the
United Kingdom and their allies. Most airfields were heavily struck, and in air combat Iraq was only able to obtain four confirmed kills (and four damaged along with one probable kill), while sustaining 23 losses. On 30 January 1991, an IQAF MiG-25 hit and damaged a USAF F-15C with an R-40 missile in the Samurra Air Battle. Iraq claims it was shot down (pilot ejected) and subsequently the aircraft crashed in Saudi Arabia. An Iraqi Mirage F-1 piloted by Capt. Nafie Al-Jubouri successfully downed an American EF-111 Raven through aerial maneuvering as it crashed while attempting to avoid a missile fired by Al-Jubouri. In another incident, an Iraqi
MiG-25 eluded eight
USAF F-15C Eagles, firing three missiles at a USAF
EF-111 electronic warfare aircraft, forcing them to abort their mission. In yet another incident, two MiG-25's approached a pair of F-15 Eagles, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then out-ran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of ten air-to-air missiles were fired at the Iraqi aircraft; none of which could reach them. In an effort to demonstrate their own air offensive capability, on 24 January the Iraqis attempted to mount a
strike against the major Saudi oil refinery in
Abqaiq. Two Mirage F-1 fighters laden with incendiary bombs and two MiG-23s (along as fighter cover) took off. They were spotted by USAF
Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, and two Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s were sent to intercept. When the Saudis appeared the Iraqi MiGs turned tail, but the Mirages pressed on. Captain Ayedh Al-Shamrani, one of the Saudi pilots, maneuvered his jet behind the Mirages and shot down both aircraft. After this episode, the Iraqis made no more air efforts of their own, sending most of their jets to Iran in hopes that they might someday get their Air Force back. (Iran returned seven Su-25s in 2014.) During the Persian Gulf War, most Iraqi pilots and aircraft (of French and Soviet origin) fled to Iran to escape the bombing campaign because no other country would allow them sanctuary. The Iranians impounded these aircraft after the war and returned seven Su-25s in 2014, while putting the rest in the service of the
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force – claiming them as reparations for the
Iran–Iraq War. Because of this
Saddam Hussein did not send the rest of his Air Force to Iran just prior to
Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, instead opting to bury them in sand. Saddam Hussein, preoccupied with Iran and regional power balance, is reported to have commented: "The Iranians are even stronger than before, they now have our Air Force." These included: Mirage F1s EQ1/2/4/5/6, Su-20 and Su-22M2/3/4 Fitters, Su-24MK Fencer-Ds, Su-25K/UBK Frogfoots, MiG-23ML Floggers, MiG-29A/UB (product 9.12B) Fulcrums and a number of Il-76s, including the one-off AEW-AWACS prototype Il-76 "ADNAN 1". Also, prior to Operation Desert Storm, 19 Iraqi Mig-21s and MiG-23s were sent to Yugoslavia for servicing, but were never returned due to international sanctions. aircraft lies in ruins after it was destroyed by coalition forces during the Persian Gulf War's Operation Desert Storm.
Persian Gulf War aircraft losses by coalition forces The Iraqi Air Force itself lists its air-to-air losses at 23 airframes In 2008, the
Defense Technical Information Center released the top-secret archives of the Saddam-era Iraqi Air Force, shedding light on the true losses and operations of the Air Force during 1991. An aviation institute in
Bijeljina,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, supplied the engines and spare parts. These however, were too late to improve the condition of Iraq's air force. On the brink of the
US-led invasion, Saddam Hussein disregarded his air force's wishes to defend the country's airspace against coalition aircraft and ordered the bulk of his fighters to be disassembled and buried. Some were later found by US excavation forces around the
Al Taqqadum and
Al Asad air bases, including MiG-25s and Su-25s. The IQAF proved to be totally non-existent during the invasion; a few helicopters were seen but no fighters flew to combat coalition aircraft. During the occupation phase, most of Iraq's combat aircraft (J-7, MiG-23s, MiG-25s, SU-20/22, Su-25 and some MiG-29s) were found by
American and
Australian forces in poor condition at several air bases throughout the country while others were discovered buried. Most of the IQAF's aircraft were destroyed during and after the invasion, and all remaining equipment was junked or scrapped in the immediate aftermath of the war. None of the aircraft acquired during Saddam's time remained in service. The newly created air force consisted only of 35 people in 2004 when it began operations. In December 2004, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense signed two contracts with the Polish defence consortium BUMAR. The first contract, worth US$132 million, was for the delivery of 20
PZL W-3 Sokół helicopters and the training of 10 Iraqi pilots and 25 maintenance personnel. On 18 November 2005, the
Coalition Air Force Transition Team (CAFTT), part of
Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq was established to guide the recreation of the new Iraqi Air Force. During this period, the Air Force primarily served as a light reconnaissance and transport operation. Also in 2007, the
USAF's
Second Air Force, part of
Air Education and Training Command, was given responsibility to provide curricula and advice to the Iraqi Air Force as it stood up its own technical training and branch specific basic training among others. In 2009 the first of several Iraqi officers completed their flying training at
RAF Cranwell, a development with echos of the Iraqi Air Force's early beginnings. It was reported in December 2007 that a deal had been reached between the Iraqi government and Serbia for the sale of arms and other military equipment including 36
Lasta 95 basic trainers. It was speculated that Iraq might buy 50
Aérospatiale Gazelle attack helicopters from France. In July 2008, Iraq had formally requested an order for 24 light attack and reconnaissance helicopters. The aircraft would either be the
U.S. Army's new
ARH-70 helicopter or the
MH-6 Little Bird. On October 14, 2008,
Aviation Week reported that two
Hellfire-equipped
Cessna 208Bs were spotted at an ATK facility in Meacham Airport, Fort Worth, Texas. The Iraqi air force was due to receive three armed Cessna 208Bs in December 2008, with two more to be delivered in 2009. This represented the first IQAF strike capability since the start of the war in 2003. The Iraqi government announced in November 2008 that the Iraqi Air Force would purchase 108 aircraft through 2011. Ultimately the force was to have consisted of up to 516 total aircraft by 2015, then 550 total aircraft by 2018. Specific types being purchased included
Eurocopter EC635 and Bell ARH-70 type helicopters. Additionally, 24
T-6 Texan II aircraft would be purchased for the light attack role. Over the summer of 2008, the Defense Department announced that the Iraqi government wanted to order more than 400 armored vehicles and other equipment worth up to $3 billion, and six C-130J transport planes, worth up to $1.5 billion. Iraq was due to buy 28 Czech-made
L-159 training jets valued at $1 billion (770 million euros). Twenty-four of the planes would be new, while four would come from
Czech surplus stocks. Later the deal fell through. However afterwards the Czech aviation company Aero Vodochody reportedly agreed to sell twelve of the jets, although the deal was not yet approved by both countries' governments. There were talks to buy Czech made combat aircraft
Aero L-159 Alca with possible sale or oil trade of either 24 or 36 aircraft from
Czech Air Force surplus. The purchase was not done and as of 2013, the Czech Republic has not been able to secure its first export deal for its L-159 Alca fighter aircraft. The deal for 24/36 Czech L-159 aircraft was cancelled; instead South Korea supersonic KAI T50 have been chosen (24 aircraft). But in April 2014, Iraq decided to buy 12 second-hand (conserved) L-159 for $200 million.
2010s Throughout 2010 and 2011, the Iraqi government and the MoI announced intentions to buy
Dassault Mirage F1 and
F-16C Block 52 fighters. The Iraqi cabinet specified a sum of $900m as a first installment of $3b worth of aircraft, equipment, spare parts, and training. The deal to buy the F-16 fighters seemed to teeter as the GoI reversed its decision on 12 February and wanted to divert the initial sum of $900m to economic reconstruction. However, on the 12 July 2011, the GoI re-iterated its interest in the F-16s due to the pending withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, and later the number of fighters to be purchased was doubled to 36. Iraq's air space was unguarded from December 2011 until 18
F-16IQ Block 52 jet fighters and their pilots were ready. The first Iraqi F-16 made its inaugural flight in May 2014. It was officially delivered to the IQAF in a ceremony at
Fort Worth, Texas, on 5 June 2014. In October 2012, it was reported that Russia and Iraq may sign a $4.2–$5.0 billion weapons contract, including 30 Mi-28N helicopters. The deal was reportedly cancelled due to Iraqi concerns of corruption, but that concern was addressed, and the Iraqi defense minister stated that "the deal is going ahead". Despite early complications, all parts of the $4.2 billion contracts were signed, and are being executed. The first contract for 10 Mi-28NE helicopters for Iraq will begin delivery in September 2013. A batch of 13 Mi-28NE helicopters was delivered in January 2014. On 26 June 2014, Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki said that they "should have sought to buy other jet fighters like British, French and Russian", describing the order of American F-16s as "long-winded" and "deluded". The Iraqi Ministry of Defense confirmed the purchase of 5 Russian
Sukhoi Su-25, uploading a video on its YouTube channel of their arrival. The
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force also delivered seven Su-25s on 1 July, the majority of which were ex-Iraqi aircraft that fled to Iran during the Gulf War. On 13 July 2015, the Iraqi Air Force received its first batch of F-16 fighters. In addition to the F-16's which are due to be delivered to the Iraqi Air Force throughout the upcoming years, 24
KAI T-50 Golden Eagles are expected to begin deliveries by April 2016 boosting the Iraqi Air Force's defense capabilities. On 5 November 2015, the first two Czech
Aero L-159 light combat aircraft were delivered to Iraq. The first group of Iraqi pilots completed training in the Czech company
Aero Vodochody on 9 February 2016. Iraq will gain a total of 15
Aero L-159s and
Aero Vodochody will make 12 aircraft operable for the Iraqi Air Force. Two other planes will be used for the reconstruction of two aircraft into two-seaters, one will be used for spare parts. For nearly three years,
United Kingdom has blocked the sale of L-159s because they contain British
radar warning receiver. However,
Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to overturn the ban in February 2016 and the sale to Iraq is proceeding. In December 2014, during a meeting between leaders of Iraq and the
United Arab Emirates, the UAE offered up to 10
Mirage 2000 fighters to the Iraqi Air Force. The aircraft could have been delivered by March 2015. On 6–7, April 2019, IQAF received six new F-16s. According to Brigadier Yahya Rasool,
Ministry of Defence (Iraq)'s Security Media Cell spokesperson, the latest delivery brought Iraq's F-16 fleet to 27. Among operating squadrons of the air force today are:
3rd Squadron; 9th Squadron (F-16s); 23rd Squadron;
70th Squadron;
87th Squadron (B 350ER);
109th Squadron (
Sukhoi Su-25);
115th Squadron (L-159); and possibly
2nd Squadron.
2020s During the
2026 Iran War, an Iraqi
An-32B transport aircraft was damaged in its hangar when the
Popular Mobilization Front - Iranian backed militia - used a
Shaheb-12 missile that landed in
Baghdad International Airport. ==Air Force commanders==