Iraq to take delivery of four Czech fighter jets this month

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq will take delivery this month of four advanced jet fighters bought from the Czech Republic, an Iraqi official said Sunday.

“According to a deal struck between the Czech Republic and Iraq, the Czech government will hand over four 159T1 warplanes to Iraq,” said Hakim Zamli, head of the Iraqi parliament’s defense and security committee.

“The warplanes are scheduled to arrive in Iraq in mid-September,” he told Rudaw by phone.

“The Iraqi military is better equipped compared to the past in terms of heavy weapons,” he disclosed. “With the arrival of these warplanes… it can be fully ready to defend itself and keep defeating ISIS on all fighting fronts,” he said, referring to the Islamic State group.

In January 2012, the Iraqi government signed a military agreement with the Czech Republic to buy four 159T1 warplanes, but technical details had delayed delivery.

The Aero L-159T1 ALCA (Advanced Light Combat Aircraft) is a Czech-built multi-role combat aircraft.

In an effort to bolster the Iraqi air force in the war with ISIS, the US handed over four F-16 jets to Iraq in July.

In his speech at an event celebrating the arrival of the jets, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described the delivery as a sign of international trust in Iraq’s fighting forces.

Iraq has been struggling to rebuild its military ever since it collapsed in the face of an ISIS onslaught in June 2014, fleeing without a fight and leaving vast quantities of arms that were seized by ISIS.