Iraq to buy $1.95 billion worth of American bombs and missiles

The United States and Iraq have agreed on a deal worth $1.95 billion of modern missiles and smart bombs for the Iraqi air force.

According to AFP 400 American contractors and government staff will also work in Iraq until around 2020 to help Iraqi pilots and ground crew maintain and operate the jets effectively.

Iraq started the delivery of 36 jets last year which had been purchased from the US.

This latest arm package will provide each of the Iraqi F-16's with 24 air-to-air Sidewinder missiles, 150 air-to-ground Maverick missiles. 16,000 bombs overall are also being delivered to help the fledgling F-16 fleet target Islamic State (ISIS) jihadis.

In 2014 Baghdad blamed the US for not delivering the jets on time to be used against the invasion of Islamic State (ISIS) militants from Syria that led to the fall of Mosul and much of the country’s Sunni heartland.