ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Sunday chaired a meeting with the Air Defense Command to review plans to strengthen the country's air defense capabilities and accelerate the delivery of advanced systems aimed at protecting Iraqi airspace and reinforcing national sovereignty.
Zaidi, in his capacity as the commander in chief of the armed forces, discussed “the plan to build and develop air defense capabilities and enhance its readiness” to ensure “the protection of Iraqi airspace and the achievement of sovereignty,” according to a press statement from the prime minister’s media office.
Officials also "reviewed contracts concluded with foreign companies to supply the Air Defense Command with advanced specialized systems," stressing the need to “accelerate the implementation and delivery of these contracts” to help complete Iraq’s air defense network and enhance its ability to “monitor and control Iraqi airspace,” the statement outlined.
The meeting comes days after Baghdad announced a plan to fully modernize the country's air defense system within three years, following recent regional security tensions between the US and Iran and reported violations of Iraqi airspace, ahead of the planned US coalition pull-out which takes with it various air defenses.
“The commander-in-chief ordered the establishment of a special fund to finance the air defense sector,” spokesperson Sabah al-Numan told Rudaw on Friday, adding that authorities had decided to shorten the development plan “which was initially scheduled to extend from 2026 to 2031 - to just three years, without affecting the technical and technological aspects.”
Numan said the accelerated program includes the acquisition of medium and long-range radar systems, missile forces, and advanced command-and-control systems.
“Contracts concluded with reputable international companies are ongoing, in coordination with the finance ministry to allocate the necessary funds for the air defense fund, in order to fully protect Iraq's airspace sovereignty,” he said on Friday.
The push to upgrade Iraq’s air defenses follows late July strikes by the United States and Saudi Arabia on positions belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Baghdad and several other provinces.
The PMF claimed the attacks killed at least 20 of its members and wounded 32 others. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted “Iran-aligned terrorists” allegedly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
